Osborne offers increased hope to eurozone

Britain could help struggling eurozone countries by increasing its payments to the International Monetary Fund by billions of pounds, George Osborne, pictured, said yesterday.

The Chancellor's move might enable Britain to rebuild bridges with its European Union partners.

The UK has already handed over £30bn of the £40bn it has earmarked for the IMF and would need parliamentary approval to send more than £10bn to it.

Finance ministers of the G20 group of the biggest economies will discuss IMF funding in Mexico next month.