6:54 am, September 2, 2022
Final day of Tory leadership voting begins as Johnson seeks to establish legacy
The race to replace Boris Johnson entered its final hours as the outgoing prime minister has sought to establish a long-term energy legacy.
Voting will close in the Conservative leadership contest at 5pm on Friday, before either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak is announced as the new prime minister next week.
As Johnson counts down his final days in office, he committed £700m of government investment towards a new nuclear power station in Suffolk, Sizewell C.
Shopper footfall recovery slows as cost of living concerns gather pace
The post-Covid recovery in shopper footfall slowed in August as cost of living pressures discouraged consumers, figures show.
Total UK footfall was down 12.4 per cent in August on three years ago – a comparison made to even out Covid-related distortions – according to British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic IQ data.
Footfall on High Streets declined by 13.6 per cent, 2.3 percentage points better than last month’s rate and an improvement on the three-month average decline of 14.5 per cent. Retail park visits were down by 4.1 per cent, while shopping centre footfall fell by 22.7 per cent – 2.1 percentage points better than last month’s rate and above the three-month average decline of 23.6 per cent.
Union says it will ‘shut down’ rail network with more strikes after talks fail
Tens of thousands of railway workers will stage fresh strikes in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said its members at Network Rail and 14 train operators will walk out on September 15 and 17.
The union said more than 40,000 of its members will strike, warning it will ‘effectively shut down’ the rail network.
House prices ‘set to stall next year while rents continue rising’
House prices are likely to stall next year as inflation continues to bite and mortgage rates rise, but rental prices will continue to increase despite affordability pressures on tenants, an estate and letting agent has predicted.
Given the pressure on household incomes, Hamptons said it forecasts prices to be unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022, with zero per cent change across Britain.
Sales are expected to be hit next year, with a drop stemming from mortgaged buyers, particularly first-time buyers, according to the forecast. The estate agent said 2024 could be a ‘year of recovery’ helped by some pent-up demand from 2023.
Citroen’s new Ami Tonic brings eye-catching colour scheme and new personalisation options
Citroen has introduced an even more striking version of its tiny Ami electric car.
Called the Ami Tonic, it brings a new khaki and yellow colour scheme alongside a number of other external features. New headlamps bezels – said to have been inspired by sunglasses – come alongside bespoke wheel trims and decorative roof rails.
The Ami Tonic acts as a replacement for the Ami Vibe, bringing a 5.5kWh battery that can be changed in three hours. When coupled with a 6kW electric motor, this allows for up to 46 miles of range and a top speed of 28mph. Prices for the Ami Tonic start from £8,695.
Thursday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Dealership boss offering reward for information after yobs filmed hurling bricks at showroom and damaging cars
- Twitter reacts as first 72 plate vehicles roll off the forecourts in huge day for new car industry
- Tim Smith is appointed CEO of Automotive Transformation Group
- Used car dealership eyes new home as it makes way for retirement flats
- Hendy Group purchases West Way Nissan from Nissan GB with plans in place for new premises
- Dealer group R.W Crawfords agrees sponsorship deals with trio of non-league football clubs
- Family-run dealership celebrates long service and top work of employee
Talks chaired by Nicola Sturgeon in bid to avert fresh strikes ends without deal
Marathon talks between Nicola Sturgeon, unions and local authority bosses has ended without a deal.
The first minister met with leaders from the three unions involved in the local government pay dispute which has seen mountains of rubbish pile up in towns and cities north of the border.
Late on Thursday, a Scottish government spokesman said ‘detailed negotiations’ had taken place and had ‘carried on late into the night’.
Pound tumbles further over intensifying economic fears
The pound continued its recent freefall amid continued worries over the UK’s economic outlook.
Equity traders were unable to cheer the weakness in the currency as shaky economic figures from China and the prospect of hefty rate rises across global economies kept the largest global markets firmly in the red.
In London, the FTSE 250 closed in on almost two-year lows while the FTSE 100 slipped to its lowest for six weeks. London’s top index ended the day down 135.65 points, or 1.86 per cent, at 7,148.5. The pound was down 0.63 per cent against the dollar at 1.154 but was 0.38 per cent higher against the euro at 1.159 at the close.
Weather outlook
A mostly dry and sunny day for the UK today, reports BBC Weather, with cloudier conditions set for southern England and the odd rain shower.
Largely dry tonight, too. Northern Ireland and the north-west will see spells of rain.
