6:49 am, April 11, 2025
UK would need ‘extraordinary’ deal to go below 10% tariff, Trump adviser says
It would take an ‘extraordinary deal’ for the UK to improve on the 10% tariff Donald Trump has placed on the country, an adviser to the president suggested.
Sir Keir Starmer’s government still hopes an economic deal with America can be reached to soften the blow of tariffs.
But Kevin Hassett, a senior economic adviser to Trump, said any deal that would persuade the president to go below that would need to be ‘extraordinary’. He told CNBC: ‘I think everybody expects that the 10% baseline tariff is going to be the baseline.’
Cabinet Office to shed 2,100 jobs as government shrinks Civil Service
The Cabinet Office will lose almost a third of its staff as Labour seeks to shrink the Civil Service, the government has announced.
Around 1,200 jobs will go through redundancies and leavers not being replaced under plans unveiled to civil servants on Thursday, with another 900 being transferred to other departments.
The 2,100 job cuts represent just under a third of the 6,500 ‘core staff’ at the Cabinet Office, the strategic centre of the British state.
‘Ford Power Promise’ offers free electric home charger and installation for EV owners
Ford is to offer a free home charger and installation for owners who order a new EV as part of its new Power Promise’ programme.
Owners will receive a complementary five-year service plan as well as five-years of towing assistance, which aims to help out those who run out of charge.
The move is aimed at incentivising more drivers to switch to an electric vehicle by making them cheaper to maintain.
The markets
Donald Trump’s decision to pause and reduce his tariff plans for dozens on nations was warmly welcomed by Europe’s key financial markets.
In London, stocks shot higher after the US president said he would push back the introduction of some tariffs by 90 days. The FTSE 100 finished up by 3.04%, or 233.77 points, to close at 7,913.25. Nevertheless, Wall Street stocks plunged after the start of trading as the prospect of an all-out trade war between the US and China intensified further – the Dow Jones and S&P 500 were both more than 4% lower.
The Cac 40 ended 3.83% higher for the day and the Dax index was up 4.67%. The pound was up 0.97% at 1.294 US dollars and was down 1.23% at 1.155 euros.
Siemens executive, wife, three children dead in US helicopter crash, AP told
A family of five Spanish tourists and a pilot were killed when a helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River, officials said.
The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and three children, in addition to the pilot, a person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press (AP).
The person could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
Police make further arrest following damage to Donald Trump’s golf course
A 21-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with damage to US president Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course.
Police were called to the course on Maidens Road, Turnberry, South Ayrshire, at about 4.40am on March 8. Red paint had been sprayed on the clubhouse at the 800-acre resort and damage was also caused to the greens.
It brings the total number of arrests following the incident to six.
Thursday on Car Dealer
Dealer Auction reveals March’s most profitable used cars with BMW enjoying stellar month
The Ford Kuga was the most profitable budget used car in March, averaging £2,225 margin, despite the faster-selling Nissan Qashqai, according to Dealer Auction. BMW led sub-£10,000 brand profits, while Land Rover topped over-£10,000 models, with Discovery Sport earning £4,325.
Dusty Windshield: Car dealer slams manufacturing giant which keeps covering stock in filth
Used car dealer Les Jewitt says dust from EGGER’s chipboard plant is disrupting his business, forcing him to wash cars three times weekly. He blames poorly cleaned wagons, while EGGER insists it complies with environmental checks and dust management protocols.
Mercedes toasts agency model success after selling 100,000th new car since making the switch
Mercedes has celebrated selling its 100,000th new car under its agency model, introduced in 2023. Despite many rivals abandoning the approach, Mercedes reports strong results, citing transparent pricing, customer satisfaction, and competitive edge as key factors in its success.
Weather
Today will be mostly dry and fine after early mist clears, with warm temperatures in the south, reports BBC Weather. Northern Scotland will be cloudier with light rain. Temperatures will top 17 degrees.
Tonight stays largely dry and clear, though the Northern Isles remain cloudy with drizzle and showers may develop in the south-west by dawn.
