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AUDIO NEWS: UK's top tradesman quits the UK and a 46% jump in construction firms in financial trouble

Winner of Screwfix Top Tradesperson award quits the UK, Begbies Trayner report 46% rise in construction businesses experiencing critical financial distress and electricians top list of best paying trades

Martin Daly, last year’s winner of the Screwfix Top Tradesperson competition plans to quit the UK and work abroad.

The 30-year-old general builder who was recognised for his work developing apprentices said that the increase in National Insurance contributions had piled pressure on his business.

When Daly was offered a job fitting kitchens in Switzerland he jumped at the chance.

He told the Telegraph: “In Britain, the more scale a business has, it seems the more you get punched… In Switzerland, it’s a much better way of life. You’re not taxed to death.”

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The number of construction businesses experiencing ‘critical distress’ jumped by 46% in the fourth quarter last year.

Data from Begbies Trayner Group, also suggested that over 100,000 construction firms were found to be in ‘significant distress' up by nearly 11% in the last year.

Firms developing building projects topped the list of businesses in the most trouble, but there was a 13.4% jump in the number of electrical installation firms reporting they were in significant financial distress.

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Electricians have topped a list of the highest paying trades — that’s according to research from Tadweld.

The report estimated the average salary across 20 trade roles to be just under £39,000 a year, placing skilled tradespeople firmly inline with the UK’s median salary.

The research predicted that demand for electricians, welders and renewable energy installers would continue to rise.

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