6:36 am, April 29, 2023
UK house sales fell by 19 per cent annually in March
The number of house sales in March slumped by nearly one-fifth compared with the same month in 2022, according to HM Revenue and Customs figures.
Across the UK, 89,560 home sales took place last month, which was 19 per cent lower than in March last year.
Sales did, however, edge up versus the previous month, increasing by one per cent on February 2023.
Time running out for British nationals to reach Sudan airfield
British nationals seeking to flee Sudan have until midday local time (1pm BST) to reach the evacuation airfield after the government announced that flights out of the war-torn country will end today.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is urging those left in Sudan to travel to the Wadi Saeedna site by then in order to be processed for the final journey.
Some 1,573 people on 13 flights have been evacuated from the airfield near the capital of Khartoum but thousands more British citizens may remain.
BP and Shell set to reveal more bumper profits
Oil giant BP is expected to report its second-highest first-quarter profit in more than a decade on Tuesday.
Analysts expect it to report that underlying replacement cost profit – the way the company prefers to measure its earnings – reached $4.27bn (£3.4bn) in the first three months of the year.
Shell, which reports on Thursday, is expected to show adjusted earnings of $7.965bn (£6.341bn).
Nurses prepare to strike after contrasting results from ballots
Votes by health workers on the government’s offer aimed at resolving the long-running pay dispute returned different results yesterday ahead of a fresh strike by nurses.
Members of the GMB accepted the offer by 56 per cent but Unite said its members voted against it by 52 per cent.
The ballot results were announced ahead of a walkout from tomorrow evening until Monday evening by members of the Royal College of Nursing who have rejected the offer.
Official documents on £1.3bn navy submarine found in Wetherspoons pub
Official documents about a £1.3bn Royal Navy ‘hunter killer’ submarine were reportedly found in the toilets of a Wetherspoons pub.
The Sun said files carrying details about HMS Anson were left in The Furness Railway in Cumbria, which is a short distance from a BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, where the boat has previously been pictured.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: ‘These are generic training documents that carry no classified information. However, we take all security matters extremely seriously and will investigate the circumstances of their discovery.’
Nearly half of Pearson shareholders vote against new bumper pay policy
Pearson shareholders came close to rejecting a pay policy yesterday that could make the publisher’s chief executive nearly as well paid as the boss of oil giant BP.
Nearly half (46.37 per cent) of shareholder votes were cast against the new policy, which the board says brings Pearson in line with what US companies pay their top leaders.
Under the new plan, Andy Bird, who earned $8.5m (£6.8m) in 2022, could earn more than $11m (£8.8m) in future years. BP CEO Bernard Looney was handed a £10m pay package and could earn a maximum of £12m.
Westminster traffic wardens to strike over coronation week
A strike by traffic wardens in Westminster including on the day of the coronation is to go ahead after a new pay offer was rejected.
Members of the GMB union employed by council contractor NSL will walk out on May 2, 4 and 6 and take other forms of industrial action for a week from May 1.
The union said the below-inflation pay offer was overwhelmingly rejected by its members.
Faulty streetlights a result of chronic underfunding, say Lib Dems
More than 200,000 streetlights were reported as broken last year – with some lamps taking years to fix, according to Liberal Democrat research.
The Lib Dems obtained the data through Freedom of Information requests, which the party says highlights ‘chronic underfunding’ for councils.
Some 204,390 streetlights were reported broken, according to figures from 58 councils. Hampshire County Council was the worst affected with 29,975 faulty lights, while Cheshire East took the longest time to fix a broken streetlight, with a delay of more than three and a half years.
Aston Martin Works gives owners chance to future-proof classic cars
Aston Martin Works is making available for the first time in decades new major components for some of its most iconic sports cars.
Working with trusted suppliers, the team at the heritage home of the car-maker has developed entirely new engine blocks, cylinder heads, gearboxes and other major components for owners of DB4, DB5, DB6 and certain V8 models from the 1960s and 1970s.
The drive to remanufacture the items – all painstakingly built to original manufacturer specifications – has come about as part of the Aston Martin continuation programme such as for the DB5 Goldfinger, pictured at top.
Yesterday’s headlines on Car Dealer you might have missed
- Car Dealer Lifetime Achievement Award winner says time is right to start stocking used EVs despite price drops
- Land Rover owner ‘devastated’ after Stratstone dealership calls to say her car has been stolen
- Electric car charging rivals club together to give government a jolt
- Sytner parent company Penske enjoys profit rise following agency sales roll-out in UK
- Exports help drive car production increase as figures show second month of growth in row
- Holidaymakers could spark summer boom in car sales – eBay Motors Group
- Holden Group welcomes back Martyn Webb as he is appointed MD
Market movements
The FTSE 100 closed 38.99 points up yesterday to end the week on 7,870.57. The Cac 40 was up 7.66 points at 7,491.50, the Dax was up 121.93 points at 15,922.38 and the Dow Jones was up 272.00 points at 34,098.16.
Weather outlook
Today will be cloudy for most of northern England and Scotland, says BBC Weather, with some spells of rain lingering, but it’ll be brighter in the far north. Elsewhere will have variable cloud and heavy showers but it’ll be dry in the south-east.
Sunday will be rather cloudy in much of the UK, with outbreaks of heavy rain or sharp showers moving in from the west and the risk of thunder. The south-east will again stay drier and brighter, though.
