A £13bn (€18m) mortgage portfolio put up for sale by the bad bank charged with winding down the assets of two failed British lenders has lured interest from several possible bidders, the group’s boss said yesterday.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group is one of many prospective bidders that have shown an interest in buying Granite, a £13bn (€18.3bn) mortgage securitisation vehicle earmarked for sale by the UK government.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook is in an enviable position — market-leading products, a $98bn (€74bn) warchest and a stock price that seems gravity-defying.

Emergency legislation to nationalise Northern Rock is expected to become law today amid warnings that the taxpayer was being saddled with the bank’s bad debts.