6:50 am, February 19, 2026
Inflation falls to 3% boosting chance of interest rate cuts
UK inflation has fallen to its lowest since March last year due to a drop in petrol, food and airfare prices.
The drop has raised the likelihood that the Bank of England will cut interest rates next month, with economists predicting that inflation is on track to drop to target levels by April.
The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation decreased to 3% in January from 3.4% in December, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Virgin Media O2 warns over profit drop in 2026 amid steep mobile customer losses
Telecoms group Virgin Media O2 has warned over falling sales and earnings in 2026 as it revealed hefty mobile customer losses after hiking prices.
The group said it lost 397,500 mobile customers on a net basis last year, with a 164,800 plunge in the fourth quarter largely due to O2 price hikes.
Last October, Virgin Media O2 announced it would put up prices for its 15.6 million mobile customers by £2.50 a month from spring 2026, having previously said the increase would be £1.80.
Lunaz celebrates 50th commission with upgraded Aston Martin DB6
Lunaz has commemorated its 50th commission with a completely bespoke version of the Aston Martin DB6.
Founded in 2018, Lunaz has specialised in reworking and updating several iconic cars, and developed the first electric Rolls-Royce, too. Since then, it has been ‘remastering icons’ from Bentley, Aston Martin and Jaguar.
This latest commission – the brand’s 50th – returns to the world of hand-built engines for a special project requested by a ‘long-standing Lunaz client’ and will be debuted to the public in late summer of this year.
Wednesday on Car Dealer
Peter Waddell accused of using disabilities as a ‘fig leaf’ as High Court trial continues
Peter Waddell has been accused in court of using his disabilities as a ‘fig leaf’ to excuse ‘egregious misconduct’ after his 2024 ousting from Big Motoring World. He denies wrongdoing and claims unfair dismissal and discrimination.
No fees, no middlemen, and up to 1,000 cars sold daily: Why dealers are turning to mfldirect
mfldirect, the remarketing arm of Motability Operations, sells 250,000 ex-Motability cars annually to 4,000 dealers. Offering low-mileage, one-owner stock with no buyer fees, it provides fixed-price and auction options, with strong seasonal demand reported in January.
Polestar dealers set for major boost as Swedish brand announces ‘model offensive’
Polestar plans four new models in three years, including the Polestar 5, updated Polestar 4 and Polestar 2, plus a compact SUV, the Polestar 7, boosting dealers and targeting core EV segments.
How Hilton Garage leveraged digital stock sourcing to grow the business
Motorway COO, James Wilson, explains how the firm has helped Hilton Garage to achieve its full potential in the digital age.
FTSE 100 surges to record high as UK inflation cools
Stocks across Europe pushed higher on Wednesday, with the FTSE 100 spiking to a new record, as cooling consumer price inflation in the UK boosted Bank of England rate cut bets.
The FTSE 100 index closed up 130.01 points, 1.2%, at 10,686.18. The FTSE 250 ended up 130.62 points, 0.6%, at 23,686.44, and the AIM all-share closed up 5.13 points, 0.6%, at 811.74.
In European equities on Wednesday, the Cac 40 in Paris closed 0.8% higher, while the Dax 40 in Frankfurt ended up 1.1%.
Police call for witnesses after human trafficking claims appear in Epstein files
British police have urged people with information to come forward about claims of human trafficking and sexual assault from the 1990s which appeared in the Epstein files.
Surrey Police said the allegations, set out in a redacted report released by the US Department of Justice in December, allegedly took place in Virginia Water between 1994 and 1996.
The force’s call for witnesses comes after an FBI report from July 2020, which appeared in the files, in which somebody alleged they were drugged at night and driven to “paedophile ring parties” in the mid 1990s.
Reform would restore two-child benefit cap in full, Jenrick to pledge
Reform UK would restore the two-child benefit cap in full, marking a change to its policy, Robert Jenrick announced in his first outing as the party’s Treasury spokesman.
He also committed the party to changes to the Motability scheme and limiting welfare to only go to British nationals.
Mr Jenrick also pledged to reform the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) rather than abolish it, and say the Bank of England would remain independent if he were in No 11.
Unsettled weather set to continue for another month, forecasters warn
Forecasters have urged residents and businesses to be vigilant to the risk of flooding, with wet weather due to continue in England for another month.
Conditions have been exceptionally wet since the beginning of the year, with a strong and southern jet stream bringing frequent rain and strong winds.
It is expected that the wettest weather conditions will move further north from next week. However, the heavy rainfall and ground conditions mean a higher than normal risk of impact from heavy rain.
