6:00 am, August 28, 2026
Andy Burnham’s plans to revive high street are ‘delusional’ – Mike Ashley
Andy Burnham’s high street plans are ‘delusional’ and will not help revive British shops, billionaire businessman Mike Ashley has said.
The Frasers founder has heavily criticised the prime minister, warning that shops will be ‘further devastated’ unless business rates are cut.
In a letter to the Labour leader he also accused Burnham of picking good media soundbites rather than addressing the country’s underlying financial issues.
PureGym ramps up openings and targets another 750 sites in years ahead
PureGym has revealed aims to accelerate openings worldwide over the second half of 2026 as it also ramps up up the roll out of dedicated women’s workout spaces across its UK chain.
The Leeds-headquartered firm said it remains on track to add around 60 new sites worldwide in 2026, having opened 17 in the first six months.
It added it has a ‘significant runway’ for further expansion, with more than 750 new locations for gyms in its sights over the years ahead. Of the 17 new gyms opened over the first half, 15 were in the UK.
BBC confirms Top Gear is coming back four years after Andrew Flintoff crash
The BBC has confirmed Top Gear is returning to screens four years after a crash that almost killed presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff.
The show has been on hiatus since Flintoff was seriously injured during filming in December 2022. After the crash, the BBC said Top Gear would be ‘rested’ for the foreseeable future, after reaching a financial settlement with Flintoff, an agreement reportedly worth around £9m.
However, the BBC’s director of entertainment Ed Havard confirmed the news of the return at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday.
The markets
The FTSE 100 faltered on Thursday despite technology focused stocks getting a boost from Nvidia, with investors wary ahead of Kevin Warsh’s speech at Jackson Hole.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 85.58 points, 0.8%, at 10,792.54. The FTSE 250 ended up slightly at 24,898.86, and the AIM All-Share closed down 1.79 points, 0.2%, at 813.11.
The pound traded at 1.3588 dollars on Thursday afternoon, little changed from 1.3590 at the equities close on Wednesday. Against the euro, sterling was also flat at 1.1663 from 1.1664.
Hundreds of extra police drafted in as Teesside residents ‘not feeling safe’
Hundreds of extra police officers have been drafted in after a spate of deadly incidents in a Teesside town, which a local MP says has left people ‘not feeling safe’ going to the shops.
Some 200 extra officers have been deployed to help Cleveland Police after a number of violent incidents which followed a head-on crash on the A66, which killed seven people, including two police officers, on Saturday.
Police have not ruled out a link between the crash and a fatal house fire a mile away from the site, which claimed the lives of a seven-year-old girl and her aunt on Wednesday.
Wet bank holiday forecast amid possible gales and thunder
Heavy downpours and possible gales are forecast over the bank holiday weekend, with the Met Office urging festivalgoers to prepare for windy conditions.
Wet and windy weather will sweep in for the final days of meteorological summer and most of the UK is set to be hit by some much-needed rain.
Ahead of the weekend, many skygazers were likely to be frustrated in their attempts to see Friday morning’s partial lunar eclipse “blood moon” with cloudy skies expected for much of the UK
Thursday on Car Dealer
Dealer group Vertu Motors hails ‘strong’ trading as profit forecast upgraded
Vertu Motors expects its full-year results to be ahead of market expectations after reporting strong trading across its business during the first five months of its financial year.
Van owners ‘overestimating’ vehicle values as gap with dealer prices grows
The used van market is being hit by a growing chasm between what sellers expect and what dealers are willing to pay.
UK breakdowns soar as millions of drivers are left stranded and potholes wreak havoc
The number of UK car breakdowns went through the roof last year, with more than 5.5 million vehicles needing to be recovered.
UK vehicle production drops 11.6% as exports fall sharply despite rise in electrified output
UK vehicle production fell 11.6% in July as weaker export demand and planned factory shutdowns pushed output down to 63,655 units.
Suzuki adds new dealer partner as Pierremonts takes on Ramsgate franchise
Suzuki has added to its list of dealer partners with the appointment of retailer Pierremonts.
Cambria expands Invicta network with Renault and Dacia showroom in Bolton
Cambria Group has expanded its dealer network by adding Renault and Dacia to its list of OEM partners in Bolton.
Weather
Variable cloud and showers across England and Wales today, reports BBC Weather, with some areas seeing heavy and thundery downpours; patchy rain fro Scotland.
Tonight, turning dry across most of the UK, with clear spells. Later, showery rain will push into the south-west.