Boots to be bought by Canada’s Weston family for £6.7bn

High street giant Boots is to be bought by the Canadian branch of the billionaire Weston family for 8.9 billion US dollars (£6.7bn).

Wittington Investments, the Weston’s holding company, will buy the business from majority owner, private equity firm Sycamore Partners, and the Pessina family.

It comes only a year after Sycamore took over Boots through the acquisition of parent firm Walgreens Boots Alliance, before splitting the business into divisions. Boots, which was founded in Nottingham in 1849, has more than 1,800 UK stores.

Royal Mail to cut up to 2,500 jobs as part of organisational review

Royal Mail has announced plans for an organisational review with the expected loss of up to 2,500 head office and support function jobs by the end of 2027.

The company said it was undergoing a ‘significant transformation’ as the business implements universal service reform and adapts to a rapidly-changing market.

Letter volumes have declined by more than 70% since their peak while customer demand for faster and more convenient parcel delivery services continues to grow, it said.

Audi’s A2 e-tron goes on sale in the UK priced from £32,200

Audi has confirmed that its new electric A2 e-tron has gone on sale in the UK with prices starting from £32,200.

The e-tron revives the A2 name, which was first applied to the brand’s space-age city car back in the year 2000.

Now, however, the A2 has transformed into an electric vehicle, and one which is available with either 52, 61 or 84 kWh battery sizes, which can deliver a headline range of between 261 and 397 miles.

The markets

European stocks fell sharply on Wednesday as bonds sank, and the oil price rose amid renewed concerns in the Middle East.

In London, the FTSE 100 index ended down 83.19 points, 0.8%, at 10,458.50.

In European equity markets on Wednesday, the Cac 40 in Paris ended down 1.4%, as did the Dax 40 in Frankfurt, while in New York, markets were even lower.

Wednesday on Car Dealer

Used car prices fall for first time this year – but EV values keep climbing

Used EV prices rose almost £2,000 over recent months as soaring fuel costs boosted demand, while overall three-year-old values fell for the first time in 2026, says Carzana.

Parkway profits rebound as margins improve despite £14.5m drop in turnover

Parkway’s pre-tax profit jumped eightfold to £657,056 in 2025 despite a £14.5m turnover decline, with stronger margins, lower finance costs and tighter cost control driving recovery.

Freelander returning to Britain as new car brand with JLR and Chery backing

Freelander, the new standalone JLR-Chery brand derived from Land Rover’s iconic SUV, will launch in the UK after Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand roll-outs.

Andrew’s Bentley Flying Spur goes up for sale with Yorkshire car dealer

A Bentley Flying Spur formerly owned by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is being offered for £125,000, with just 7,000 miles covered and its royal history potentially boosting its appeal.

Family-run Grainger Motor Group returns to its roots with Chiswick Honda acquisition

Grainger Motor Group is returning to its roots by acquiring Chiswick Honda, the West London site originally opened by the family in 2001, expanding its network to 23 outlets.

IGA repeats calls for ‘urgent’ talks with minister as MOT fee campaign escalates

The IGA is escalating its campaign for a £95 MOT fee, urging Transport Minister Heidi Alexander to meet urgently as garages warn frozen prices are making testing financially unsustainable.

This is the Jaguar Type 01 – the 1,016bhp EV tasked with reinventing the British brand

Jaguar has unveiled the production Type 01, a 1,016bhp electric four-door GT with 450-mile range, marking the start of its transformation into an ultra-luxury carmaker.

Badenoch vows to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and cut welfare spending

Kemi Badenoch has vowed to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and raise the threshold for death duties to £500,000 if the Tories win the next election.

The Tory leader said that election will be a ‘battle for the soul of the nation’, as she promised her party would focus on letting people ‘keep more of what they earn’ if it returned to power.

In a speech to the Conservative annual conference in Birmingham, she accused Andy Burnham’s Labour of being ‘addicted to welfare’ and treating income and savings as ‘theirs to take and hand out’.

Man accused of Farage terror plot researched ‘prominent people and institutions’

The man accused of murdering Ann Widdecombe allegedly carried out research into a number of prominent people and individuals before a terror plot at Nigel Farage’s home.

Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday accused of one count of preparation of terrorist acts relating to alleged activity between May 31 2024 and July 8 2026.

Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that he is accused of carrying out ‘online reconnaissance on prominent people and institutions on various dates between May 31 2024 and July 8 2026, including identifying the home address of Nigel Farage’.

Weather outlook

Northern England and Scotland will start chilly and bright, with cloud thickening later and rain arriving in western areas.

Wales and Northern Ireland will turn cloudier with rain, while the Midlands stays brighter for longer.

Southern England should remain dry and bright initially, before cloud and rain spread eastwards.