Accountancy and professional services group DJH has expanded its estate planning division by acquiring Beswicks Legal’s private wealth business.

The move significantly boosts DJH’s capabilities in wills, trusts, succession planning, probate, tax advice, and powers of attorney. The acquired team relocated to Festival Park in Stoke-on-Trent, bringing to sixteen specialists DJH’s estate planning headcount. Two additional hires are expected in the next quarter.

The deal is part of DJH’s strategy to build a multidisciplinary offering tailored to private clients and business owners seeking integrated legal and financial support. The expanded estate planning service will now operate under DJH Estate Planning, with full access to wider tax, accounting, and wealth advisory teams.

This acquisition marks the firm’s 12th in three years. With backing from private equity firm Tenzing, DJH has scaled its team to 600 professionals. It operates from a growing national footprint that includes offices in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Chester, and Walsall.

Adding Beswicks’ private wealth team enhances DJH’s presence in Staffordshire and Cheshire, positioning it as one of the region’s largest estate planning providers. The firm’s multidisciplinary approach aims to provide continuity and efficiency for clients, particularly in complex or time-sensitive scenarios such as business succession or probate.

The UK construction sector contracted for the fourth consecutive month in April, with firms facing persistent economic uncertainty and reduced client demand.

According to the latest S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), the industry recorded a score of 46.6 in April, marginally higher than March’s 46.4 but still below the 50 mark that signals growth. While the pace of contraction eased slightly, the sector remains in decline.

The report highlighted broad hesitancy among clients to commit to new projects, particularly amid ongoing global economic instability. Residential building activity slipped again but showed some resilience with a reading of 47.1, marking its strongest performance in 2025. Civil engineering output remained subdued at 43.1, driven by a shortfall in new contracts to replace completed work.

Commercial construction was the weakest performer, with output falling faster since May 2020, reflecting rising caution in the business sector.

Parcel delivery company Evri has entered the floral sector through a new logistics partnership with Eflorist, a leading UK-based online florist and part of the Euroflorist Group.

The move marks Evri’s first collaboration with a flower delivery brand. Eflorist, which distributes over one million floral arrangements annually, will now leverage Evri’s national network and fulfilment capabilities to support its seven-day, next-day delivery promise.

This partnership comes after a strong start, with delivery performance exceeding targets during the high-demand Mother’s Day period. Since teaming up with Evri, Eflorist has also reported improving its Net Promoter Score, indicating better customer satisfaction.

Evri, which delivers over 800 million parcels a year and serves over 1,600 UK retail brands, will support Eflorist with access to its delivery infrastructure, including over 10,000 ParcelShops and lockers, to enhance speed, flexibility, and value.

According to recent research conducted in April 2025, more than a third of UK landlords may be operating without proper insurance cover, leaving them vulnerable to financial loss.

The data shows that 25% of landlords do not have any landlord-specific insurance, while an additional 12% are unsure if their existing policy provides adequate protection. Among those with insurance, nearly two-thirds had not reviewed or updated their policy in the past year.

This trend of underinsurance comes as the private rental sector faces growing pressure from rising operational costs, incoming regulatory reforms, and increasing risk exposures, including property damage, legal disputes, and rent loss. The findings suggest that many landlords may rely on standard home insurance policies, which often exclude tenant incidents, exposing them to significant liabilities.

The upcoming Renters’ Rights Bill is expected to introduce additional legal responsibilities, while insurers are tightening policy terms and increasing premiums, particularly for properties in high-risk areas. Despite this, nearly one-third of landlords surveyed expressed low confidence in their insurance’s ability to cover essential risks such as tenant-caused damage, legal expenses, or loss of rental income.

The data points to a knowledge and engagement gap, with cost-conscious landlords potentially selecting policies based on price alone, without assessing the suitability of cover. Industry experts are urging landlords to regularly review their insurance policies and ensure coverage aligns with the current value of their assets and the realities of modern property letting.

According to Lloyds Bank’s latest survey, UK business confidence declined in April, falling 10 points to 39%. While this marks a slowdown after a strong first quarter, sentiment remains higher than at the start of the year and above the 20-year average of 29%.

The shift was driven by a drop in economic optimism, which fell to 28%, the lowest level this year. Fewer businesses expect improvements in the broader economy, reflecting ongoing concerns over global trade dynamics and market volatility.

Trading outlooks remain relatively strong despite a seven-point dip to 50%. Confidence around hiring also edged slightly, but remains among the highest post-pandemic levels. Pay expectations eased modestly, though projections for larger wage increases are broadly unchanged from last year.

More firms plan to raise prices, with price expectations climbing seven points to 68%. The share of businesses expecting to cut prices held steady at 2%.

Sector performance was mixed. Construction saw the steepest confidence decline, down 22 points. Retail and services also slipped, while manufacturing held steady. Regionally, most areas saw flat or declining sentiment, though the North East and East of England bucked the trend with notable gains.