6:50 am, May 5, 2026
UK factory production rebounds but firms report more delays and inflation
Activity in the UK’s manufacturing sector lifted to its highest level for almost four years despite pressure from the Middle East conflict, according to new figures.
Firms reported worsening delivery delays and heightened cost pressures as disruption from the war between US-Israeli and Iranian forces continues to have an impact on the global economy.
Nevertheless, the S&P Global UK manufacturing PMI survey, watched closely by economists, showed a reading of 53.7 in April, up from 51 in March. It marked the highest reading since May 2022.
Heineken to invest £44.5m in hundreds of pubs creating 850 jobs
Heineken has revealed plans to invest more than £44m into improvements for hundreds of its UK pubs.
The Dutch brewing giant said the cash injection into its Star Pubs operation, which runs 2,350 sites across the UK, will create around 850 jobs.
The major investment plan comes despite a challenging backdrop for the pub sector.
Ferrari Purosangue gets even more driver-focused with ‘Handling Speciale’ variant
The Ferrari has added some extra edge to its Purosangue with a new ‘Handling Speciale’ model.
The Purosangue is a first four-door, four-seater Ferrari equipped with the firm’s 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine that develops 715bhp and allows this model to hit 60mph in 3.1 seconds.
Buyers can now enhance the Purosangue’s driving experience further with the Handling Speciale.
The markets
The FTSE 100 fell on the opening day of the week, in what was a difficult outing for European equities.
The British-based index ended Monday down 14.89 points to 10,363.93 – a drop of 0.14%.
Elsewhere, the German Dax 40 fell 1.24% to close at 23,991.27, while the French Cac dropped 1.71% to 7,976.12.
Friday on Car Dealer
Revealed: The cars even car dealers avoid buying
Car dealers avoid models due to costly failures, especially Ford EcoBoost and PureTech wet-belt engines, Mazda 2.2 diesels, JLR Ingenium units, and problematic PowerShift and CVT gearboxes, which suffer frequent breakdowns, high repair bills, and reliability concerns despite widespread use.
FCA hits out at lenders over redress challenge that will create ‘fresh uncertainty for millions’
The FCA will robustly defend its motor finance redress scheme after Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen Financial Services, Credit Agricole Auto Finance and Consumer Voice launched legal challenges, arguing the plan, designed for quick consumer compensation, risks uncertainty despite broad lender support.
Used car values see small drop in April but experts say market is showing resilience
Used car values dipped 1.2% in April, a smaller-than-average seasonal fall, suggesting a stable market despite economic pressures. Most segments declined, especially superminis and hybrids, while sports cars rose. Older cars held steadier, and some EVs showed late-month price improvements.
Carwow announces shake-up to top team as it looks to deliver ‘world-class capabilities’
Carwow has reshuffled its leadership to support growth, appointing Silicon Valley experienced Hizam Sahibudeen as CTO to lead AI-driven technology, while general counsel Rinesh Sheth joins the executive team.
Weekly Briefing: How the largest used car dealers use data to make even more profit
Our editor in chief has the latest motor trade news all summarised in one place
Cybercriminals struggling to adopt AI in their work, research suggests
Cybercriminals have been struggling to use artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit their work, new research which analysed around 100 million posts from underground and dark web cybercrime communities suggests.
The researchers found that most cybercriminals lack the skills or resources to use such innovation in their criminal activities.
The team of researchers from the universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Cambridge analysed discussions from the CrimeBB database that contains more than 100 million posts scraped from dark web and underground cybercrime forums.
Keir Starmer warns Labour against political infighting amid leadership talk
Sir Keir Starmer has urged his party not to repeat the Conservative Party mistake of “descending into political infighting” amid speculation that his rivals are plotting a leadership challenge.
The Prime Minister said Labour must be more ‘united’ to make life better for working people.
It comes as reports suggest Andy Burnham has a plan to return to Westminster ‘within weeks’ in a bid to challenge Sir Keir.
Weather outlook
Across the country, conditions today look fairly changeable.
Southern and eastern areas should see some brighter spells with occasional sunshine, though clouds will build. The Midlands will be mostly cloudy with a chance of scattered afternoon showers.
Northern England turns cooler with more frequent showers, while Scotland is likely to feel chillier, with patchy rain and overcast skies dominating.
