6:30 am, June 13, 2023
Privileges committee finds Johnson deliberately misled Parliament – report
Boris Johnson will today reportedly be found to have deliberately misled MPs over parties in Downing Street during the pandemic.
The privileges committee has rejected the former prime minister’s defence that senior officials advised him Covid rules and guidance had been followed in No 10, according to The Times.
The panel, chaired by Labour MP Harriet Harman but with a Tory majority, found that one of his most senior officials in fact warned him against claiming social distancing guidelines were followed at the gatherings, the newspaper reported.
Voices of those who suffered most to be heard as Covid inquiry begins
The voices of some of those who suffered most in the pandemic will be heard as the UK Covid-19 Inquiry officially begins its first day of evidence today.
Two years after then-prime minister Boris Johnson announced a public inquiry would be set up, chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett will formally open the first substantive hearing.
Following her statement, a video featuring people from across the UK sharing their experiences of loss will be played to those gathered at the hearing in west London. The first module of the inquiry is expected to last around six weeks.
More than 2,000 staff to lose jobs as delivery firm Tuffnells collapses
More than 2,000 staff will be made redundant after Sheffield-based delivery giant Tuffnells Parcels Express fell into administration.
The firm has appointed joint administrators at Interpath Advisory after failing to secure funding in recent weeks.
Most of Tuffnells’ 2,200 employees across its 33 UK depots will be made redundant, Interpath said. Just 128 staff have been retained. About 500 contractors are also set to be affected.
Trust in food industry falls to nine-year low – research
Trust in the food industry has dropped to a nine-year low, research by Which? has found, as two-thirds of consumers say they feel supermarkets are ripping people off in expensive convenience stores that fail to stock budget range foods.
Which?’s monthly consumer insight tracker found that trust in the groceries industry dropped in May to the lowest it has been since November 2014 – a confidence score of just +36 on a scale of -100 to +100, which is a drop of 32 points since the previous high of +68 in May 2020.
The news comes as a separate nationally representative Which? survey of more than 2,000 UK adults found that over two-thirds (67 per cent) feel that supermarkets are ripping people off by the prices in convenience stores, which are often more expensive than larger stores and rarely stock budget items at all.
Brasserie Blanc owner eyes new pubs in expansion plan for 60 sites
The owner of the Brasserie Blanc restaurant chain has revealed a major rebrand as part of a new strategy that will see the hospitality firm expand into pubs with rooms.
Brasserie Bar Co, which was bought by private equity firm Alchemy Partners last year, is being renamed as the Heartwood Collection as part of a refreshed growth strategy.
The group plans to almost double its number of sites over the next four years as part of the strategy. It currently runs 20 premium pubs and 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK and has set out plans for 60 locations by June 2027.
Deadline to plug national insurance gaps extended until April 2025
People have been given nearly two extra years to plug gaps in their national insurance (NI) record going back to April 2006, following another deadline extension.
The original cut-off for voluntary NI contributions from April 2006 to April 2017 was April 5, 2023 but in March this deadline was extended to July 31, 2023.
Now, HM Revenue and Customs has said the deadline will be extended until April 5, 2025.
Taxes could fall if UK boosts productivity in public sector, Hunt suggests
Taxes could start falling if productivity is boosted in the public sector, Jeremy Hunt has suggested.
The chancellor acknowledged that tackling high inflation must be the ‘immediate priority’ to pave the way for increased growth.
But addressing the Centre for Policy Studies’ Margaret Thatcher conference yesterday, he said: ‘If we replicate the productivity growth we’ve seen in the private sector and apply it to the public sector, we start to increase GDP. It would mean increasing tax revenues without increasing tax rates – and it will put us on a sustainable path to lower taxes.’
New Toyota C-HR set to debut striking exterior design
The new Toyota C-HR is predicted to bring a modern, futuristic design when it debuts on June 26.
An initial teaser image shows a full-width rear lightbar incorporating both Toyota and C-HR names, while the silhouette also reveals boxy wheel arches, giving the C-HR a chunky, off-road-inspired look.
The new version is expected to introduce a more tech-heavy interior than its predecessor and will be offered with a ‘regular’ hybrid engine alongside a new plug-in hybrid system.
Yesterday’s headlines on Car Dealer you might have missed
- Trade Centre Group sees profits plummet as cost-of-living crisis bites
- Buying an electric vehicle has become ‘normalised’ as longer ranges recognised
- Paris beckons for Lewis as Nissan master technician aims for European glory
- Hartwell enjoys modest rise in profits as firm makes £3.18m despite stock concerns
- Opinion: Life after franchise — how agency dealers can make a success of it
- Why is Bumper relevant in 2023?
Market movements
The FTSE 100 closed 8.33 points up yesterday to end the day on 7,570.69. The Cac 40 was up 37.21 points at 7,250.35, the Dax was up 148.03 points at 16,097.87 and the Dow Jones was up 189.55 points at 34,066.33.
Weather outlook
Today will be mainly dry and warm with lengthy spells of sunshine, says BBC Weather. However, there will be patchy cloud and some showers in the north-west and southern England, with thunder possible.
Wednesday will be settled with plenty of sunny spells across the UK and just a few patches of cloud along some coastal areas to start with. However, the occasional shower is likely to develop in northern Scotland.
