6:59 am, May 2, 2024
Tories expect ‘significant losses’ at local elections, Chancellor says
Jeremy Hunt has said the Conservatives will likely suffer ‘significant losses’ in the local elections as the party braces itself for a contest seen as the final test of public opinion before a general election.
The Chancellor sought to manage expectations before voters head to the polls on Thursday, suggesting the Tories are anticipating defeat in hundreds of seats.
Forecasts suggest the Tories could lose up to half of the council seats they are defending, having lost a third of seats last year.
Tributes paid to 14-year-old boy killed in east London sword rampage
A 14-year-old boy killed in a sword attack as he walked to school was a ‘much-loved’ pupil and a keen footballer.
Tributes have been paid to Daniel Anjorin, who died when the horrific attack happened in Hainault, east London, on Tuesday morning.
The Metropolitan Police said a 36-year-old man remains in custody on suspicion of Daniel’s murder as it gave more details about how the incident unfolded.
UK manufacturing sector shrinks again as firms impacted by shipment delays
The UK’s manufacturing sector suffered a fresh downturn last month as disruption to shipments in the Red Sea continued to impact firms.
The influential S&P Global/CIPS UK manufacturing PMI survey dropped to 49.1 in April, having hit a 20-month high of 50.3 in the previous month.
Any reading above 50 means a sector is in growth, while a score below this means it is contracting.
Automated Vehicles Bill clears Commons hurdle
A proposed law paving the way for self-driving cars to be used on Britain’s roads has cleared the House of Commons.
MPs gave the Automated Vehicles Bill an unopposed third reading and it is on the verge of becoming law.
The Bill, which has previously been supported by the House of Lords, aims to set the legal framework for the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles.
Wednesday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Lloyd Motor Group completes takeover of family-run car dealer N&M Walkingshaw
- Strong consumer demand sees used car retail prices rise in April – Auto Trader
- How the right finance partner can boost car dealers’ profits
- Aston Martin’s pre-tax loss almost doubles to nearly £140m for first quarter of year
- Nissan dealership helps give Leaf new purpose more than 4,000 miles from home
- New platform for dealers aiming to sell more cars provides free cutting-edge tools
- Bangers4Ben 2024 is all about the drive as charity rally sets its sights for Alps adventure
Businesses urged to take part in major new census on UK’s net zero progress
Businesses are being urged to take part in a major new census tracking the private sector’s progress towards the UK’s 2050 net zero target.
The national research initiative, backed by the Government, large corporates and business groups, will act as a definitive benchmark to help inform policy and drive change, according to its organisers.
The UK Business Climate Hub and sustainability certifiers Planet Mark said the aim is to gather the data every year to monitor the proportion of businesses taking action.
Pininfarina creates bespoke hypercars with inspiration from Batman
Pininfarina has revealed two more bespoke hypercars inspired by DC’s Bruce Wayne, the civilian persona of the superhero Batman.
The Dark Night and Gotham models followed quickly after Pininfarina also previewed another one-off hypercar last month called the Reversario.
The models were developed by Wayne Enterprises – a luxury brand created by Warner Brothers which shares its name with Bruce Wayne’s fictional company.
FTSE 100 drifts lower ahead of latest Federal Reserve interest rate decision
The FTSE 100 took another step back on Wednesday as its recent rally continued to stutter amid another drop in oil prices and uncertainty around interest rates.
London’s top index finished 22.89 points, or 0.28%, lower to end the day at 8,121.84.
The German Dax index was down 1.03% at the close and the Cac 40 in France ended down 0.99%.
Warning for thunderstorms before sunshine could bring warmest day of 2024
Today could be the warmest day of the year so far after warnings for heavy rain and thunderstorms overnight across southern parts of England and Wales, the Met Office has said.
Two yellow weather warnings were for the UK, with heavy rain falling in parts of the country on Wednesday night.
Storms are expected to hit the South West and Wales, with a warning in place from 8pm on Wednesday through to 8am on Thursday, while south-east England was affected from 11pm to 6am.
