6:42 am, October 2, 2022
Kwarteng faces call for inquiry after champagne do with financiers
Kwasi Kwarteng is facing a call for an official inquiry after a report he attended a private champagne reception with hedge fund managers who stood to gain from a collapse in sterling following his mini-Budget.
The Sunday Times reports that the chancellor joined the gathering at the home of a City financier on September 23, where he was said to have been ‘egged on’ to commit to his plan for £45bn of unfunded tax cuts.
The following Sunday, in a BBC TV interview, he declared there was ‘more to come’ – a comment blamed for helping to spook the markets, driving the pound to an all-time low against the dollar. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: ‘How out of touch can you get? We need an official inquiry into this now.’
Former Redcar steelworks torn down
A former steelworks has been torn down in what is believed to be one of the biggest explosive demolitions in the UK.
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen pressed the button to detonate the 65m-tall (213ft) Basic Oxygen Steelmaking plant in Redcar yesterday.
He described the moment as ‘bitter-sweet’ but said the building, which is thought to have held around 105,000 tonnes of steel, had remained unused since its closure seven years ago.
Man charged with murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel
A 34-year-old man has been charged with murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel nearly six weeks after the nine-year-old was shot in the chest at her home in Liverpool.
Thomas Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, West Derby, is accused of killing Olivia, who died after convicted burglar Joseph Nee was chased into her family’s property in Dovecot on August 22.
Cashman has also been charged with the attempted murders of Olivia’s mother, Cheryl Korbel, 46, who was injured during the incident, and Nee. Cashman, who faces two further counts of possessing a firearm to endanger life, will appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
Thousands protest in Glasgow over rising cost of living
Thousands of protesters gathered on the Buchanan Galleries steps in Glasgow yesterday as energy prices reached a new record high.
Activists from the Enough Is Enough campaign joined striking unions in the city.
The campaign began in response to the rising cost of living, with the Glasgow protest part of a national day of action tied in to yesterday’s increase in the energy price cap.
King set to miss international climate change summit
King Charles will not attend next month’s Cop27 international climate change summit in Egypt despite his passionate commitment to environmental issues, it has emerged.
According to The Sunday Times, Liz Truss objected to him attending the gathering during an audience at Buckingham Palace last month.
Neither Downing Street nor the Palace would comment on the report, which said the King had wanted to deliver a speech to delegates at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
No human remains found yet on Moors as Keith Bennett search continues
Police say they haven’t yet found human remains as their search for Moors Murders victim Keith Bennett continues following the reported discovery of a skull.
The 12-year-old was one of five victims of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, with three of them later found buried on Saddleworth Moor.
But the schoolboy’s body was never found following his disappearance in 1964, and 48 years later his mother, Winnie Johnson, died aged 78 without fulfilling her wish to give him a proper Christian burial.
Lamborghini Urus S joins super-SUV’s range
Lamborghini has revealed the Urus S as the replacement for the regular SUV model, bringing greater performance and styling tweaks.
Retaining the model’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, the power of the S increases from 632bhp to 657bhp. This sees the 0-60mph reduced by 0.2 seconds to 3.3 seconds, with the Urus S also capable of 189mph.
Other changes for the S include a new front bumper design and matt black stainless steel kickplate as standard. A painted carbon-fibre bonnet is also included, while a visible carbon finish is now available for the roof as an option.
Saturday’s stories you might have missed on Car Dealer
- Used car supermarket Car Giant makes £29m profit as prices soar
- Sinclair Group breaks ground on new Swansea JLR showroom
- Dealers are urged to carry out energy audit to help save money
- Mazda opens new training centre for dealer staff
- SsangYong adds Chipping Sodbury Motor Company to growing network
Showers unlikely to dampen spirits of 50,000 runners taking on London Marathon
Rain showers are likely to keep London Marathon runners cool today when 50,000 people race 26.2 miles through the capital.
Elite and fast club runners will be at the front of the pack – but around 40,000 of those taking part are there for a personal challenge, a fundraiser or just the chance to enjoy the atmosphere.
The three separate races – wheelchair, women’s elite, plus elite men and everyone else – will be started by Lionesses Leah Williamson, Ellen White and Jill Scott from England’s Uefa Women’s Euro 2022 winning team.
Weather outlook
Talking of the weather, rain will linger in the south today before clearing to sunshine, says BBC Weather. Elsewhere, it’ll be drier with sunny spells, but the far north-west will be breezy with more showers.
Monday will see a dry and bright day for much of the south, with sunny spells and variable cloud. It’ll be cloudy and windy in the north, with rain moving in from the west, reaching the north-east by the evening.
