6:24 am, November 3, 2026
Tesco held talks over deal to buy up to 150 Poundland shops
Tesco has held talks over proposals to buy up to 150 Poundland stores amid the impending break-up of the high street discount chain.
The UK’s largest supermarket approached the chain’s owner over a possible move to buy as many as a quarter of Poundland’s UK and Ireland stores, sources with knowledge of the process have told the Press Association. Tesco declined to comment.
It comes as Poundland bosses prepare to meet government ministers later this week amid concerns that the retailer will be broken up despite a solvent takeover move being tabled.
Businesses still grappling with Brexit red tape and want change, says BCC
Many businesses are still grappling with Brexit red tape which is stifling their ability to grow in Europe, according to research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
The influential organisation said it was calling on businesses to ‘seize the moment’ to reassess Britain’s relationship with the EU.
Later this month, prime minister Andy Burnham will attend a summit in Brussels where he pledged to set out the next steps for considering ‘the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU’. He wants to lock in deals on food and drink, emissions trading and a youth mobility scheme at the summit on November 20, but told ministers that the period beyond that would be to ‘explore options’ for the long-term relationship.
Honda cuts CR-V and ZR-V prices to bolster appeal
Honda has announced price cuts for both its CR-V and ZR-V SUVs.
Introduced to bolster the appeal of both cars, the changes see the CR-V eHEV hybrid now start from £43,995, down from £48,075, and the plug-in hybrid version staring at £44,995.
The ZR-V has had a smaller price cut, with the range now starting at £35,215, down from £36,525. Honda said it is ‘committed to delivering great value’ to its customers.
The markets
Stocks in London prospered on Monday as oil prices fell amid hopes for progress on peace talks between the US and Iran, and technology stocks rallied after recent falls.
The FTSE 100 Index closed up 31.55 points, 0.3%, at 10,761.33. The FTSE 250 ended 342.49 points higher, 1.4%, at 24,795.85, and the AIM all-share added 4.84 points, 0.6%, at 757.92.
The pound was quoted at 1.3417 dollars late on Monday afternoon, higher than 1.3396 dollars at the London equities close on Friday. Against the euro, sterling eased to 1.1980 euros from 1.1996 euros on Friday.
PM’s Commonwealth ‘debt reset’ plan after opening door to slavery apology
Andy Burnham will set out plans for a ‘debt reset’ aimed at helping Commonwealth countries grappling with repayments, as he promises Britain will play a leading role in a ‘new era’ for the group of nations.
Speaking at the leaders’ summit taking place in the Caribbean on Tuesday, the prime minister will argue work to support member states amid rising global interest rate costs must include non-G7 donors and the private sector.
Over the coming days, he will begin discussions with other leaders about the prospect of offering a formal apology for the UK’s role in the slave trade, after opening the door to a ‘structured dialogue’ about its legacy.
Trump says midterms most important ‘in our lifetime’ as voters head to polls
Donald Trump has said elections that will decide control of Congress for the rest of his term in the White House are the most important ‘in our lifetime’.
But he cautioned that the sitting president ‘doesn’t win the midterms’, in an apparent move to manage expectations, although he added that ‘we gave this a very strong shot’.
Millions of US voters head to the polls on November 3 for the hotly contested congressional races, which are being seen as a referendum on the controversial president’s record.
Monday on Car Dealer
Range Rover boss says dealer network is now ‘in a good place’ after rationalisation
Range Rover boss Martin Limpert says the brand’s dealer network is now ‘in a good place’ following years of changes to JLR’s retail operations.
Clive Sutton opens new 17,000 sq ft flagship car dealership in London
Luxury and performance car specialist Clive Sutton has opened a new flagship dealership in north west London for a host of American car makes.
Old-age pensioner admits pretending to be car salesman to con victim out of vehicle
An old-age pensioner has admitted posing as a car salesman in order to fraudulently get his hands on a vehicle as part of an elaborate scam to line his own pockets.
Car dealers urged to offer longer EV test drives to win over hesitant buyers
Car dealers are being urged to offer longer electric vehicle test drives and rethink their sales approach to help overcome consumer concerns about switching to EVs.
Vauxhall design boss Mark Adams retires after 25 years as Stellantis announces shake-up
Vauxhall’s long-serving design boss Mark Adams is retiring after almost 25 years with the company as parent firm Stellantis announces a shake-up of its European design leadership.
Polestar 2 production comes to an end ahead of successor arriving next year
Polestar has ended production of its 2 electric saloon after six years, with a successor set to arrive in 2027.
Weather
Today will be largely dry with sunny spells and patchy cloud, although scattered showers will affect eastern areas, particularly south-eastern coasts, reports BBC Weather.
Tonight, northern areas will see clear spells with patchy fog developing. Showers may linger centrally, while southern areas will become breezier with thicker cloud in places overnight.