British government puts sale of RBS, Lloyds stakes on hold after Brexit vote

Britain’s government has scrapped plans to sell stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group this year in the wake of the Brexit vote, sources said, a decision set to leave a multi-billion pound hole in its finances. The Treasury had planned to further reduce its exposure to the banks it took over during the financial crisis, by raising 9 billion pounds ($11.9 billion) via sales of stock to fund managers and a discounted offer to the public.