5:38 am, October 1, 2025
UK business confidence plunges to lowest level on record
Business confidence slumped to its lowest level on record last month amid concerns over soaring costs, according to a new survey of company bosses.
Data from the Institute of Directors (IoD) showed that firms said higher labour costs has been the biggest contributor to growing pessimism about the economy.
The industry group’s monthly economic confidence index, which measures business leader optimism about the prospects of the UK economy, posted a minus 74 reading for September. This the lowest level since the index was launched more than nine years ago.
Deliveroo’s £2.9bn takeover by US firm DoorDash approved at High Court
Deliveroo’s £2.9bn takeover by American firm DoorDash has been approved by a judge at the High Court.
The food delivery giant, which operates in nine countries with more than 138,000 riders, announced the takeover in May.
The move is set to take effect on Thursday and will create a combined firm with a presence across 40 countries and handling about 90 billion US dollars (£67.7bn) of orders each year.
New Porsche Cayenne Electric gets high-tech interior
Porsche has showcased the interior of its new Cayenne Electric ahead of its full debut at the end of the year.
Core to the new cabin is a ‘Flow Display’, which arrives as the largest screen ever fitted to a Porsche. It’s a curved OLED display which connects the central infotainment area to the driver’s instrument binnacle, while a head-up display with augmented reality will be available as an optional extra. In addition, a 14.9-inch passenger display can be added to relay entertainment, app control and video streaming features to the person sitting beside the driver.
A new Artificial Intelligence-powered voice assistant will be present in the Cayenne Electric, too, which Porsche says will be able to provide ‘spontaneous follow-up questions without the need for an activation word. Drivers will be able to use it to control aspects such as climate controls, seat heating and ambient lighting, too.
The markets
The FTSE 100 ended the quarter with a flourish, hitting an all-time high on Tuesday, as hopes grew of a peace settlement in the Middle East and as Sir Keir Starmer reiterated a commitment to fiscal responsibility.
The FTSE 100 index closed up 50.59 points, 0.5%, at 9,350.43, beating its previous record close of 9,321.40 in August. The FTSE 250 ended 149.08 points higher, 0.7%, at 22,015.56, and the AIM All-Share ended up 2.99 points, 0.4%, at 783.17.
The pound was quoted higher at 1.3443 dollars at the time of the London equity market close on Tuesday, compared to 1.3432 dollars on Monday. The euro stood at 1.1727 dollars, lower against 1.1731 dollars. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at 147.98 yen, lower compared to 148.57 yen.
Courts will sit for extra days to tackle growing backlog
Courts will sit for extra days to help tackle backlogs, the deputy prime minister is set to announce, as judges are forced to apologise for justice delays.
David Lammy will announce plans for victims to get faster justice in a speech on Wednesday, with the government funding an extra 1,250 sitting days.
The speech, which coincides with the opening of the legal year, comes as several judges have apologised to defendants and victims for delays in the court system, with some trials pushed back multiple years.
E-bike fires on track to hit record high this year
Fires from e-bikes and e-scooters are on course to reach an all-time high in London this year, new analysis shows.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it has recorded 165 fires involving the vehicles in 2025 up to September 28. That is an average of about 18 per month.
If the trend continues until the end of December, London will surpass 200 incidents in a single year for the first time.
Tuesday on Car Dealer
Car dealer Vindis slumps to seven figure loss as firm makes changes to senior leadership team
Dealer group Vindis slumped to a multi-million-pound loss last year with bosses bemoaning one of the most ‘challenging’ periods in the firm’s history.
JLR confirms ‘controlled, phased restart of operations’ as firm looks to recover from hack
JLR has confirmed that some manufacturing operations will resume in the ‘coming days’ as the firm begins the long process of returning to normality.
Auto Trader says EV affordability gap is closing thanks to help from Electric Car Grant
The price gap between electric and ICE vehicles has reached a record low, according to new data compiled by Auto Trader.
Demand for used JLR models dwindles as buyers look elsewhere after cyberattack
Demand for used Jaguar and Land Rover cars fell sharply in September, following the cyberattack that has left the company’s production lines at a halt.
Independent Garage Association launches dedicated motor trade insurance brokerage
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has launched its own dedicated motor trade insurance brokerage, as it looks to reduce the sector’s reliance on external brokers.
BYD continues rapid growth of dealer network as Arnold Clark opens three more sites
Arnold Clark has opened three new BYD franchises in England, based in the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Lancashire.
UK must attract investment to drive EV growth, says leading think tank
The UK needs to attract further investment if it is to achieve its battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufacturing target of one million vehicles per year by 2035.
Weather
Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England and Wales see cloudy, breezy conditions with showery rain today, while the south stays mostly dry with variable cloud, reports BBC Weather.
Tonight brings heavier rain to Northern Ireland, Scotland, and far north England, remaining breezy; elsewhere dry with clear spells, though dense fog forms in the southwest.
