London (Dow Jones) -- It's understandable why the UK government so far apparently favours the bids from JC Flowers and the Virgin consortium for Northern Rock, though alternative suitors may yet emerge as the front runners for the troubled bank.

Flowers and Virgin promise an immediate repayment of a substantial portion of Northern Rock's borrowings from the Bank of England, worth around £25bn (€34.8bn). Flowers has offered upfront payment of £15bn and Virgin £10bn.