House sales surged to record levels in June as buyers looked to beat the stamp duty deadline. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said an estimated 213,120 sales took place in June – the highest monthly UK total since the introduction of the statistics in April 2005 reports PA. The figure was 216.1% higher than June
Professional jobs are on the up, but the lack of diversity is stalling progression in professional services. Hybrid and flexible working could provide an opportunity to change the current status quo in the legal profession, according to the Law Society of England and Wales. The Social Mobility Commission’s state of the nation report 2021 found
Those from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to face complaints from the regulator than their white colleagues, a study by the Bar Standards Board says. The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has published a new statistical analysis of the outcomes of complaints made about barristers in England and Wales, and the likelihood of barristers being subject to
Changes in the movement of people to and from the European Union, which will come into effect next year, require urgent preparation and clarification, the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee has said. In a letter published today to the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, the committee refers to two
More Nightingale courts will shut this week, the government has said, despite demands from the legal profession for more court capacity reports the Law Gazette. Courts in Birmingham, Hull, Lancaster, Middlesbrough and Stafford will close at the end of the month. HM Courts & Tribunals Service said it will consider replacement venues in locations where
Companies in England now owe local councils almost £2.5 billion in unpaid business rates, according to new analysis. Many firms have seen their debt piles climb higher over the past year after being forced to shut their doors for long periods or having faced disruption from pandemic restrictions. The Government has offered retail, leisure and
Some people in London are paying a typical premium of nearly £50,000 to be close to transport links. Those in Glasgow and Manchester face paying around £11,000 more on average, Nationwide Building Society found. Nationwide compared house prices within 500 metres of the nearest metro or railway station with similar properties 1.5 kilometres away. It
House prices went up by 10.9% annually in May making it the strongest growth in nearly seven years, according to an index. The house price growth recorded in May followed a 7.1% annual increase recorded in April, Nationwide Building Society said. Across the UK, property values hit a new record average of £242,832 – up
The UK Government is being urged to extend the deadline for a scheme allowing EU citizens living in the UK to apply for settled status. The current deadline is June 30 and Jenny Gilruth, Scotland’s Europe Minister said thousands of those eligible in Scotland have not yet applied reports PA. Applying to the EU Settlement
The number of people offered protection in the UK, in the form of asylum, resettlement and other types of leave, fell by more than a half in the year to March 2021, figures show. A total of 8,640 people were granted protection, down 58% from 20,331 in the previous year reports PA. It is the