LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) - Shares in British banks werehigher in early trading with Britain's Conservative partylooking likely to form the next government, removing fears of abreak-up of Britain's biggest banks and further hike in the banklevy.
Shares in Lloyds, which is 20 percent owned by thegovernment, were up 7.5 percent at 0708 GMT. RBS, which is 80percent government-owned, were up 6.1 percent.
Other British banks also rose. Shares in Barclays were up5.7 percent. HSBC and Standard Chartered rose by 1.1 percent and1.4 percent respectively. (Reporting by Matt Scuffham, editing by Sinead Cruise)