Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland are forced to sell businessesShutterstockAT THE height of the banking crisis, restoring financial stability was paramount for the British government. Worries about limiting the taxpayer’s exposure came second. Ensuring that banking customers continued to enjoy a competitive market was a distant third. Indeed, the government waived competition rules to let Lloyds TSB take over Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS), Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, in what proved to b