UK extends plan to sell off its shares in NatWest by another two years

The UK government bailed out NatWest, formerly known as RBS Group, to the tune of £46bn in 2008, at the height of the financial crisis. Photograph: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

A plan to whittle down the government’s stake in NatWest has been extended by another two years after weeks of banking turmoil that hit the lender’s shares and temporarily fuelled fears over a fresh financial crisis.

UK Government Investments (UKGI), which manages the shares on behalf of the Treasury, said the scheme to strategically sell portions of the British taxpayer’s shareholding – after NatWest’s near-£46bn state bailout in 2008 – would now run until August 2025.