UK economy set for another quarter of growth as ‘big picture’ shows resilience
The UK economy is expected to have recorded another quarter of growth as businesses find ways to cope with the fallout of the Iran war, but some industries are coming under increasing pressure, economists think.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics being published on Thursday are set to show a degree of resilience in the economy in the face of supply chain issues and price pressures linked to the conflict, as well as a period of political uncertainty.
Some economists think gross domestic product (GDP) will have increased 0.4% for the second quarter, between April and June.
John Lewis names new boss as Peter Ruis to step down
The boss of John Lewis, Peter Ruis, is set to step down from the department store chain to ‘pursue new projects’.
He will be replaced by Will Kernan, the former boss of high street retailers River Island and The White Company.
Ruis has led the brand through its major turnaround programme since January 2024, having rejoined the group where he had earlier been a buying director. He also led the reintroduction of the brand’s Never Knowingly Undersold price promise and has overseen the start of an £800 million store investment plan.
Aston Martin celebrates racing heritage with custom DB12 S trio
Aston Martin is looking back at its history of road racing with three bespoke models.
Set to be showcased at Monterey Car Week in California, USA, the three cars are based on the brand’s new DB12 S, and have been created by the brand’s bespoke service, Q.
They take inspiration from three DB2 cars Aston raced in 1950, where each car had its own unique coloured grille. The three DB12Ss get similar treatment along with Carbon Black exterior paint, and a range of little details. No prices have been revealed.
Blue chips closed lower in London on Monday as oil prices rose amid a perceived lack of progress in peace talks in the Middle East.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 38.59 points, 0.4%, at 10,862.50. The FTSE 250 ended down 110.32 points, 0.4%, at 24,744.54, while the AIM All-Share closed up 0.49 of a point, 0.1%, at 796.38.
The pound traded at 1.3522 dollars on Monday, up from 1.3498 dollars at the equities close on Friday. Against the euro, sterling climbed to 1.1708 euro from 1.1677 euro.
Burnham promises action for consumers to help ease cost-of-living squeeze
Andy Burnham vowed to ‘pull every single lever’ to reduce the cost of living ahead of a summer tour of the UK.
He plans to tackle ‘subscription traps’ by requiring companies to make it easier to cancel subscriptions and provide more information about costs up-front rather than quietly auto-renewing them at a higher price. These had been announced by Keir Starmer, but Burnham will introduce them earlier.
He will also launch a consultation this autumn on adding deceptive discount offers to the Competition and Markets Authority’s list of banned practices.
PM orders plans to be drawn up to stop release of Andrew Harper’s killers
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked his justice secretary to ‘work through further options’ to prevent the early release of Pc Andrew Harper’s killers.
It comes amid increasing pressure from Pc Harper’s family and the police not to allow Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, to be freed in January under existing plans.
On Monday, Downing Street said it was ‘not possible’ to exempt ‘one or two offenders’ convicted of manslaughter from the early release scheme. However, justice secretary Alex Norris will now look at ways to keep ‘a greater number of the most serious offenders’ behind bars.
Ford Retail saw turnover rise to £2.45bn last year, although profits softened as a result of investment in its dealer network and electrification.
A performance car dealership has announced the death of its founder, with his family saying they will continue the business he spent years building.
A used car dealer has been ordered to repay more than £66,000 after he fraudulently secured a ‘Covid Bounce Back Loan’.
A dealer group boss has warned there will be ‘casualties’ among traditional retailers as the rapid rise of Chinese manufacturers transforms the UK motor trade.
Big Motoring World has been accused by a national newspaper of advertising used cars with outstanding safety recalls, including several vehicles affected by potential battery fire risks.
Dealer group Barretts has returned to profit, despite a £29m drag on new car turnover as a result of manufacturer partners switching to agency sales.
Drive Green founder Richard Norris says winning the back-t0-back Used Car Awards has been ‘hugely beneficial’ to the business, as the he looks to complete a hat-trick in 2026.
Today will be largely dry with plenty of sunshine, reports BBC Weather. Scotland starts cloudier with the odd patch of drizzle before brighter spells develop later. Temperatures are expected to top 30 degrees in the Midlands.
Tonight remains dry and clear for most, although cloud will spread into western areas overnight, bringing a few showers to Northern Ireland and Scotland.