Construction growth slows amid general election jitters

Confidence for year ahead at nine-year high but PMI survey suggests builders are delaying spending decisions until after 7 May poll

Growth in the UK's construction sector slowed in March as customers delayed making spending decisions because of uncertainty over the general election.

Housebuilders, commercial builders, and civil engineers all reported slowing output growth last month, with the rise in new orders also easing compared with February.