6:50 am, February 25, 2025
The AA unveils plans to offer savings accounts and personal loans
The AA plans to launch instant access savings accounts from the end of March, closely followed by personal loans, as part of a partnership with NatWest Boxed.
The partnership will enable the AA to expand its range of financial services, with products that could help people save for their first driving lesson or helping with the cost of an emergency repair.
It will also see the AA offer a differentiated product range for its personal breakdown members and insurance customers. Details of the products will be issued when they when they are set to go live.
Net zero economy grows 10% in a year with £83bn boost to UK, report says
The ‘net zero’ sector has grown by 10% in the past year, adding £83bn to the UK economy and boosting regional growth, a report suggests.
A study commissioned by think tank the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), with analysis from CBI Economics and the Data City, also found employment in green industries and businesses had grown 10% in the past year, supporting the equivalent of 951,000 full-time jobs.
The report comes amid pushback in some quarters against the efforts to meet a legally binding goal to cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions to zero overall – known as net zero – by 2050 to tackle climate change.
King Charles Land Rover Defender set to fetch up to £50,000 at auction
A Land Rover Defender 90 once owned by King Charles and Queen Camilla is set to head under the hammer at auction.
Owned by the then-Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the vehicle in question is a 2010 Defender 90, finished off in Keswick Green with a charcoal grey interior, and will be sold via classic car auction house Iconic Auctioneers next month.
The Defender is a basic specification, but it does come with a few creature comforts including heated front seats, and heated front and rear screens.
FTSE 100 treads water while Germany’s Dax makes gains after election
London’s FTSE 100 was treading water on Monday while Germany’s top equity index held onto gains as investors reacted to the country’s conservatives winning the national election.
The UK’s blue-chip index dipped 0.39 points to close at 8,658.98.
In Frankfurt, the Dax moved 0.62% higher in a positive session for Germany’s top index after the results of its federal election were released on Sunday. Over in Paris, a weaker session saw its Cac 40 index close 0.78% lower.
Monday on Car Dealer
Video: Watch as we go behind the scenes at the world’s largest car auction in Japan
Car Dealer visited USS Tokyo, the world’s largest car auction, where up to 20,000 cars sell in a single day. Dealers bid rapidly in a fast-paced, high-tech environment. UK import specialists Nichibo help dealers buy Japanese cars remotely, offering seamless import solutions.
More speakers added to the Car Dealer Live line-up as tickets selling out fast
Car Dealer Live 2025 has added new speakers, including Stellantis UK MD Eurig Druce and dealers Tessa Edwards and Peter Smyth. The event, sponsored by Auto Trader, takes place on March 13 at the British Motor Museum, featuring industry insights and networking opportunities.
Used car dealer blocks Land Rover dealership entrance with truck until his car is repaired
A used luxury car dealer staged a two-day protest at Vertu Land Rover Leeds after his Defender’s warranty was voided due to a missed service. Rob Kelly blocked the dealership entrance with a truck and later a Lamborghini, sharing the standoff on TikTok. After negotiations, Vertu and JLR agreed to provide a new engine as a goodwill gesture.
BMW puts brakes on EV production at Mini Oxford – blames slow electric car sales
BMW has indefinitely paused plans to build electric Minis at its Oxford plant, citing slowing EV sales in Europe. Despite a £600m investment, the automaker will continue importing electric Mini models from China, even with a 20.7% EU tariff. The decision raises concerns over BMW’s 2030 zero-emissions goal and UK EV production.
Police make two arrests as officers carry out raid on major chop shop in north of England
The key to forecourt safety and shopper satisfaction which could help your car dealership
KeyTracker explains why car dealers need to find a modern alternative to outdated or unsecured key storage solutions.
Former Labour MP Mike Amesbury jailed for punching man in street
Former Labour MP Mike Amesbury has been jailed for 10 weeks for punching a man after a row in the street.
The Runcorn and Helsby MP, who has been sitting as an Independent since he was suspended by the party after his arrest in October last year, dropped his head and swallowed as the sentence was passed at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, before he was taken to the cells by two dock officers.
He pleaded guilty at a hearing in January to assaulting Paul Fellows, 45, in Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire, in the early hours of October 26.
#BreakingNews Former Labour MP Mike Amesbury has been jailed for 10 weeks at Chester Magistrates’ Court after he admitted punching a man in the street in Frodsham, Cheshire, last October pic.twitter.com/5pa74b2DDz
— PA Media (@PA) February 24, 2025
Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine, Trump suggests
Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine in a deal to end the war, Donald Trump has suggested.
Sir Keir Starmer has previously said he would be willing to put British troops on the ground as part of security guarantees that could end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Monday, US President Mr Trump said their Russian counterpart ‘will accept’ peacekeepers.
Weather outlook…
The UK is today expected to experience mostly cloudy conditions with occasional rain.
Temperatures will range from 2°C to 12°C, with milder weather in the southeast. Western and northwestern regions may face heavier rainfall and stronger winds, while the southeast could see drier and brighter spells.
Overall, the weather will be changeable with periods of wet and windy conditions.
