How many artefacts in the British Museum are actually British?

A recent meeting between the British and Greek prime ministers has once again revived a long-running debate about whether the UK should return the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, to Athens.

Following the meeting between Keir Starmer and Kyriakos Mitsotakis earlier this month, reports emerged that the Greek government believes its British counterpart will no longer block the return of the ancient sculptures.

However, Downing Street has reiterated that its stance on returning the artefacts remains unchanged, stating that the decision is for the British Museum, where they are currently housed. The government also said that it has no intention of altering the law to allow their permanent removal.

The sculptures are a collection of marble decorations from the Temple of Athena, or the Parthenon, on the Acropolis in Athens, dating back as early as 447 BC.

In the early 1800s, Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, claimed he obtained permission from local authorities to remove about half of the remaining sculptures from the Parthenon, citing concern for their preservation.

They were eventually transferred to the British Museum and have since been a significant point of contention between the UK and Greece.

Some claim that Lord Elgin was an honest Philhellene trying to save the sculptures from deterioration and destruction, while others allege that the Scottish nobleman was a greedy aristocrat who stole the marbles from their rightful homeland, a symptom of Britain's wider colonial ambitions at the time.

The debate often prompts a wider discussion as to whether and what exactly the UK should return to their countries of origin, as well as claims that there'd be nothing left in the British Museum