6:45 am, November 4, 2025
Reeves to promise ‘fairness’ in Budget as income tax hike speculation mounts
Rachel Reeves will promise a Budget of ‘fairness and opportunity’ amid mounting speculation that she is preparing to hike income tax to plug a hole in the public finances.
In a speech from Downing Street on Tuesday, the chancellor is expected to say she will ‘make the choices necessary to deliver strong foundations for our economy’ for ‘years to come’.
Ahead of her remarks, No 10 repeatedly refused to re-commit to Labour’s manifesto pledges – fuelling speculation that its promise to avoid hiking income tax looks set to be broken.
First new Amazon electric heavy goods vehicles hit UK roads
The first of the biggest order of electric heavy goods vehicles for online giant Amazon were being launched into service on Tuesday.
Amazon said it would eventually have 160 eHGVs, the largest number of electric trucks in its global transportation network. The vehicles will transport products between Amazon logistics hubs across the UK.
The lorries are the new Mercedes-Benz eActros 600. They come with a massive 600kWh battery pack to give a range of over 310 miles, and can transport up to a 22 metric tonne load per journey.
Citroen’s Ami Buggy heads for the beach with new Rip Curl edition
Citroen and surfing brand Rip Curl have come together for a new special-edition version of the Ami Buggy quadricycle.
Due to be fully revealed at the upcoming international finals of the Rip Curl GromSearch surf tournament held near Hossegor, France, the Ami Buggy Rip Curl Vision concept car has been designed to meet ‘riders’ real needs’ and as such, has a waterproof for wet gear, a portable shower and changing mat for post-ride clean downs and ‘banana’ pouch which can be attached to the steering wheel for additional storage.
There are roof and side mounts for surfboards, too, and there’s a foldable, waterproof passenger-side storage bin, too. Exterior-wise, the special-edition car gets a purple body colour with a contrast white sunroof and a black spoiler, while a white LED bar on the roof helps improve nighttime visibility. There’s no word on whether it’ll reach production.
The markets
The FTSE 100 made a subdued start to the week on Monday, despite some brighter news on manufacturing, weighed by heavy falls in Vodafone after a downgrade by UBS.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 15.88 points, 0.2%, at 9,701.37. The FTSE 250 ended 62.08 points lower, 0.3%, at 22,108.89, and the AIM All-Share declined just 0.36 of a point at 772.02.
The pound was quoted at 1.3146 US dollars at the time of the London equities close on Monday, higher compared to 1.3135 dollars on Friday.
‘Pause’ operation of trains without carriage crew, urges Corbyn
Shabana Mahmood should look at ‘the very serious problem of some trains operating without any staff on at all’, Jeremy Corbyn has said, after a knife attack on a train in Cambridgeshire.
The former Labour leader urged the home secretary to ‘pause’ the operation of trains without crew in the carriages.
Anthony Williams, 32, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday, charged with 10 counts of attempted murder after several people were stabbed on board a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train on Saturday.
MPs press for details given to the PM before show of confidence in Mandelson
MPs have pressed the Cabinet Office to release the information available to Sir Keir Starmer when he told the House of Commons he had confidence in Lord Peter Mandelson ahead of his sacking.
During an appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee, cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald said he will consider the request for further information contained in a due diligence report on the former UK ambassador to the United States.
Lord Mandelson was sacked a day after the prime minister told MPs during Prime Minister’s Questions on September 10 that he retained confidence in him, despite concerns over his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Monday on Car Dealer
‘Deeply unsatisfied’ Big Motoring World staff hit out as redundancies are confirmed
Around 30 Big Motoring World employees have officially been made redundant, sparking ‘uproar’ among those affected.
Government’s 33% EV sales target is ‘wholly unrealistic’ and will lead to ‘rationing’ – Vertu boss
The UK car industry will face a ‘crunch’ year in 2026 as it tries to meet ‘wholly unrealistic’ electric car targets, potentially threatening the supply of new petrol and diesel cars, the boss of Vertu Motors has said.
Luxury car dealer admits to 16 counts of fraud in five-year campaign worth more than £1m
A luxury car dealer has admitted to 16 counts of fraud in a long-running campaign of deception which lasted five years.
Used car dealers saw stock levels hit new high in October as demand and prices held steady
Dealers saw inventory levels hit their highest level for 2025 last month, as consumer demand and advertised prices held firm, new data shows.
Peter Vardy announces new CFO as firm continues to diversify outside of automotive retail
Car dealer Peter Vardy Group has appointed a new chief financial officer as it continues to diversify outside of the motor trade.
Weather
A cloudy day with rain in the west and showers in the far north, turning heavier later, reports BBC Weather. Windy in northern and western areas.
Tonight, rain gradually eases for most, though further spells move in from the south, while the far north stays clear and dry.
