UK home sales spike by 53% in a year as stamp duty ‘distorts’ market

[{"id":1284065,"path":"/news/london/road-accidents-casualties-tfl-escooters-b1284065.html","title":"'Deeply concerning': 4,000 seriously injured in London road accidents last year — up 8% on 2024","imageUrl":"https://static.standard.co.uk/2024/03/05/12/37/New%20Oxford%20Street%20bus%20incident-hcgbeery.jpeg","standfirst":"London saw an 8% increase in serious injuries in 2025 compared to the previous year"},{"id":1283936,"path":"/news/london/tube-strikes-when-june-dates-timings-tfl-london-rmt-aslef-b1283936.html","title":"How to beat next week's Tube strikes - as commuters urged to plan for key difference","imageUrl":"https://static.standard.co.uk/2026/04/18/07/1242585755.jpg","standfirst":"Walkouts timed from midnight mean morning rush hours will be hit first"},{"id":1284047,"path":"/lifestyle/teal-chef-sally-abe-my-london-dorian-koko-soho-b1284047.html","title":"Chef Sally Abé dines all day at Dorian, hits the floor at Koko — and watches saucy movies in a Soho basement","imageUrl":"https://static.standard.co.uk/2026/05/29/6/18/Sally-Ab.jpeg","standfirst":"Discover the hidden gems and favourite spots of chef Sally Abé"},{"id":1284016,"path":"/news/politics/green-party-election-lewisham-candidate-esther-lie-post-b1284016.html","title":"London Green Party by-election candidate apologises for 'rapey Indians' post","imageUrl":"https://static.standard.co.uk/2026/05/28/16/04/Esther-Lie-Green-Party.JPG","standfirst":"Esther Lie said of the now-deleted post: ‘It is clearly inappropriate and I apologise’"},{"id":1283901,"path":"/news/london/weather-forecast-thursday-met-office-heatwave-hot-b1283901.html","title":"Could a second May heatwave be declared in London? Two more hot days in store after temperature hits 31.1C","imageUrl":"https://static.standard.co.uk/2026/05/26/18/01KSJM8SHVZ0C954HA1AZ1CQJW.jpg","standfirst":"London warmer than a string of southern European hotspots including Alicante, Ibiza and Barcelona"},{"id":1284059,"path":"/news/crime/shanice-brookes-shooting...