6:49 am, November 25, 2025
Reeves calls for unity and support from Labour MPs ahead of Budget
Rachel Reeves has urged Labour MPs to support Wednesday’s Budget, which is widely expected to see tax hikes introduced.
The chancellor called for unity from her party as she spoke in front of restive backbenchers ahead of the Budget, and insisted she was proud of her forthcoming statement.
Reeves has long suggested she will have to hike taxes to fill a black hole in the public finances, and is now facing the prospect of a downgrade in the Budget watchdog’s economic growth forecast for every year of this Parliament.
Kyle seeks to reassure business over workers’ rights concerns
Business secretary Peter Kyle has hinted at concessions over the government’s workers’ rights package to ensure it makes it through Parliament and does not damage firms.
Kyle said there would be extensive consultations about the measures in the Employment Rights Bill, insisting it was not a ‘zero sum’ game where either workers or bosses lost out.
Confederation of British Industry (CBI) boss Rain Newton-Smith warned the legislation would take the country ‘backwards’ in its current form. The legislation is caught in a stand-off between peers and MPs over measures to ban ‘exploitative’ zero-hours contracts and give workers protection against unfair dismissal from their first day in a job.
Leapmotor enters B-segment SUV class with B03X
Leapmotor has revealed its entry into the B-segment SUV class with the B03X.
Details on the vehicle’s powertrain are limited at this stage, but the firm has revealed that the B03X will sit on its ‘Leap Architecture’ platform and will utilise an electric setup that will manage a claimed 310 miles on a single charge.
Prices, specifications and further technical details will be revealed soon, with the car due to go on sale in the UK in the second quarter of next year.
The markets
Stock prices in London closed mixed on Monday following remarks from New York Federal Reserve president John Williams and as UK investors wait for the government’s latest Budget on Wednesday.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 4.80 points, 0.1%, at 9,534.91. The FTSE 250 ended up 48.21 points, 0.2%, at 21,411.58, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.52 points, 0.2%, at 737.16.
The pound was quoted higher at 1.3104 dollars at the time of the London equities close on Monday, compared to 1.3084 on Friday.
Starmer to host call with Ukraine’s coalition of the willing allies
Sir Keir Starmer is set to speak to Ukraine’s European allies on Tuesday following the latest talks to secure peace in the war-torn nation.
The prime minister will host a coalition of the willing call after efforts over the weekend between the US and Kyiv to broker a truce with Moscow.
Sir Keir and other western leaders had pushed back against US president Donald Trump’s original 28-point peace plan ahead of the talks in Geneva, Switzerland, raising concerns about the prospect of a cap on Ukraine’s armed forces and land being ceded to Russia.
Eight in 10 Black Friday deals the same price or cheaper at other times – Which?
Eight in 10 products advertised as Black Friday deals are the same price or cheaper at the other times of the year, an annual study by Which? suggests.
The watchdog compared prices on 175 home, technology and health appliances from eight major retailers – Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds, and Very – for six months either side of Black Friday last year to find that 83% were cheaper or the same on at least one other date outside of the four-week sales period.
On the day of Black Friday itself, Which? found there were no deals at all that were at their cheapest of the year. At John Lewis, Which? found that 94% of the products it analysed were the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.
Monday on Car Dealer
Ford UK boss says now is not the time to be taxing electric vehicles ahead of the Autumn Budget
Ford’s UK boss Lisa Brankin has said now is not the time to tax electric vehicles as rumours ahead of the budget say they could be hit with an annual mileage fee.
Government expected to inject another £1.3bn into Electric Car Grant subsidy scheme
The government is set to unveil another £1.3bn to support the Electric Car Grant (ECG) in this week’s Budget, along with extra cash to speed up the roll-out of new charging points.
Weather
Most areas stay dry and bright today as south-west showers fade; a few linger on the North Sea coast. It will feel cold, reports BBC Weather.
Tonight is largely dry, clear and chilly with local mist or fog. Cloud gradually thickens later, bringing patchy rain to Northern Ireland and western Scotland by dawn.
