6:33 am, January 21, 2025
Ex-Asda and M&S boss says remote work is ‘not proper work’
Former Asda and Marks & Spencer chief executive Lord Stuart Rose has said remote working policies have spawned a generation who are ‘not doing proper work’.
Speaking to BBC One’s Panorama, Lord Rose claimed working from home makes people less productive, linking it to the ‘general decline’ of the UK economy.
He said: ‘We have regressed in this country in terms of working practices, productivity and in terms of the country’s wellbeing, I think, by 20 years in the last four.’
Pod Point cuts revenue forecasts due to weakness in UK electric vehicle market
Electric vehicle charging firm Pod Point has said revenues are set to be more than a 10th below expectations after being knocked by weak private sales of EVs in the UK.
It also reduced its cash reserves significantly more than expected as it was affected by fewer customers installing charging points at home.
The company said it expects to have delivered revenues of £53m in 2024, having previously pointed towards revenues of £60m. Pod Point, which is majority-owned by energy giant EDF, said it expects results for 2025 to also be below market expectations as a result. The firm stressed that it continues to face a ‘challenging market backdrop’.
Land Rover set to compete in Dakar rally with Defender Octa
Land Rover will compete in the 2026 season of the famous Dakar rally with its new Defender Octa.
The vehicles that the brand intends to use are referred to as ‘competition-spec’ models, albeit ones based on the new performance-focused Defender Octa currently on sale.
The firm will enter two vehicles into the five rounds of the World Rally-Raid championships and a further three-vehicle entry into the Dakar rally from 2026. The cars will be competing under the ‘Stock’ category for production-based vehicles.
The markets
The FTSE 100 reached a record high for the second consecutive trading day on Monday, as markets anticipated the inauguration of Donald Trump. It gained 15 points to finish the day at 8,521, or a 0.2% rise.
In Europe, France’s Cac 40 closed 0.3% higher, and in Frankfurt the Dax was up 0.5%. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones were closed because it is Martin Luther King, Jr Day, a national holiday.
The pound was up 0.9% against the US dollar at 1.228 on Monday. Sterling was down about 0.2% against the euro at 1.182.
Starmer to address nation after ministers announce inquiry into Southport attack
The prime minister will address the nation on Tuesday morning after the government announced an inquiry into how the state failed to identify the risk posed by the Southport killer.
Axel Rudakubana, who pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July, was referred three times to anti-extremism programme Prevent amid concerns over his fixation with violence.
But despite this and contact with other state agencies, the authorities failed to stop the attack which claimed the lives of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from Paris climate agreement
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the United States to again withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and once again distancing the US from its closest allies.
Trump’s action, hours after he was sworn in to a second term, echoed his directive in 2017, when he announced that the US would abandon the global Paris accord.
The pact is aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels or, failing that, keeping temperatures at least well below 2C above pre-industrial levels.
Monday on Car Dealer
EV discounts cost carmakers £4.5bn last year as all brands avoid ZEV mandate fines
EV discounts cost carmakers £4.5bn in 2023 as they avoided ZEV mandate fines, with compliance-driven 50% market growth. Critics warn unsustainable costs threaten jobs and business viability. Flexibilities, credit trading, and potential policy changes aim to ease future compliance.
Revealed: The fastest and slowest selling cars of 2024 with Mercedes-Benz models on top
The Mercedes-Benz GLB was 2024’s fastest-selling car, averaging 16 days to sell, followed by the A-Class (16.5 days). SUVs and used EVs, especially mid-aged models, drove demand, while the Hyundai Ioniq 6 topped the slowest-selling list at 125 days.
I love you just the grey you are: Britain’s favourite car colour remained unchanged in 2024
Grey remained Britain’s top car colour in 2024 for the seventh consecutive year, with 27.8% market share and 543,464 registrations. Black ranked second, blue third, and green surged to its highest share since 2004. Monochrome preferences dominated across segments.
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and southern Scotland with some sunshine, reports BBC Weather. Rain in north Wales and northern England; showers in west Scotland. Highs of around eight degrees.
Tonight, cloudy in England and Wales with occasional rain. Showers in northern and western Scotland.
