6:50 am, November 12, 2026
Aldi to cut head office roles in shake-up of UK business
Aldi is planning to cut up to 150 jobs in its head office as part of an ongoing shake-up of the UK business.
The discount supermarket is consulting with its technology team over the proposals, which form part of the wider group’s restructuring efforts, according to reporting in the Guardian newspaper.
It comes on top of about 103 redundancies made within the finance and administration teams earlier this year.
UK economic growth expected to have picked up amid AI and defence drive
UK economic growth is expected to have accelerated in the third quarter as a spending drive on AI and defence helps stave off a cost-of-living slowdown.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is set to publish the latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures on Thursday.
Economists are expecting to see growth pick up to 0.7% for the third quarter – between July and September – following growth of 0.5% in the second quarter.
KTM X-Bow goes off-roading with new Arrow
KTM X-Bow has unveiled a new off-roader designed to deliver the best possible performance on all surfaces – the Arrow.
The Austrian firm has looked to impart the features and characteristics of its lightweight sports cars into the off-roading Arrow while drawing from learnings made during challenges like the Dakar Rally.
At the heart of the Arrow sits a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. KTM X-Bow says that launch models will put out around 330bhp, too, while standard cars will get a still-respectable 280bhp.
The markets
Stocks in London ended in positive territory as technology shares rallied, while the dollar continued to make progress after strong US inflation figures.
The FTSE 100 index closed up 83.88 points, 0.8%, at 10,835.47. The FTSE 250 ended 178.39 points higher, 0.7%, at 24,925.04, and the AIM all-share added 4.75 points, 0.6%, at 764.29.
In Europe, the CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.7%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt climbed 1.2%.
Wednesday on Car Dealer
Staff informed of potential sale of four Hendy Group dealerships to Vertu Motors
Hendy Group plans to sell four dealerships to Vertu Motors, including two Jaguar Land Rover sites and two Exeter businesses, as part of a wider restructuring programme.
Motorpoint sets out expansion plans after soaring profits in first half of the year
Motorpoint’s first-half pre-tax profits jumped 81% to £6.5m as revenue and sales increased, with the retailer targeting more than 120,000 annual retail sales across 30 to 35 sites.
JLR dealers face showroom cost pressures as Jaguar volumes disappear, says ex-dealer boss
Former Marshall Motor Group boss Daksh Gupta warned Jaguar Land Rover dealers could struggle to cover expensive ARCH showroom overheads as Jaguar’s shift towards lower-volume sales reshapes the business.
Drive Motor Retail creates 13 jobs with multi-million-pound Darlington redevelopment
Drive Motor Retail has completed a multi-million-pound redevelopment of its Darlington dealership, bringing six Stellantis brands together, adding new facilities and creating 13 jobs.
Hendy confirms Simon Bottomley as new COO as Duncan McPhee officially leaves retailer
Hendy Automotive has confirmed Simon Bottomley’s return as chief operating officer following Duncan McPhee’s departure, as the loss-making dealer group continues reshaping its senior leadership team.
Ten-year plan for Britain to be published before Christmas, Burnham says
Andy Burnham has said he will launch his 10-year vision for the country’s future next month as Kemi Badenoch said the Prime Minister was devoid of a plan for Britain.
Mr Burnham said his proposals will include more details on a national care service when they are announced before Christmas.
He said the document would ‘lay a new path’ for the country and ‘break with the failed policies of the party opposite’.
Limits on NDAs could ‘go further’, minister says after Walliams allegations
The Government should look to ‘go further’ on restricting the use of non-disclosure agreements, women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson has said, in the wake of allegations made against David Walliams.
Best-selling author and former Britain’s Got Talent judge Walliams was named as part of an investigation by The Guardian and ITV News on Tuesday, after he tried to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him.
One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was 15, as a ‘sexual assault’, while multiple women accused him of ‘grooming’ them when they were teenagers.
Weather outlook…
Scotland and Northern Ireland will be cold but mostly dry, with sunny spells and clear skies.
Northern England, Wales and the Midlands can expect a bright, sunny day, although frost is possible early on.
Southern England will also enjoy plenty of sunshine, but temperatures will remain low, reaching around 6–8C.