6:53 am, April 14, 2025
British Steel staff and civil servants race to keep Scunthorpe blast furnaces on
British Steel staff and civil servants will spend Monday attempting to avert the permanent shutdown of Britain’s last primary steelmaking plant.
The company, which was taken over by the government on Saturday, faces a race against time to ensure it has enough raw materials to keep the two blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe plant burning. Without those materials, such as coking coal and iron ore, the blast furnaces will cool, risking irreparable damage and the end of steelmaking in the Lincolnshire town.
On Sunday, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds was unable to guarantee this would not happen but said taking over the plant had given the government ‘a chance’ to save it.
WH Smith growth plans in focus after sale of high street stores
Investors in WH Smith will be keen for more details on its strategy after agreeing to sell its UK high street stores and the potential impact of US tariffs when the retail firm updates the market next week.
It has been a busy start to 2025 for the historic retailer as it has pivoted to focus solely on its growing travel store business. Last month, WH Smith announced that Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital will buy the division for around £76m.
On Wednesday April 16, WH Smith will update shareholders on its trading for the past six months in its first major update since selling off its estate of high street shops across the UK.
Top Gear driver The Stig breaks ‘untouchable’ 20-year-old track record
Top Gear’s anonymous racing driver The Stig has broken an ‘untouchable’ 20-year-old record for the fastest lap around the BBC motoring show’s test track.
The Stig completed the 1.75-mile figure of eight circuit in 55.9 seconds, beating the previous record holder by 3.1 seconds at the track at Surrey’s Dunsfold Aerodrome, while driving the McMurtry Speirling Pure VP1 electric track car.
The new lap time broke the 2004 record of 59.0 seconds set by the Stig, who has been portrayed by a number of drivers, while driving a Renault R24 Formula One car.
The markets
Stocks in London finished higher after a steadier session following recent turbulence amid the fallout of US tariff plans. The FTSE 100 finished up by 0.64%, or 50.93 points, to close at 7,964.18. It was only around 1% lower for the week.
Elsewhere in Europe, the other main markets dipped slightly as many traders chose to sell following a particularly sharp improvement – the biggest daily gain for three years – in Thursday’s session. The Cac 40 ended 0.3% lower for the day and the Dax index was down 0.94%.
Meanwhile, in currency the pound was up 0.6% at 1.304 US dollars but was down 0.3% at 1.154 euros when London’s markets closed.
Military planners called in amid Birmingham bin strike
Military planners have been called in to help tackle the mounting piles of rubbish on Birmingham’s streets following a month-long strike by refuse workers.
The all-out strike, which began on March 11 as part of a dispute over pay, has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish go uncollected and warnings of a public health emergency.
Birmingham City Council has already appealed to neighbouring authorities for assistance but the Government has now asked for help from the Army in tackling the crisis. The move will see a small number of planners assigned to provide temporary logistical support for a short period. They will be office-based and soldiers are not being deployed to collect rubbish.
Record high average price tag on a home in April after £5,000 monthly jump
The average price tag on a home has jumped by more than £5,000 in the space of a month to hit a new record high, according to a property website.
Across Britain, the average asking price in April for a property coming on the market is £377,182, which is £5,312 or 1.4% higher than the average asking price of £371,870 in March.
The figures were released by Rightmove, which said that this is a bigger-than-usual increase for the month of April, with a long-term average increase for the month of April at 1.2%.
Latest on Car Dealer
Sources claims BCA poised to purchase fellow car auction business Aston Barclay
Rumours suggest BCA will acquire rival auction house Aston Barclay, adding five sites to its 24 UK locations. The deal, reportedly signed and announced internally, awaits confirmation. Both firms declined comment. BCA is owned by Constellation Automotive Group.
KGM grows UK dealer network with new franchise partnership in Surrey
KGM has partnered with TW White & Sons to open a new dealership in Effingham, Surrey. The move expands KGM’s UK network to over 70 sites. The family-run dealer brings strong local ties and will offer full aftersales support nearby.
Renault takes cheeky swipe at Mini with new ad campaign outside London showroom
Renault London West is cheekily targeting Mini buyers with a Union Jack-clad Renault 5 E-Tech and billboards saying ‘make your neighbour jealous’. Positioned beside a Mini dealership, the playful campaign highlights excitement around Renault’s retro-inspired electric hatchback launch in the UK.
Lotus announces up to 270 jobs to go at UK factory due to ‘volatile market’
Lotus is cutting up to 270 jobs amid market volatility, US tariffs, and declining sports car demand. Following 94 cuts last year, the company plans to boost collaboration with owner Geely, despite affirming its commitment to UK operations and electrification.
Car dealer jailed after admitting to coercing vulnerable women into prostitution in exchange for drugs
Used car dealer Oliver MacCormack, 71, has been jailed for seven years after exploiting vulnerable women, some as young as 17, into prostitution in exchange for heroin. He admitted 40 offences including human trafficking, drug supply, and witness intimidation.
Weather
Today, northern and western UK will experience rain and showers, with limited sunny spells, reports BBC Weather. The southeast starts sunny but turns cloudier later. It will be breezy.
Tonight, rain spreads across much of the UK, though Northern Ireland and western Scotland remain mostly dry with clearer spells and lighter winds.
