Government ‘confident’ it has supplies to keep British Steel blast furnaces lit

The government is ‘confident’ it will secure the supply of materials needed to keep the blast furnaces burning at British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant, Downing Street has said.

No 10 insisted the plant would remain in use, as staff at the company and civil servants work to prevent the permanent shutdown of Britain’s last steel-making plant.

Officials are racing to ensure there are enough new materials – such as coking coal and iron ore – to keep the North Lincolnshire site running, after ministers passed an emergency law at the weekend to take control of the plant from Chinese owner Jingye.

WH Smith travel profits surge as company prepares to sell high street arm

WH Smith has reported rising profits across its shops at airports and railway stations as it prepares to sell its high street estate and focus purely on travel outlets.

Profit across its travel shops rose by 17% to £63m in the six months to February, compared with the previous year.

Meanwhile, profit at its high street business slumped by a quarter to just £20m, it said in a trading statement weeks after revealing it is selling the division.

Mercedes G-Class Edition Stronger harks back to the 1980s

Mercedes has revealed a limited-run version of the G-Class SUV with the Edition Stronger.

It features orange-coloured indicator lenses, five-spoke alloy wheels, black front radiator grille, bumpers, flared wheel arches and door mirrors. Other details include front and rear mud flaps, protective grilles for the front headlights and all-terrain tyres to help with the car’s off-road capabilities.

Prices for the Edition Stronger start at £152,815 and production is capped at just 460 units worldwide.

The markets

US stocks moved lower on Wednesday as trader sentiment took a downturn after a warning from artificial intelligent (AI) giant Nvidia that the US was limiting chip exports to China.

London’s FTSE was retreating during the day, but made headway later in the afternoon. It was up 26.48 points, or 0.32%, to close at 8,275.6.

The Dax was 0.27% at the end of the day; France’s Cac 40 was treading water, closing 0.07% lower. The pound was continuing to rise against the US dollar, and was up 0.1% to 1.324. However, sterling dropped about 0.8% against the euro, to 1.164.

Plan to divert millions of patients from waiting lists with GP service expansion

The government has set out plans to divert up to two million patients from NHS waiting lists by the end of next year.

A scheme which allows family doctors to seek advice from specialists before referring patients will be expanded with the support of an £80m funding package.

Ministers said the move will ‘stop masses of people’ going to hospital for ‘unnecessary appointments’.

WTO says global trade could slide this year because of Trump’s tariff policies

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) says the volume of trade in goods worldwide is likely to decrease by 0.2% this year because of US President Donald Trump’s shifting tariff policies and a stand-off with China, but it would take a more severe hit if Trump carries through on his toughest ‘reciprocal’ tariffs.

The decline in trade will be particularly steep in North America even without the stiffest tariffs, the global trade forum said on Wednesday, with exports there this year expected to fall by 12.6% and imports by 9.6%.

The WTO based its report on the tariff situation as of Monday. Initially, 2025 and 2026 were expected to have continued expansion of world trade, but Trump’s trade war forced WTO economists to downgrade their forecast substantially, the forum said.

Wednesday on Car Dealer

Government’s relaxation of ZEV Mandate ‘kicks the can down the road’ – Polestar UK boss

Polestar’s UK boss slammed the UK government’s relaxation of the ZEV Mandate, calling it frustrating and unclear. He warned it delays EV progress, weakens targets, and sends mixed signals. He urged stronger consumer incentives to drive electric vehicle adoption.

Ineos ditches agency sales and slashes dealer network in bid to ‘right size’ operations

Ineos is ditching agency sales and halving its dealer network to streamline operations, improve service, and boost used car sales. The brand shifts to a traditional wholesale model, aiming for better customer experience and increased dealer autonomy amid restructuring.

H.R. Owen to sell Zenvo hypercars as dealer group becomes brand’s sole UK retail partner

H.R. Owen has become the UK’s sole dealer for Danish hypercar brand Zenvo, ahead of the Aurora launch. The partnership will operate from its Hatfield multi-marque site, aligning both brands’ focus on innovation, performance, and ultra-luxury automotive excellence.

The importance of dealers being on multiple car search sites is revealed in new Motors’ survey

Dealers should advertise across multiple digital marketplaces to build trust and boost leads, says Motors. Their survey shows buyers use an average of four platforms over 48 days. Younger users dominate online searches, while EVs take longest to research.

Weather

Today, Scotland and Northern Ireland will see cloud and showers, reports BBC Weather. Meanwhile, England and Wales enjoy mostly dry weather with sunny spells and a few showers in the south-west. Temperatures will top 15 degrees.

Tonight, rain arrives in Northern Ireland, with showers in western Britain and clearer skies in central and eastern areas.

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The post Apr 17: Gov hopes steel furnaces can be kept lit; WH Smith profits surge; 1980s edition G-Class appeared first on Car Dealer Magazine.