Lloyds TSB faces renewed interest in its Scottish Widows insurance arm after two European insurers were reported to have pitched a bid for the business.
The Sunday Telegraphsaid Lloyds TSB had received and rejected a joint offer for Scottish Widows from Axa and Swiss Re, worth about £8 billion.
Closed life insurer Resolution Life said today it would be interested in buying Widows if it was for sale, and the business could attract interest from elsewhere after turning around its fortunes in the last two years.
A spokesman for Resolution said: "We would pursue it if it were put up for sale . . . but our understanding is that Scottish Widows is not for sale, which is why we have not pursued it."
He said Resolution had not made a formal offer.