George Osborne clashed with No 10 over selection of British Museum director

Museum chair rejected demand that Rishi Sunak be able to pick candidate from shortlist of two

Rishi Sunak’s government has clashed with George Osborne over an attempt to interfere in the appointment of a new director of the British Museum, of which the former chancellor is chair.

The museum, which has been beset by a scandal about the suspected theft of 1,800 artefacts from its collection, appointed the National Portrait Gallery head, Nicholas Cullinan, as its new director in late March.