6:35 am, January 16, 2026
UK economy returns to growth as car manufacturing rebounds
The UK economy returned to growth in November after a boost from JLR factories restarting production following a cyber attack, according to official figures.
The Office for National Statistics said UK gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.3% for the month, following a 0.1% decline in October.
The increase was sharper than expected, with economists having predicted a 0.2% rise for the month.
Ofwat launches probe into South East Water as thousands remain without supply
South East Water (SEW) is under investigation by the industry watchdog after repeated outages since November have left tens of thousands of households and businesses without supply across Kent and Sussex.
Ofwat said it had launched a probe into whether the supplier had breached its licence condition by failing to comply with customer service standards obligations and offered appropriate support to affected customers during supply interruptions. SEW could be stripped of its licence if it is found to have breached conditions.
The latest incident has seen thousands of properties in Kent and Sussex left without drinking water for the sixth day running, with South East Water (SEW) blaming the outage on Storm Goretti causing burst pipes and power cuts.
Honda introduces new ‘H mark’ logo
Honda has introduced a new ‘H mark’ logo which will be used on its upcoming hybrid and electric models, starting with the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV.
The firm’s ‘H mark’ logo was first introduced in 1963 and has undergone several changes over the years, with the latest iteration first seen on Honda’s 0 Series concepts.
Honda’s new 0 Saloon will be one of the first cars to use the logo, which is expected to be the firm’s flagship model and will sit on a new EV architecture platform. The 0 SUV will follow after the Saloon and will utilise Honda’s ‘thin, light and wise’ strategy, which will allow for maximum interior space.
The markets
Stock prices in London closed higher on Thursday, after a surprise drop in US jobless claims.
The FTSE 100 index closed up 54.59 points, 0.5%, at 10,238.94. The FTSE 250 ended up 322.67 points, 1.4%, at 23,279.98, and the AIM All-Share closed up 2.79 points, 0.4%, at 804.48.
The pound was quoted lower at 1.3388 dollars at the time of the London equities close on Thursday, compared to 1.3450 dollars on Wednesday. The euro stood at 1.1607 dollars, lower against 1.1650 dollars. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at 158.48 yen, up from 158.25 yen.
Kemi Badenoch bids to steady Tories after Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform
Kemi Badenoch will seek to steady the Tory ship after her party was rocked by Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform.
The Conservative Party leader sacked him from her shadow frontbench and kicked him out of the party after finding evidence he was ‘plotting in secret’ to join Reform.
A mole in Jenrick’s team is believed to have passed on a draft of his resignation speech and media plan for his planned defection to Reform UK, according to reports, after earlier suggestions the document had been found ‘lying around’.
UK government told it ‘could have gone further’ on North Sea windfall tax
The UK government ‘could have gone further’ with its plans to reform the windfall tax on oil and gas companies, the chairwoman of a Westminster committee has insisted.
In response to a report from MPs on the Scottish Affairs Committee, ministers made clear they had set a ‘clear path’ for the measure, officially called the energy profits levy (EPL), to end by March 2030 ‘at the latest’. The levy, currently set at 38%, has been blamed by leading figures in the sector for job losses, with the committee report in October 2025 stating that a ‘lack of clarity’ on the fiscal regime in the North Sea after the end of this decade had ‘created uncertainty for industry’.
In its response the UK government said it had ‘set a clear path for the energy profits levy to end by March 2030 at the latest’.
Thursday on Car Dealer
Lithia UK shareholders pocketed £50m while firm laid off staff and axed sites despite soaring profits
Shareholders in Lithia UK received a staggering £50m in dividends in 2024, despite the dealer group axing hundreds of jobs in a major cost-cutting exercise.
Jeep quashes exit fears as Stellantis reviews American brand’s future viability
It’s ‘important’ that the Jeep brand remains under Stellantis ownership in Europe for the foreseeable future.
From ‘Touch my Bum’ to ‘Would you like this A1?’: The Cheeky Girls now sell cars for Audi
Noughties pop stars The Cheeky Girls are now working as sales staff at franchised Audi dealerships.
Auto30Club reaches 30% goal five years early as it announces annual awards
The Auto30Club has achieved its goal of securing 30% of automotive leadership roles being filled by women five years early, as it announces its Inspiring Automotive Women 2026 award winners.
Weather
A cloudy, chilly morning with fog lifting and showers in the north and west, reports BBC Weather. This afternoon turns breezier in western areas with further showers, while the east becomes drier with sunny spells.
Tonight stays mostly cloudy as showery rain spreads north across England, Wales and into southern Scotland, with clearer spells in northern Scotland and eastern showers in Northern Ireland.
