6:56 am, April 26, 2024
Labour pledges to renationalise railways ‘well within first term’ if elected
Labour has pledged to renationalise the railways if elected, with the shadow transport secretary saying that ‘today’s broken model simply doesn’t work’.
A Labour government would expect to transfer the 10 remaining privately run rail networks to public ownership ‘well within the first term’ by folding existing private passenger rail contracts into a new body as they expire, Louise Haigh said at a launch event.
Kicking off her announcement at Trainline headquarters in central London, the shadow transport secretary said the UK deserves ‘to be proud’ of its rail legacy.
MG’s Cyberster drop-top electric vehicle goes on sale in the UK
MG has opened up its order books for its new convertible EV, the Cyberster.
From launch there will be two models on offer, the standard Trophy and the top-of-the-line GT.
The Trophy comes with an electric motor that produces 335bhp, has a torque figure of 475Nm and can do 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds.
Experience electrifying performance with a new generation of EV roadster from £54,995
Follow the link to configure your Cybersterhttps://t.co/IzxDVfpHaI pic.twitter.com/EOulnRwYiA
— MG Motor UK (@MGmotor) April 25, 2024
Teenage schoolgirl charged with attempted murder after stabbing
A teenage schoolgirl has been charged with attempted murder after a stabbing at a school in Wales.
Pupils at Amman Valley School, also known as Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, in Carmarthenshire went into lockdown just after 11.20am on Wednesday after the stabbing at the end of morning break.
Two teachers and a pupil were hurt in the incident but have now been released from hospital.
Tesla Model Y crowned the best-selling car in Europe for March
The Tesla Model Y has been named the best-selling car in Europe for March.
According to Jato Dynamics, EV sales are declining while hybrid numbers are on the up, with a total of 382,700 hybrid vehicles registered between January and March this year – the highest number of quarterly registrations since 2021.
Even though Tesla’s share in the EV market has dropped from 27.3 per cent in March 2023 to 19.9 per cent last month, the firm still managed to shift 26,847 Model Ys – over 1,000 more than the second best-selling car – the Volkswagen Golf at 25,779 units.
You can read more about the figures here.
Humza Yousaf’s future hinges on tight vote as Greens back no-confidence motion
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf’s political future hangs by a thread after the Scottish Greens said they would vote against him in a motion of no confidence.
The SNP leader dramatically brought the powersharing deal to an end on Thursday morning, angering the smaller pro-independence party’s leaders who accused him of ‘political cowardice’.
Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, told the PA news agency: ‘We no longer have confidence in a progressive government in Scotland doing the right thing for climate and nature.’
Thursday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Car production falls by more than a quarter as factories adjust for new models
- Hybrid sales surge in Europe during Q1 as demand for EVs suffers a wobble
- 22 days and counting… Don’t miss the Car Dealer Power 2024 voting deadline!
- Drive Motor Retail opens standalone MG dealership in Scarborough
- Ex-Lioness captain Jill Scott opens LSH Auto’s BYD showroom in London
- Inchcape posts 5% growth for first quarter as it looks to future entirely in distribution
Insurance principles aim to manage cost of paying monthly for motor cover
Members of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have committed to new steps to help manage the amount that people paying monthly for their motor insurance are charged.
The premium finance principles cover transparency, affordability, fair value, proportionality and accountability.
Recent research from Which? indicated that the rates being charged by some insurers to pay for monthly cover resemble the interest applicable for credit card borrowing.
Barclays profit falls as mortgage lending and investment bank squeezed
Barclays has reported lower profits for the start of the year, as mortgage lending and deposits dipped and its investment bank was squeezed amid prevailing economic uncertainty.
The high street banking giant reported a group pre-tax profit of £2.3bn for the first three months of the year, down 12% from the £2.6bn reported this time last year.
However, the latest quarterly earnings figure came in above analysts’ expectations of £2.2bn.
Lamborghini unveils updated Urus with plug-in power
Lamborghini has released a more powerful plug-in hybrid version of its performance Urus SUV.
The new Urus SE incorporates a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 producing 611bhp and 800Nm of torque. An electric motor, meanwhile, delivers an additional 189bhp and 483Nm of torque.
Combined, the Urus SE has a total power figure of 800bhp and 1,283Nm of torque which makes it one of the most powerful SUVs to arrive in the UK.
When you have two hearts, the excitement is even more unique.
The new Lamborghini Urus SE has arrived: the first plug-in hybrid Super SUV.
New combustion and electric engine, new design, optimized aerodynamics, unprecedented on-board technology.#Lamborghini— Lamborghini (@Lamborghini) April 24, 2024
FTSE reaches another record level on strong earnings and Anglo American bid
London’s top stock index closed at another record high on Thursday after it was pulled higher by a raft of strong earnings reports and renewed takeover activity.
BHP’s £31 billion takeover tilt for Anglo American drove shares in the mining firm sharply higher and helped boost the FTSE.
The British index finished 38.48 points, or 0.48%, higher to end the day at 8,078.86. Elsewhere in Europe, the German Dax index was down 0.91% at the close and the Cac 40 in France ended down 0.93%.
Weather outlook…
A chilly start for many will followed by a day of spells of sunshine and scattered showers, particularly in the north and east. Cloud and outbreaks of rain; heavy at times, develops in the south-west, the BBC reports.
Cloud and showery bands of rain in southern areas of England edges steadily northwards tonight, but largely dry for most elsewhere with clear spells. Showers in northern Scotland; wintry on the hills.
Sunny spells and showers for much of Scotland and Northern Ireland tomorrow, whilst cloud and showery outbreaks of rain continues to head northwards across England and Wales. Some bright spells later.
