1. Tax inequality, lockdowns, virtue signalling: JD Wetherspoon results play the hitsa
Perceived VAT inequality between the pubs and supermarkets was a prominent theme in the results.
2. Barratt, Redrow £2.5bn tie-up gets final green light
Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed on Friday that a phase two investigation of the merger would not be launched and the deal could finally go ahead.
3. Carmakers lobby for EV subsidies as discounts near £2bn
Carmakers are set to collectively offer £2 billion worth of discounts this year to buoy sales of electrics, Industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said Friday.
4. FTSE 100 Live
Stocks yo-yo.
5. UK construction activity climbs at fastest pace in two-and-a-half years
Robust demand for renewables saw civil engineering represent the fastest-growing sub-sector, while momentum also built across commercial construction and housing.