6:49 am, April 7, 2025
Rise in national insurance to hit jobs and investment, high street bosses warn
High street jobs and investment plans are at risk because of the hike in national insurance payments, retail and hospitality bosses have warned.
UK retailers have warned that hiring plans, particularly for part-time workers, will be held back as a result. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said changes to NICs and wages will cost retailers another £5bn over the next year.
Starmer and Macron discuss tariff ‘concerns’
Sir Keir Starmer has discussed ‘concerns’ about tariffs with Emmanuel Macron, as Jaguar Land Rover said it will ‘pause’ shipments to the US while it looks to ‘address the new trading terms’ of Donald Trump’s rules.
The prime minister and French president talked about their ‘concerns about the global economic and security impact’ of the new taxes, ‘particularly in South-East Asia’ in a call on Saturday.
Sir Keir’s conversation with Macron was the latest in a series of calls with world leaders following Trump’s announcement on Wednesday.
UK’s ‘largest’ on-street EV chargepoint project announced
A project claiming to be the UK’s largest installation of on-street electric vehicle (EV) chargers has been announced.
Chargepoint operator char.gy said it will fit more than 6,000 kerbside chargers for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) after securing a £130 million contract.
Installing street chargers near homes will reduce the need for people to drive to a charging station, and enable more motorists to take advantage of cheaper overnight electricity rates.
The markets
The FTSE 100 plummeted on Friday in its worst day of trading since the start of the pandemic, while markets on Wall Street also tumbled – all in the wake of president Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Australia’s stock market dropped 191.90 points (2.44%) at close on Friday, setting a new 100-day low, while Italian markets closed 6.5% down.
All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday, with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.
Trump says he is not backing down on tariffs
President Donald Trump said he will not back down on his sweeping tariffs on imports from most of the world unless countries even out their trade with the US.
The president dug in on his plans to implement the taxes, which have sent financial markets reeling, raised fears of a recession and upended the global trading system.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he did not want global markets to fall, but also that he was not concerned about the massive sell-off either, adding: ‘Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.’
Rayner meets with Birmingham council leaders as bin strikes continue
The deputy prime minister has met with Birmingham council leaders to discuss how to help ‘clear the waste backlog’ for locals as the bin strikes continue, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said.
The city council declared a major incident on Monday, March 31 because of the impact of the ongoing strike by members of the Unite union, which has seen tonnes of waste pile up in the streets.
The MHCLG spokesperson said Birmingham council has tried to mitigate the impact of the strikes by running collections over the weekend which would not usually run on Saturdays or Sundays to help clear the streets.
Latest on Car Dealer
Government confirms hybrids to be sold until 2035 while ZEV Mandate fines slashed
The UK government confirmed hybrid cars can be sold until 2035, while the 2030 petrol and diesel ban remains. ZEV Mandate fines are reduced, credit flexibility extended to 2029, and small carmakers receive exemptions. EV incentives, however, remain unchanged.
JLR pauses car deliveries to US as it considers how to deal with 25% US tariffs
Jaguar Land Rover has paused US car shipments after a 25% tariff on foreign imports took effect. The move threatens £7.6bn in UK exports and 25,000 jobs. Global markets tumbled, and UK ministers seek US talks to avoid a trade war.
XPeng opens first dealers in the UK and targets 25 showrooms within next 12 months
XPeng has launched its first UK dealerships in Southampton and Nottingham, ahead of wider expansion to 20–25 sites within a year. The G6 electric SUV, priced from £39,990, offers up to 354 miles range and targets rivals like Tesla’s Model Y.
Best March for new car registrations since 2019 as EVs soar, latest data shows
March 2025 saw a 12.4% rise in new car registrations, the strongest since 2019. EV sales surged 43.2%, reaching 19.4% market share, though still below ZEV targets. Private sales grew, but the SMMT urges government support for sustained growth.
March saw used car prices jump but oversupply is pushing down used EV values
In March, used EV supply surged 54.7% year-on-year, outpacing 35.9% demand growth, pushing prices down 1.4% to £25,190. Overall used car demand rose 1%, with average prices up slightly. Petrol cars sold fastest, while EV oversupply challenges retailer pricing strategies.
Weather
Today will start with mist, fog, and low cloud, clearing to sunshine across most areas, except Shetland, which remains cloudy, reports BBC Weather. Winds stay light with temperatures settled at 16 degrees.
Tonight will be mostly clear and chilly, with some mist and fog in the east and north; Shetland remains overcast.
