6:50 am, August 3, 2023
Bank of England preparing to raise interest rates to fresh 15-year high
The Bank of England is poised to lift UK interest rates to fresh 15-year highs as its long-running fight to control the rising cost-of-living continues.
But signs that inflation has turned a corner have fuelled hopes that policymakers could soon take their foot off the gas over rate rises.
Most economists expect the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to lift the base rate by 0.25 percentage points on Thursday, taking it to 5.25 per cent. The last time it stood at 5.25 per cent was in March 2008.
Sunak suggests Dorries is failing her constituents as Tory MP clings on
Rishi Sunak has accused Conservative MP Nadine Dorries of failing her constituents as he hinted that a general election will not come until late next year.
The prime minister said the former culture secretary’s voters ‘aren’t being properly represented’ because she has not spoken in the Commons for more than 12 months.
Dorries announced in June that she was resigning with ‘immediate effect’ after she failed to receive a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list. But she is yet to stand down formally and has clung on to her role as MP for Mid Bedfordshire despite being urged by a town council in the area to go.
Union demands meeting with home secretary over Bibby barge fire safety fears
The firefighters’ union has called for an urgent meeting with the home secretary over safety concerns raised about a giant barge due to house migrants.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said it has written to Suella Braverman asking to discuss fears about overcrowding and access to fire exits on the Bibby Stockholm.
It followed reports of the union’s assistant general secretary Ben Selby warning firefighters believe the vessel is a ‘potential deathtrap’ – a comment later dismissed by energy secretary Grant Shapps.
Man ordered not to approach Matt Hancock
An anti-vaccine protester who accused Matt Hancock of murdering people during the coronavirus pandemic has been ordered not to approach or contact the MP for three years.
Geza Tarjanyi, 62, of Leyland in Lancashire, who shoulder-barged the former health secretary, was also given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for two years at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £930 plus a surcharge of £128.
Tarjanyi – a former DJ and children’s entertainer – ‘shouted ridiculous conspiracy theories’ at Hancock on two separate occasions on January 19 and 24, the court previously heard. Having denied the harassment charge, Tarjanyi was found guilty by senior district judge Paul Goldspring.
Minister encourages over-50s to embrace diverse jobs like delivering takeways
The work and pensions secretary has suggested the over-50s should break free from age-related job stereotypes and embrace a wider range of career opportunities like delivering takeaways.
Mel Stride’s comments came during a visit to the London headquarters of food delivery firm Deliveroo, which has recorded a 62 per cent increase in riders aged over 50 since 2021.
In an interview with the Times during his visit to the food delivery company, Stride was asked if the over-50s should apply for jobs traditionally seen as being for younger people. He said: ‘There are loads of great opportunities out there for people and it’s of course good for people to consider options they might not have otherwise thought of.’
Trump in court on Thursday on charges he tried to overturn 2020 election
Donald Trump is due in federal court on Thursday to answer charges he sought to overturn the results of the 2020 US presidential election.
He is facing a judge just blocks from the US Capitol his supporters stormed to block the peaceful transfer of power.
In what has become a familiar but nonetheless stunning ritual, Trump is expected to be processed by law enforcement, be officially taken into custody and enter a not guilty plea in front of a judge before being released to rejoin the campaign trail as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024.
Wednesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Lookers takeover poised to go ahead after Cinch agrees to better offer
- Cost-of-living crisis is continuing to hamper car-buying plans, say car dealers
- Lotus opens flagship Mayfair showroom as it looks to transform into ‘global luxury performance brand’
- Four more car supermarket groups sign deals with Manheim Auction Services
Average London rental costs may soar to £2,700 a month, figures suggest
Average rental costs in London may soar to £2,700 per month next year, new figures suggest.
Families in the city are being driven into poverty by ‘sky-high’ rents, campaigners warned.
The figures, gathered by City Hall, mean that many Londoners can expect to pay £133 more than the current average of £2,567 calculated by Rightmove. It comes as statistics released by London Councils showed that one in 50 people in the capital is living in temporary accommodation.
BBC Radio 2 sheds a million listeners since Ken Bruce departure
BBC Radio 2 has lost one million listeners since veteran broadcaster Ken Bruce left the station, new figures show.
The station saw its average weekly listeners drop by seven per cent from 14.5m in January to March 2023 to 13.5m in April to June – the largest quarterly fall for Radio 2 since audience research body Rajar resumed collecting data in September 2021 after it was paused at the start of the pandemic.
Scottish broadcaster Bruce left Radio 2 on March 3, having presented his mid-morning programme for more than three decades, and began a new show on Greatest Hits Radio in April – taking with him his popular music radio quiz PopMaster. Greatest Hits Radio saw a 13 per cent jump in its average weekly audience, from 5.1m in January-March to 5.8m in April-June, along with a 59 per cent increase year-on-year.
Nissan drops Ariya price while adding new specifications
Nissan has slashed the price of its electric Ariya SUV by up to £3,750 while adding new equipment grades.
The Ariya range now starts at £39,645. Models with a 63kWh battery – offering a range of up to 251 miles – have been reduced in price by £3,000 while larger 87kWh versions which deliver up to 330 miles have had their prices cut by £3,750. It means the price difference between the 63kWh and 87kWh battery sizes will now be £5,000.
A new entry-level specification called Engage kicks off the range and gets dual 12-inch TFT displays, a rear view camera and a heat pump. At the top end of the range sits another new trim level, Evolve+. This brings even more performance to the Ariya over the standard Evolve model, increasing power to 388bhp from the 302bhp. Nissan says that these price adjustments are effective immediately.
Weather
Another unsettled day with bouts of sunny spells, variable cloud and scattered showers, says BBC Weather. The showers will be at their heaviest in the north, while it’ll be breezy for all. Highs of 21 degrees.
Tonight, the showers being confined to eastern parts of England and Scotland. Drier in other parts with skies clearing at dawn.
