6:43 am, August 20, 2022
More travel misery for rail passengers as strike action continues
Rail passengers will suffer fresh travel misery on Saturday as tens of thousands of workers go on strike again in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
RMT members at Network Rail and 14 train operators, TSSA members at seven companies, and Unite members at NR will strike again, along with London United bus drivers.
Only around one in five trains will run on Saturday, with some areas having no services all day, as the unions stage their second stoppage in three days.
Michael Gove backs Rishi Sunak and says Liz Truss is on ‘holiday from reality’
Michael Gove has endorsed Rishi Sunak to be the next Conservative leader, accusing Liz Truss of taking a ‘holiday from reality’ with her plans to slash tax during the cost-of-living crisis.
The former Cabinet minister suggested the foreign secretary’s proposals would put ‘the stock options of FTSE 100 executives’ before the nation’s poorest people.
Gove said he does not expect to return to frontbench politics as he backed the underdog in the race to replace Boris Johnson in No 10. Writing in the Times, he said: ‘I do not expect to be in government again. But it was the privilege of my life to spend 11 years in the Cabinet under three prime ministers. I know what the job requires. And Rishi has it.’
Rishi Sunak would ban new smart motorways to end ‘war on motorists’
Rishi Sunak would ban new smart motorways, clamp down on rogue parking fines and review low traffic neighbourhoods to combat what he calls a ‘war on motorists’.
The Tory leadership contender’s camp described him as the ‘most pro-driver chancellor in history’ as he battles to make up ground on rival Liz Truss.
He also pledged to deliver a transition to electric vehicles without punishing drivers and deliver a ‘rural rollout action plan’ to ensure countryside communities are not left behind.
Insolvency Service says P&O will not face criminal action over mass sackings
The Insolvency Service has determined P&O Ferries will not face criminal proceedings over its actions in firing almost 800 workers earlier this year.
The company sparked public anger and was hauled in front of MPs to answer questions when it sacked hundreds of workers without notice in March.
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng asked the Insolvency Service to investigate whether any offences had been committed. In a statement, the government agency said it had determined there was ‘no realistic prospect of a conviction’.
McLaren’s Solus GT is a limited-run track-only supercar
McLaren has revealed its Solus GT, a track-only supercar that has been limited to just 25 examples.
Unveiled during Monterey Car Week in California by McLaren’s new CEO Michael Leiters, the single-seater is a ‘realisation of a concept car from the screens of virtual racing’, as it brings to life a concept vehicle that featured in the Gran Turismo Sport video game.
Weighing less than 1,000kg means that the Solus is exceptionally light, yet it’s powered by a 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine with 829bhp and 650Nm of torque, resulting in a 0-60mph time of under 2.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 200mph. Extensive aerodynamic measures mean that the Solus can generate 1,200kg of downforce, too.
Friday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Hackers target dealer group Holdcroft in major cyber attack that may have compromised employees’ data
- Self-driving vehicles ‘on UK roads by 2025’ under new government plans
- Geneva Motor Show cancelled for fourth year running with Qatar to host next year’s event instead
- Motorway’s new TV ad campaign is calculated to deliver best cars for dealers
- Stratstone Hull BMW and Mini dealership reopens following major refurbishment
- Lookers Audi Farnborough gives car enthusiasts a high-octane treat
Cineworld ‘prepares to file for bankruptcy within weeks’
Cineworld shares have plummeted after reports the cinema chain is preparing to file for bankruptcy ‘within weeks’.
Shares dived by two-thirds within minutes of reports by the Wall Street Journal that the world’s second biggest cinema business has hired lawyers from Kirkland & Ellis and consultants from AlixPartners to advise the bankruptcy process. Cineworld has declined to comment.
The reports cast uncertainty over the future of thousands of workers at its 127 UK cinemas.
Steve Jobs’ Apple-1 computer prototype auctioned for nearly 700,000 dollars
An authenticated Apple-1 Computer prototype from the mid-1970s has sold at auction for nearly 700,000 dollars (£592,000).
The prototype was used by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1976 to demonstrate the Apple-1 to Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California – one of the first personal computer stores in the world, Boston-based RR Auction said in a statement.
A Bay Area collector, who wishes to remain anonymous, made the winning 677,196 dollars bid on Thursday, the auctioneer said.
Weather outlook
Sunny spells, patchy cloud and the odd shower for the south today, reports BBC Weather. In the north, it’ll be breezy with spells of rain pushing southwards. Behind this it will be sunny.
A dry and clear night for most. Showers will linger in north-west Scotland. Parts of Wales and northern England will see a few drops of rain.
