(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window) * Travel and leisure stocks jump on lockdown exit plan * Unemployment rate edges up to 5.1% * FTSE 100 up 0.2%, FTSE 250 adds 0.4% (Updates to market close) By Shivani Kumaresan and Amal S Feb 23 (Reuters) - UK stocks closed higher on Tuesday, bucking the trend in Europe as optimism around an economic recovery led by plans to ease restrictions in Britain offset a spike in the domestic unemployment rate. After falling as much 1.7%, the commodity-heavy FTSE 100.FTSE ended 0.2% higher after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was very optimistic that all COVID-19 restrictions in England would end on June 21.urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2KT37D The mid-cap FTSE 250.FTMC gained 0.4%. "The announcement has given market an extra confidence that the economy will be starting to move back into normalcy progressively over the next few months and shares of travel companies and banks are benefiting from that," said Chris Bailey, strategist at Raymond James. British Airways owner IAGICAG.L gained 2.0%, while easyJetEZJ.L , Wizz AirWIZZ.L and CineworldCINE.L gained between 1.8% and 9.5%. Summer holiday bookings surged by as much as 600% after Britain laid out plans to gradually relax coronavirus restrictions.urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2KT27Y HSBC Holdings PlcHSBA.L edged up 0.8%, alongside other banking stocks, despite lowering its long-term profitability target.urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2KT077 BarclaysBARC.L and Lloyds Banking GroupLLOY.L rose 3.1% and 2% respectively. A raft of global stimulus has helped the FTSE 100 recover about 35% from a coronavirus-driven crash last year, but it has lagged its European peer on worries about the economic damage from prolonged lockdowns. More recently, fears of rising inflation have hit equities worldwide. Britain's jobless rate rose to 5.1% in the last three months of 2020, its highest in nearly five years but still lower than it would have been without a huge coronavirus jobs support scheme that finance minister Rishi Sunak looks set to extend next week.urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2KT1O3 (Reporting by Shivani Kumaresan and Amal S in Bengaluru, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips, Rashmi Aich and Jonathan Oatis) ((Shivani.Kumaresan@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646 223 8780;)) (( For related prices, Reuters users may click on - * UK stock report.L FTSE index:0#.FTS6 techMARK 100 index:.FTT1X FTSE futures:0#FFI: Gilt futures:0#FLG: Smallcap index:.FTSC FTSE 250 index:.FTMC FTSE 350 index:.FTLC Market digest:.AD.L Top 10 by vol:.AV.L Top price gainers:.NG.L Top % gainers:.PG.L Top price losers:.NL.L Top % losers:.PL.L * For related news, click on - * UK hot stocks:HOT andGB Wall Street:.N Gilts report:GB/ Euro bond reportGVD/EUR Pan European stock report:.EU Tokyo stocks:.T HK stocks:.HK Sterling report:GBP/ Dollar report:USD/ * For company prices, click on - * Company directory:UKEQ By sector:FTAX * For pan-European market data, click on - * European Equities speed guide................EUR/EQUITY FTSE Eurotop 300 index............................FTEU3 DJ STOXX index....................................STOXX Top 10 STOXX sectors.........................PGL.STOXXS Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors....................PGL.STOXXES Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors...................PGL.FTEU3S Top 25 European pct gainers.....................PG.PEUR Top 25 European pct losers......................PL.PEUR ))

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