Ford GB's managing director on Ford's past, present and future
Lisa joins our EV editor Steve Fowler for a drive on the roads around Ford's Essex HQ in the brand's latest EV, the Ford Puma Gen-E. They talk about Ford's past, present and future, the importance of the Ford Transit in the brand's line-up and the challenges that lie ahead particularly from Chinese brands.
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The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Manchester United fan group postpones protest against Sir Jim Ratcliffe
A Manchester United supporters' group has postponed a demonstration against the club's ownership planned for the day of their opening game of the Premier League season. The 1958 had organised a protest march to Old Trafford on August 17, ahead of United's clash with Arsenal, with banners referring to minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The 1958 has overseen numerous demonstrations in recent years, principally aimed at unpopular majority shareholders the Glazers, but frustration has now spread to Ratcliffe. The billionaire British businessman, who owns a 28.94 per cent stake in United, has instigated wide – often unpopular – changes since taking over day-to-day operational control from the Glazers in February 2024. 'Jim Ratcliffe chose to get into bed with the Glazers and, in our opinion, is helping keep them in charge,' said a group representative, who added Ratcliffe was 'no saviour' and 'like a (red) devil in disguise,' last week. However, after conducting a survey, the group has acknowledged opinion is split and the time is not right for a protest. A statement read: 'With a fanbase as diverse and passionate as ours, finding the right balance isn't always easy. We've had to consider momentum, timing, fan appetite, broader consequences of protest activity whilst assessing how current and future decisions may impact us as fans. 'Given the current sentiment within the fanbase and particularly in light of these recent survey results, it's clear there is no unified view on the direction of the club under Ratcliffe. 'That split is real, and we believe it would be irresponsible to risk creating a situation that could result in any 'red on red' conflict inside or outside the stadium.' The group say almost 63 per cent of the near 26,000 respondents to their survey said Ratcliffe and his Ineos company should be held to account for their decisions so far by means of a protest. However, 68 per cent also believed they should be given more time.
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Driving laws shake-up has overlooked reckless group we need to rein in and will mean nothing if changes aren't enforced
AFTER decades of careful driving, some motorists may feel miffed at Government proposals to bring in eye-tests for over-70s. At 70, drivers are actually relatively safe on the roads. The figures spike up after 80 and, in particular, after 85 years old. 3 3 But the big gap in these plans is for 17 to 24-year-old drivers who are over-represented in car crashes. They are not at risk from poor eyesight but inexperience and risk-taking. The figures are stark. One in five young drivers crash in their first year behind the wheel and over 1,500 young drivers are killed or seriously injured each year. It is these young drivers that seem to have been overlooked in the planned shake up of driving laws. Almost every weekend now we see crashes with three or four teenagers in the car. It's usually because the driver is inexperienced and having mates in the vehicle can be distracting. And it's not just the young people themselves who are killed or injured. Other drivers and passersby are caught up in this carnage. The Automobile Association has looked at how Australia, New Zealand and Canada do things. They limit the number of same-age passengers a driver can have in their car for the first six months after taking their test. We estimate if that policy was adopted in the UK it would save at least 58 lives and at least 934 serious injuries. It would cut the young road deaths from between 20 to 40 per cent. Moment car speeds down street killing four uni students Some argue that it's limiting driver and passenger freedom. But there's nothing particularly free about being wrapped around a tree at two o'clock in the morning. As for the eye tests for older drivers, 70 is the new 50. People are fitter and healthier after pensionable age. Should the mandatory test be at 70, or would it be fairer at something like 75 or 80, which is a closer reflection of the safety figures? It's important for all drivers to have eye tests, perhaps every three years, not only for road safety but also because it can pick up on other health conditions as well. When you analyse people who kill or are killed in drink-drive incidents they aren't a bit over the limit or a bit under the limit. Many are double the limit Another proposed driving law change currently in the consultation process is stricter rules for drink-driving. Under the new plans, the drink-drive limit is expected to be tightened from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath to 22 micrograms. This would bring it into line with limits in Scotland, which were lowered in December 2014. Intuitively, you'd think lowering the limit would be a positive for safety but evidence I've seen from Scotland shows that it has little effect. When you analyse people who kill or are killed in drink-drive incidents they aren't a bit over the limit or a bit under the limit. Many are double the limit. So it won't be a massive safety issue on its own, but if it is linked to publicity campaigns and better police enforcement it could have an effect. Another proposed law change is to punish drivers with penalty points if their passengers fail to wear seatbelts. Seat belts are the simplest, single safety measure. They can reduce the risk of death by 50 per cent. So it is a no-brainer that we should have more enforcement over wearing them, but we need the traffic cops to do it. Unfortunately, dedicated traffic police have been reduced by more than 20 per cent over the last decade. That's a big failing because having a police presence acts as a deterrent for things like drink-driving, drug-driving and wearing seatbelts. Serious offenders The big, big reduction in traffic police is really noticeable. Currently, you can drive 250 miles and you will see a lot of speed cameras, but you won't see many marked police cars. For any one of these mooted new policies to work you need more dedicated traffic cops. There's a really interesting study from the Home Office... It found dangerous and reckless drivers are more likely to be a burglar, rapist or murderer Traffic policing isn't just important for road safety, it also helps clear up general crime. The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, was caught by a cop on traffic duty. There's a really interesting study from the Home Office on the criminal history of serious traffic offenders. It found dangerous and reckless drivers are more likely to be a burglar, rapist or murderer. Therefore having traffic police stop someone for reckless driving means they are more likely to stop someone from committing other crimes. So what we need alongside any new safety measures is proper police enforcement. That means more traffic cops making more stops and acting as a tough deterrent. It's the best way of making roads safer for all of us. 3
BreakingNews.ie
24 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Manchester United fans' group postpones protest against owners
A Manchester United supporters' group has postponed a demonstration against the club's ownership planned for the day of their opening game of the Premier League season. The 1958 had organised a protest march to Old Trafford on August 17th, ahead of United's clash with Arsenal, with banners referring to minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Advertisement The 1958 has overseen numerous demonstrations in recent years, principally aimed at unpopular majority shareholders the Glazers, but frustration has now spread to Ratcliffe. 🗣️Postponement of Protest – Arsenal (H), August 17th After careful reflection, and in light of the survey results. We have made the decision to postpone the planned protest for the Arsenal home game on Saturday, August 17th. For us, it has always been, and will always be, about… — The 1958 (@The__1958) August 11, 2025 The billionaire British businessman, who owns a 28.94 per cent stake in United, has instigated wide – often unpopular – changes since taking over day-to-day operational control from the Glazers in February 2024. 'Jim Ratcliffe chose to get into bed with the Glazers and, in our opinion, is helping keep them in charge,' said a group representative, who added Ratcliffe was 'no saviour' and 'like a (red) devil in disguise,' last week. However, after conducting a survey, the group has acknowledged opinion is split and the time is not right for a protest. Advertisement A statement read: 'With a fanbase as diverse and passionate as ours, finding the right balance isn't always easy. We've had to consider momentum, timing, fan appetite, broader consequences of protest activity whilst assessing how current and future decisions may impact us as fans. Manchester United's minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Lucy North/PA) 'Given the current sentiment within the fanbase and particularly in light of these recent survey results, it's clear there is no unified view on the direction of the club under Ratcliffe. 'That split is real, and we believe it would be irresponsible to risk creating a situation that could result in any 'red on red' conflict inside or outside the stadium.' The group say almost 63 per cent of the near 26,000 respondents to their survey said Ratcliffe and his Ineos company should be held to account for their decisions so far by means of a protest. However, 68 per cent also believed they should be given more time. Advertisement
