Taxpayers have collected another £130 million in dividends from Lloyds Banking Group as the Treasury reaffirmed plans to sell its final stake in the lender in the coming months. Taxpayers own just over 9 per cent of Lloyds, down from 43 per cent after it was bailed out with £20.5 billion of public money in the financial crisis. Altogether the government has received £318 million in dividends from the lender, which was allowed to restart payments last year in recognition of its restored financial strength and success in meeting hurdles set by Brussels in return for state aid. The government

Source: The Times May 17, 2016 17:36 UTC