Banking: Lloyds cheers resilient economy

The high street lending giant reported a 6 per cent rise in underlying pre-tax profits to £2bn for the three months to March 31, while bottom line profits surged 23 per cent to £1.6bn.

But it added another £90m in costs for payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling claims, taking its total bill for the saga to an eye-watering £18.8bn.

Chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio said: “We have made a strong start to 2018 and have begun implementing the strategic initiatives which will further digitise the group, enhance customer propositions, maximise our capabilities as an integrated financial service provider and transform the way we work.”

He added: “The UK economy continues to be resilient, benefiting from low unemployment and continued GDP growth.

“We expect the economy to continue to perform along these lines during 2018.”