6:50 am, April 15, 2025
Government ‘confident’ it has supplies to keep British Steel blast furnaces lit
The Government is ‘confident’ it will secure the supply of materials needed to keep the blast furnaces burning at British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant, Downing Street has said.
No 10 insisted the plant would remain in use, as staff at the company and civil servants work to prevent the permanent shutdown of Britain’s last steel-making plant.
Officials are racing to ensure there are enough new materials – such as coking coal and iron ore – to keep the North Lincolnshire site running, after ministers passed an emergency law at the weekend to take control of the plant from Chinese owner Jingye.
Sheilas’ Wheels owner bought by Belgian insurer in £1.3bn deal
Belgian insurance giant Ageas has agreed to buy Esure, the UK-based owner of the Sheilas’ Wheels brand, for £1.295 billion, it said on Monday.
Ageas said it had agreed a deal with Esure’s owners, investment group Bain Capital, which will create the third-largest platform in the UK for personal lines such as motor and home insurance.
Hans De Cuyper, Ageas’ chief executive, said the deal comes after several years of ‘significant growth’ in the UK market for the Belgian company.
McMurtry Speirling becomes the first car to drive upside down
McMurtry Automotive has broken a world record by driving the Speirling electric track car upside down.
The firm is a small British company that was set up by the late inventor, Sir David McMurtry. The Speirling is a single-seat electric hypercar and is the only model it produces.
For the stunt, the car was put onto a purpose-built platform, which was rotated. The Speirling uses McMurtry’s patented ‘Downforce-on-Demand’ system, which uses fans that spin at 23,000rpm. As a result, the fans produce constant downforce and allow the hypercar to be held upside down. Once the car was inverted, the driver – company co-founder and director Thomas Yates – drove forward with no support.
FTSE 100 surges and global markets rise after Trump’s tech tariff reprieve
The FTSE 100 joined a global stock market rebound on Monday morning, despite warnings from the US that tariff exemptions on electronics are only a temporary reprieve.
London’s blue-chip index surged 1.97%, or 157 points to 8121, in early trades.
Germany’s Dax index rose 1.9% in early trades, while France’s Cac 40 was up 1.8%.
Monday on Car Dealer
Aston Barclay joins Constellation Automotive Group as BCA completes takeover of rival firm
BCA has acquired Aston Barclay, aiming to stabilise the business after recent market struggles. The sites will be rebranded gradually, with system integration starting in May. Staff changes, particularly at senior levels, are expected as part of the transition.
Auto Trader adds new car finance offers to its website giving greater transparency to consumers
Auto Trader now lets dealers display FCA-compliant finance offers on new car ads. This boosts transparency, helps buyers understand costs upfront, and speeds up decisions. Dealers expect better engagement and conversion rates from more informed, confident customers using the new feature.
British motor parc grew to record levels in 2024 as Fiesta remained most common car – SMMT
The UK’s vehicle count hit a record high in 2024, growing 1.4% to nearly 42 million. Cars in use rose to over 36 million, with electric vehicles (EVs) making major gains—battery EVs surged 38.9% to 1.33 million.
LE Capital secures £100m funding facility to expand support for car dealerships of all sizes
LE Capital’s new funding facility, supported by the British Business Bank, could be worth up to £100m and it’s helping the stock funder expand support for independent and franchise dealerships
Bin workers reject deal aimed at ending long-running strike in Birmingham
Refuse workers have rejected a deal aimed at ending a long-running strike.
Unite said its members in Birmingham voted overwhelmingly against what the union described as the council’s ‘totally inadequate’ offer, which it maintained still included pay cuts.
Hundreds of workers have been on all-out strike for a month, leading to rubbish piling up on the streets.
Former Tory MP among 15 facing charges related to gambling on election date
Former Conservative MP Craig Williams is among 15 people who have been charged after bets were placed on the timing of the 2024 general election, the Gambling Commission has revealed.
Williams was among a number of people linked to the Conservative Party reported to have made bets on the election date, which was called by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak.
The former Montgomeryshire MP – who was a senior aide to Mr Sunak – admitted at the time to having a ‘flutter’ on the election date just days before it was announced in May last year.
Weather outlook…
The UK is today set for unsettled weather conditions. A Met Office yellow warning for rain is in effect across parts of the UK, including North West England, the Midlands, southwest England, and all of Wales.
Heavy rainfall is expected, with potential flooding, travel disruptions, and power cuts. Temperatures will range from highs of 12°C to 18°C, with lows between 5°C and 7°C.
Overall, anticipate a wet and breezy day with intermittent sunshine and passing showers across various regions.
