UK bank results to come under intense scrutiny

First quarter figures from Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland come amid intense scrutiny on the taxpayer-backed players after Lloyds revealed the collapse of its planned sale of 632 branches.

Lloyds has been left with little option but to seek a flotation of the estate after the Co-operative Group admitted defeat and withdrew from the deal – a move that followed just six months after Santander pulled out of its £1.65 billion takeover of more than 300 RBS branches.