6:40 am, November 22, 2023
Hunt promises to ‘get Britain growing’ with tax-cutting autumn statement
The economy is ‘back on track’, Jeremy Hunt will declare as he starts cutting taxes and pushes for business growth ahead of next year’s election.
The chancellor will reportedly use his autumn statement to reduce headline rates of national insurance and make permanent a £10bn-a-year tax break for companies that invest in new machinery and equipment.
His deputy Laura Trott had already indicated that individuals would benefit from a giveaway as well as measures aimed at boosting business.
Community grieves as probe continues into deaths of four teenagers in crash
A community in Shropshire is grieving as an investigation continues into a car crash that left four teenagers dead.
The bodies of Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris were recovered from a silver Ford Fiesta in Snowdonia, North Wales, on Tuesday.
North Wales Police said the bodies were found inside the overturned car which left the A4085 at Garreg, near Tremadog, and was partially submerged in water.
Lord Cameron takes dig at Boris Johnson in maiden speech in House of Lords
David Cameron appeared to take a sly dig at fellow former prime minister Boris Johnson in his first speech in the House of Lords.
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton said he had been no ‘Cincinnatus hovering over my plough’, in reference to Johnson’s final words as he left office.
Johnson had likened himself to Cincinnatus, who left ancient Rome to work on a farm only to be called back to save it from crisis, with many interpreting Johnson’s words as him hinting at a future return to frontline politics.
Israeli Cabinet approves ceasefire with Hamas that includes release of hostages
Israel’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a ceasefire deal with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to a devastating war that has stretched on for over six weeks.
Hamas will release dozens of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
Under the deal, Hamas is to free 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip over a four-day period, the Israeli government said on Wednesday. It said it would extend the lull by an additional day for every 10 hostages released.
Failing to cancel mass gatherings ‘logically incoherent’ to public, says Whitty
England’s chief medical officer has admitted that allowing mass gatherings such as sporting events in the early days of the pandemic was ‘logically incoherent’ to the public.
Professor Sir Chris Whitty said he is ‘taking ownership’ of the advice given by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to the government in March 2020, that the risks of even crowded outdoor events were relatively low.
At the time, the likes of the Cheltenham Festival, which attracts hundreds of thousands of racegoers over four days, was allowed to go ahead despite the emerging crisis. Giving evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Sir Chris said not enough attention was paid to the consequences of allowing large outdoor events to continue.
Minimum wage to rise to £11.44 in April next year
The national living wage will rise to £11.44 in April next year, the Treasury has announced.
The rate is currently £10.42 for workers aged over 23, but the new figure will apply to 21 and 22-year-olds for the first time.
The national minimum wage for 18 to 20-year-olds will also increase by £1.11 to £8.60 per hour, the government has said. Apprentices will have their minimum hourly rates boosted, with an 18-year-old in an industry like construction seeing their minimum hourly pay rise by more than 20%, going from £5.28 to £6.40 an hour.
Tuesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- BBC features customers’ insurance plight at flooded Jaguar Land Rover dealership
- Car dealer who threatened to shoot colleagues during brawl over football sticker avoids jail
- Daksh Gupta on why he left Marshall, what he’ll do next and his career highlights – exclusive podcast
- Used car showroom that targets under-35s has been a hit with all ages, says boss
- EV battery production must be sparked to save thousands of jobs, MPs warn
- Out now: Car Dealer 189 features DVLA’s £1m trade plate blunder, UCA 2023 shortlist and more!
Black Friday busy as ever, says Amazon fulfilment centre boss
Black Friday is ‘as busy as ever’ and Amazon is seeing no sign of a decline in its popularity, the boss of one its largest UK depots has said.
David Tindal, general manager of Amazon’s Swindon fulfilment centre, its second largest in the UK, told the PA news agency that the site was preparing for its busiest time of the year, between Black Friday and Christmas, as the site’s more than 2,000 staff ship millions of items a week.
Tindal said: ‘There’s a lot of talk about whether Black Friday’s past its peak. All I can say is from that from Amazon’s perspective it’s as busy as ever. We’re not seeing any sign of a decline.’
Jacob’s cream cracker factory set for hundreds of job cuts
The maker of Jacob’s crackers is planning to cut hundreds of jobs at its factory near Liverpool.
Snack manufacturer Pladis told workers on Tuesday it will reduce the size of its site in Aintree, with job losses due to take place in December next year. The GMB union said that up to 361 workers are facing redundancy through the proposals.
It is understood that the exact number of redundancies will be confirmed following the consultation process over jobs. The site, which is the original Jacob’s factory in England, employs around 760 workers.
Hyundai Tucson updated for 2024 with new look
Hyundai has announced a number of updates for its popular Tucson mid-size SUV, which include styling revisions and interior tweaks.
This new model carries over the ‘Parametric Jewel Hidden Lights’, which are essentially light-up elements within the grille, but adopts a more rugged look courtesy of new silver-painted skid plates in the lower front and rear bumpers. A range of new alloy wheel designs are also available.
The interior has received a number of upgrades, including a merged digital instrument cluster and main touchscreen, carrying over the design seen on Hyundai’s electric Ioniq 5. Previously, a touch panel existed for the climate menus, but this has now been replaced by physical controls. Deliveries start in May 2024.
Weather
A cloudy and windy day for the north with spells of rain in some areas, reports BBC Weather. It’ll be drier and breezier in the south. A milder day than yesterday with temperatures between 11 and 14 degrees.
Staying cloudy tonight with just the odd clear break in the east. It’ll remain showery in the north. A breezy night.
