April 22 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
The Times
Barclays Plc BARC.L has suffered a setback in its battle to keep the activist investor Edward Bramson off its board after an influential shareholder advice service said that his campaign had merit. Wimpey Plc TW.L , one of Britain's biggest housebuilders, is planning to give its Chief Executive Pete Redfern a 436,000 pounds ($566,364) discount from the original asking price on a luxury apartment it built in the centre of London. Guardian
Britons who do not have a bank account face paying up to 485 pounds extra each year for bills and basic services, according to a report issued by Pockit, a digital current account provider with almost 500,000 UK customers. shopping centres, DIY stores and garden centres struggled over the bank holiday weekend as shoppers stayed outside to enjoy the blazing sunshine, according to retail data company Springboard. Telegraph
Swiss banking giant UBS Group AG UBSG.S has issued a memo defending its decision to hire a former U.S. congressman after staff wrote to a senior executive to complain about his appointment given his voting record on issues such as women's rights. energy colossus Saudi Aramco has struck a deal to buy Royal Dutch Shell Plc's RDSa.L stake in an oil refinery joint venture on the Persian Gulf for $631 million. News
Dan Labbad, who runs LendLease Group's LLC.AX European operations, has been identified as the successor to Crown Estate Chief Executive Alison Nimmo, who is due to step down at the end of the year. = 0.7698 pounds)