6:59 am, April 16, 2024
Liz Truss refuses to rule out standing for Tory leadership in future
Liz Truss has refused to rule out running for leader of the Conservative Party again.
The Tory former prime minister claimed she had ‘unfinished business’ at the top of politics, as she toured the media ahead of the publication of her book, Ten Years To Save The West.
Her tenure in Downing Street lasted just 49 days, after the mini budget, which included unfunded tax cutting measures, triggered mass market turmoil.
Blackstone nears deal to buy former Britishvolt gigafactory site
Private equity giant Blackstone is proposing to snap up the former site of collapsed firm Britishvolt in Northumberland, with plans to build one of Europe’s largest data centres.
The proposed deal by receivers will firmly end any faint prospect of an electric car battery factory being built on the site.
Britishvolt had proposed to build a £3.8 billion gigafactory on the site in Blyth, before the company collapsed early last year.
Read the full story here.
Sunak urges restraint after Iranian attack on Israel
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will urge Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint in response to Iran’s missile and drone barrage amid concerns the Middle East crisis could spiral out of control.
The Royal Air Force joined allies in defending Israel, with British jets shooting down a number of Iranian attack drones.
Mr Netanyahu is considering how to respond to Tehran, with the US and UK urging calm.
Ford unveils more hardcore Focus ST
Ford has revealed a more hardcore version of its Focus ST hot hatchback with a new Edition model.
The Focus ST has been the only hot hatch on offer from the blue oval since the demise of the Focus RS back in 2018.
The new Focus ST Edition comes with adjustable front coil springs which allow the driver to tune the car to their personal preference.
Tesla to lay off more than 10% of workers – reports
Tesla has told staff it plans to lay off more than 10% of its global workforce, according to reports.
The cuts at the electric car manufacturer, led by Elon Musk, are understood to be the equivalent of around 14,000 jobs.
Mr Musk told employees ‘we have done a thorough review of the organisation and made the difficult decision to reduce our headcount by more than 10% globally’, in an email first reported by industry publication Electrek.
Monday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Inchcape agrees £346m deal to sell UK retail operations to US giant Group 1 Automotive
- Inquest rules that used car dealer Dan Kirby committed suicide after business went into liquidation
- First Response Finance gives its top tips for how car dealers can use AI to benefit their business
- Sandy Burgess to stand down as CEO of Scottish Motor Trade Association after a decade
- Autoglym completes acquisition of Australasian distribution partner GnG Sales
- Peter Waddell, Tom Hartley & Cazoo all discussed on latest episode of the Car Dealer Podcast
Residents ‘petrified’ as suspected tornado leaves trail of destruction
A suspected tornado left residents ‘petrified’ when it ripped through a Staffordshire village, sending trampolines and tiles flying and a caravan on its side.
‘Gale-force’ winds tore through the village of Knutton, near Stoke-on-Trent, at around 6.30am on Monday, leaving a trail of destruction for residents to clear up.
St Giles Road has been cordoned off by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service as they try to make homes, missing roof tiles and chimney pots safe.
A tornado has appeared to hit a town in Staffordshire, with police saying they attended the scene in Knutton in Newcastle-under-Lyme after strong gusts damaged properties.
Read more 🔗 https://t.co/MFNoyfiRCw pic.twitter.com/XJWxAKFXXb
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 15, 2024
Rwanda standoff continues as MPs reject Lords amendments for second time
The parliamentary ‘ping-pong’ over the Government’s Rwanda scheme will continue on Tuesday as peers are set to once again debate legislation declaring the east African nation safe for refugees.
The Government successfully overturned six House of Lords amendments on Monday as MPs voted to return the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill to its original form two years after the UK first announced its deal with Rwanda.
The legislation seeks to compel judges to regard Rwanda as safe in a bid to clear the way to send asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats on a one-way flight to the country.
Outsourcer Mitie revenues jump to record £4.5bn
Outsourcing giant Mitie has revealed record revenues of ‘at least’ £4.5bn for the past year amid continued growth.
Shares in the company swung higher on Monday morning as it also pointed towards higher profits.
The contractor and facilities manager said revenues jumped by 11% to record levels for the year to March 31.
UK stock markets lag behind Europe and US as oil prices slide
UK stock markets lagged behind their international peers on Monday as the FTSE 100 was dragged down by miners and energy giants, in a reversal of Friday’s industrial-fuelled rally.
The FTSE 100 closed 30.05 points lower, or 0.38%, to 7,965.53.
Other top European stock markets fared better on Monday. In Frankfurt, the Dax climbed 0.41% and in Paris, the Cac 40 closed 0.34% higher.
Weather outlook…
Today will see a northerly flow across the UK, with a mix of sunshine and scattered showers for most, but it will be cloudy with more frequent showers in eastern England for a time. The BBC reports it will be breezy for many.
Tonight, variable cloud and the odd shower for most, but turning dry and clear for many by dawn. Showers in north Scotland, however, these wintry on the hills, and cloudy by dawn in Northern Ireland.
Tomorrow, bright to start for most with the odd shower in places. Cloudy and wet for Northern Ireland, however, with cloud and rain spreading across western areas later, but clearing by evening.
