6:57 am, June 25, 2024
‘Proper’ to wait for result of betting probe, says Sunak amid ongoing scandal
Rishi Sunak has insisted it is ‘proper’ to wait for the outcome of multiple investigations into allegations of betting on the General Election before taking action.
The Prime Minister faced yet more questions on the scandal that has engulfed his party over the past week as he underwent a grilling on The Sun newspaper’s Never Mind The Ballots show.
But he stuck to his line that he would ‘not hesitate to act’ if either external investigations or the Conservatives’ own internal inquiry found any evidence of wrongdoing.
Anne in hospital with concussion after being injured by horse
The Princess Royal is in hospital after suffering minor injuries to her head and concussion when it is believed she was kicked by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate.
Anne, a skilled horsewoman who competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, was walking on her Gloucestershire estate on Sunday evening when the incident happened.
An air ambulance and emergency services were despatched to the estate and, after being given medical care at the scene, the princess was transferred to Southmead Hospital in Bristol by road for tests, treatment and observation.
‘Obsessed’ security guard on trial for Holly Willoughby rape and murder plans
A shopping centre security officer unwittingly hatched ‘graphic’ plans to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby with an undercover police officer, a court has heard.
Gavin Plumb, 37, is alleged to have developed an ‘obsession’ with the star over a number of years, leading him to plan to kidnap her from her family home.
Jurors heard he had accumulated ‘many hundreds’ of images of Ms Willoughby which he had accessed online, and his ‘obsessive behaviour extended to other celebrities and to women who lived in his local area’.
Plumb denies soliciting a man – David Nelson – to commit murder, as well as incitement to commit kidnap. The case at Chelmsford Crown Court continues.
London’s roads most congested in Europe for third year in a row
London’s roads have been ranked the most congested in Europe for the third year in a row.
Drivers in the capital spent an average of 99 hours sitting in traffic in 2023, according to a report by traffic information supplier Inrix.
That was up from 97 hours in 2022 and was more than any other city in Europe, behind only New York and Mexico City worldwide.
Monday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Fire at lithium battery factory kills at least 22 people and seriously injures others
- Used car salesman jailed after stealing more than £30,000 from family-run employer
- Luxury car salesman loses employment tribunal as claim against Sytner is thrown out
- Group 1 says it has suffered disruption after cyber-attack on CDK Global
- Car dealer is fined after trying to aid sale by going double the speed limit on test drive
- Exploring MotorDesk’s revolutionary digital retailing tools for independent dealerships
- Car buyers value excellent customer service more than getting a good price – Regit
Car insurance rises by 18% over the year
Car insurance has risen by 18 per cent on average over the past year – with youngsters being hit the hardest.
That’s according to Compare The Market, which said the typical premium had risen by £132 over the past 12 months, standing at £850 in May 2024 versus £718 in May 2023.
The comparison site’s research shows that drivers over the age of 80 have seen the steepest proportional increase in their insurance – 27 per cent up on average, with the annual payment now £139 higher at £656 compared with £517 last year.
Julian Assange freed from prison amid plea deal negotiations
Julian Assange was granted bail by the High Court in London and released from Belmarsh Prison on Monday following negotiations with US authorities over a plea deal, WikiLeaks has said.
In a statement posted on X, the official WikiLeaks account said Assange left the maximum security prison on Monday morning ‘after having spent 1901 days there’.
The statement continued: ‘He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK.’
FTSE 100 rises after European sentiment improves
The FTSE 100 climbed to its highest level for two weeks as European financial markets shrugged off potential political uncertainty.
London’s top index finished 43.83 points, or 0.53%, higher to end the day at 8,281.55.
The Cac 40 in France ended 1.03% higher and the German Dax index was up 0.99% at the close.
Heatwave offers ‘welcome boost’ for UK hospitality sector after drizzly spring
Warmer weather and likely heatwaves forecast for parts of the UK this week offer a “welcome boost” to the hospitality sector after a drizzly spring saw footfall wane, industry leaders have said.
Temperatures in London are forecast to hit peaks of 31C on Wednesday, with much of south-east England basking in the mid-20s for the first half of the week.
It marks a break from the rainy spring, which saw 32% more rainfall than the average in England and Wales according to the Met Office, and hampered businesses reliant on tourism or high street foot traffic.
