A woman leaves a branch of The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in Basingstoke, Hampshire, on November 3, 2009. Britain is to force state-rescued banks RBS and Lloyds Banking Group to sell assets in a massive shake-up of the banking sector but will support them with 30 billion pounds, the government said on Tuesday. The government expects new banks to be born as a result of the break-ups which are the result of pressure from EU competition authorities. Getty Images logo Getty Images 1 month ago

A woman leaves a branch of The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in Basingstoke, Hampshire, on November 3, 2009. Britain is to force state-rescued banks RBS and Lloyds Banking Group to sell assets in a massive shake-up of the banking sector but will support them with 30 billion pounds, the government said on Tuesday. The government expects new banks to be born as a result of the break-ups which are the result of pressure from EU competition authorities.

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  1. The Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) offices are reflected in the windows of another office, in the City of London, December 3, 2009. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown moved to allay fears of a mass walk out by the board of Royal Bank of Scotland, saying it would not be singled out for unduly harsh treatment over bonuses.
  2. The Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) offices are reflected in the windows of another office, in the City of London, December 3, 2009. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown moved to allay fears of a mass walk out by the board of Royal Bank of Scotland, saying it would not be singled out for unduly harsh treatment over bonuses.
  3. Pedestrians walk past walk past the main London branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland in the rain in the city of London Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009 . The directors of Royal Bank of Scotland are threatening to resign if the government stops them paying bonuses of 1.5 billion pounds ($2.5 billion/1.65 billion euro) to staff in its investment arm. They sought legal advice after the chancellor said the government would have the right to veto bonus amounts.
  4. The Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) offices are seen behind a traffic light in the City of London, December 3, 2009. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown moved to allay fears of a mass walk out by the board of Royal Bank of Scotland, saying it would not be singled out for unduly harsh treatment over bonuses.
  5. A man walks out of the main London branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland in the city of London Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009 . The directors of Royal Bank of Scotland are threatening to resign if the government stops them paying bonuses of 1.5 billion pounds ($2.5 billion/1.65 billion euro) to staff in its investment arm. They sought legal advice after the chancellor said the government would have the right to veto bonus amounts.
  6. A man walks past the offices of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in the City of London, December 3, 2009. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown moved to allay fears of a mass walk out by the board of Royal Bank of Scotland, saying it would not be singled out for unduly harsh treatment over bonuses.
  7. A woman walks past the offices of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in the City of London, December 3, 2009. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown moved to allay fears of a mass walk out by the board of Royal Bank of Scotland, saying it would not be singled out for unduly harsh treatment over bonuses.
  8. RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2009 - A worker replaces a pane of glass in the vandalised home of former Royal Bank of Scotland chief Fred Goodwin in Edinburgh, Scotland, in this March 25, 2009 file photo. Bankers may rank below journalists among the professions least trusted by Britons, but they refuse to accept all the blame for the worst financial crisis in 70 years.
  9. The Bank of England is seen in central London, Wednesday Nov. 25, 2009. Britain's treasury minister on Wednesday defended the secrecy surrounding the Bank of England's decision to loan 61.6 billion british pounds ($101.8 billion US) to save two banks from collapse last year. The central bank revealed this week it had loaned the Royal Bank of Scotland PLC and HBOS PLC more than it had initially disclosed. The secret loans to prop up the banks came in October and November 2008, when the financial system froze in panic in the wake of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.
  10. The Bank of England is seen in central London, Wednesday Nov. 25, 2009. Britain's treasury minister Paul Myners on Wednesday defended the secrecy surrounding the Bank of England's decision to loan 61.6 billion british pounds ($101.8 billion) to save two banks from collapse last year. The central bank revealed this week it had loaned the Royal Bank of Scotland PLC and HBOS PLC more than it had initially disclosed. The secret loans to prop up the banks came in October and November 2008, when the financial system froze in panic in the wake of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.
  11. LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: Stephen Hester, the Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, delivers a speech to the CBI annual conference at the Park Lane Hilton hotel on November 23, 2009 in London, England. The Confederation of British Industry's conference, entitled 'Routes to Recovery', brings together leading politicians and business experts to discuss ways to deliver economic growth.
  12. LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: Stephen Hester, the Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, delivers a speech to the CBI annual conference at the Park Lane Hilton hotel on November 23, 2009 in London, England. The Confederation of British Industry's conference, entitled 'Routes to Recovery', brings together leading politicians and business experts to discuss ways to deliver economic growth.
  13. LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: Stephen Hester, the Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, delivers a speech to the CBI annual conference at the Park Lane Hilton hotel on November 23, 2009 in London, England. The Confederation of British Industry's conference, entitled 'Routes to Recovery', brings together leading politicians and business experts to discuss ways to deliver economic growth.
  14. LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: Stephen Hester, the Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, delivers a speech to the CBI annual conference at the Park Lane Hilton hotel on November 23, 2009 in London, England. The Confederation of British Industry's conference, entitled 'Routes to Recovery', brings together leading politicians and business experts to discuss ways to deliver economic growth.
  15. LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: Stephen Hester, the Chief Executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, delivers a speech to the CBI annual conference at the Park Lane Hilton hotel on November 23, 2009 in London, England. The Confederation of British Industry's conference, entitled 'Routes to Recovery', brings together leading politicians and business experts to discuss ways to deliver economic growth.
  16. A man walks past a branch of Lloyds Bank in the City of London November 3, 2009. Lloyds Banking Group launched a record 13.5 billion-pound ($22 billion) rights issue on Tuesday and along with rival Royal Bank of Scotland has agreed to sell off businesses as part of a complex deal to further boost capital while also meeting EU competition concerns over state aid.

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