logo
Major change impacting over 1.5million drivers could be confirmed TOMORROW – and saves you £200 a year

Major change impacting over 1.5million drivers could be confirmed TOMORROW – and saves you £200 a year

Scottish Suna day ago

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A HUGE change to motor laws could save drivers up to £200 - if Parliament approves it tomorrow.
The major overhaul is expected to affect 1.5 million drivers across the UK.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
A proposed change to motoring laws could save drivers hundreds of pounds
Credit: Getty
2
The Government is planning to slash VAT when charging Electric Vehicles
Credit: AFP
On Friday, MPs will meet in the House of Commons to discuss slashing VAT when using electric charging points.
The bill - named The Exemption from Value Added Tax (Public Electric Vehicle Charging Points) Bill - will be read for the second time in parliament tomorrow.
Currently, motorists pay 20 per cent VAT when charging their electric vehicle, which means the new law could save drivers hundreds of pounds.
According to data from Zapmap, EV drivers spend £1,690 on charging their cars per year.
With the bill proposed by Labour, that cost could fall by a staggering £211 per year.
Daniel Kunkel, the CEO at sustainable energy company GRIDSERVE, said: "Removing VAT from public charging would be a significant move towards levelling the playing field and making EV ownership easier for everyone, no matter where they live.
"The current disparity between the 20 per cent VAT on public EV charging and the per cent on home charging puts a disproportionate financial burden on those without home charging facilities, which could affect more lower-income households.'
It is hoped that the move will encourage more drivers to give up diesel and petrol cars for good, as the Labour government continues to pursue its Net Zero goal.
The UK has a legally binding obligation to hit the target by 2050, after the then-Prime Minister Theresa May signed the commitment into law.
The plans to slash VAT costs for drivers come just days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her spending review.
Top 5 takeaways from Spending review
In her speech, the Chancellor said she would be injecting a staggering £300 billion into public services.
The defence sector and the NHS were the biggest beneficiaries, with the National Health Service receiving a huge £29 billion cash boost.
A staggering £39 billion will be injected into the housing sector, in a major drive to build social and affordable housing.
The controversial Winter Fuel Payment cuts are being rolled back too, with three-quarters of pensioners being eligible for the seasonal payment once again.
In a bid to support their Net Zero mission, the government also announced that construction would begin soon on a £14billion Sizewell C nuclear power plant - which will provide electricity for six million homes and create over 10,000 jobs.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Two crucial groups 'forgotten' in DWP Winter Fuel Payment changes
Two crucial groups 'forgotten' in DWP Winter Fuel Payment changes

North Wales Live

time44 minutes ago

  • North Wales Live

Two crucial groups 'forgotten' in DWP Winter Fuel Payment changes

Two key groups have been "forgotten" regarding the new criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, an expert has warned. According to the UK Government, nine million pensioners will receive Winter Fuel Payments if they have an income of, or below, £35,000 a year. Tom MacInnes, director of Policy at Citizens Advice, said: "It's good news that the Government is returning winter fuel payments to low-income pensioners, without needing to access Pension Credit first. This will provide straightforward, vital support to nine million pensioners this winter." But he raised concerns that despite this move, additional assistance should be directed towards those most burdened by energy costs, such as households with children and the disabled. "These groups will continue to face significant financial stress unless further action is taken.", reports Birmingham Live. He added: "We hope the Government will now take stock of its other proposals and rethink the huge cuts to disability benefits, which will cause significant hardship for disabled people and have severe consequences for their children." Reacting to the reinstatement Scottish Greens Social Security spokesperson Maggie Chapman MSP said: "Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment was one of the first acts of this Labour government. Elected on a promise of 'change' they brought in sweeping austerity that harmed older people across the UK at a time when the cost of living remains sky high. "There is no doubt that the damage has already been done, families will have lost loved ones, and illnesses will have been caused over the winter months because of the brutal decision by Rachel Reeves and the Labour Government. "Labour's cutting of the Winter Fuel Payment, refusal to end the two-child benefit cap and regressive austerity measures are forcing people into poverty in Scotland and across the UK "The reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment for some is a welcome move, but we must go further, the Labour government must end the two-child benefit cap which hits working class families the hardest, and they must reverse their cruel austerity policies. "Poverty isn't inevitable; it's a political policy, a policy which Rachel Reeves has forced upon hundreds of thousands of people across the UK. If Keir Starmer has any shame, he would finally call an end to her disastrous time as Chancellor."

Moment multiple cars & 30-tonne HGV collide in terrifying high-speed motorway pile-up… but is everything as it seems?
Moment multiple cars & 30-tonne HGV collide in terrifying high-speed motorway pile-up… but is everything as it seems?

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Moment multiple cars & 30-tonne HGV collide in terrifying high-speed motorway pile-up… but is everything as it seems?

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the moment a huge pile-up takes place on a motorway, involving multiple cars, a caravan and a huge 30-tonne heavy goods vehicle. But while the destruction and terror brought about by the incident are all very real, not all is as it seems. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Channel 4 recreates motorway chaos for Pile Up - The World's Biggest Crash Test Credit: Peter Sandground 7 Heart-stopping moment cars and a 30-tonne lorry collide in a high-speed pile-up Credit: Peter Sandground 7 Eight vehicles, including a caravan and lorry, crash in a controlled experiment Credit: Peter Sandground 7 Remote-controlled cars simulate real-life motorway pile-up in groundbreaking study Credit: Peter Sandground 7 Four unaware drivers face a simulated crash to test reactions and safety systems Credit: Peter Sandground 7 Over 90 cameras capture every detail of the staged high-speed motorway collision Credit: Peter Sandground 7 Experiment highlights crash dynamics, vehicle safety flaws and driver behaviour Credit: Peter Sandground Indeed, the high-speed crash was all part of a carefully planned experiment conducted as part of a Channel 4 documentary titled Pile Up - The World's Biggest Crash Test. Carried out at a former RAF base in Scotland, the experiment involved recreating a high-speed motorway pile-up with eight vehicles and a 30-tonne lorry. The cars involved were a Toyota Prius, Porsche Boxster, Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford F-150, Audi A8, Dodge Grand Caravan, Mercedes ML and a Vauxhall Vivaro van. The team used an almost 2-mile-long stretch of road, which was presumably an aircraft runway, and included white lines, a hard shoulder and motorway-grade varioguard barriers to make everything as realistic as possible. Professor James Brighton and his team from Cranfield University's Advanced Vehicle Engineering Centre led the study, which thankfully utilised cars that were remote-controlled from 'pods' but driven at motorway speeds. Four members of the public took part, each selected to represent a cross-section of road users. To make the pile-up as realistic as possible and to capture genuine reactions, the four selected drivers had no knowledge of the true nature of the experiment. They were revealed as 19-year-old Caitlyn, who represents inexperienced drivers aged 17 to 24; Luke, 26, a 'boy racer,' reflecting young male drivers who account for 65% of serious injuries or deaths; 66-year-old Lynn, representing older drivers aged 60+; and Tito, 57, a surfer and international driver familiar with UK and US road differences. All four believed they were taking part in an experiment to improve motorway safety and advance their driving skills and were unaware they would be involved in a high-speed multi-car pile-up. As they drove along at speed, a lorry swerved into their lanes to simulate a pile-up. Heart-stopping moment out-of-control driver speeds at woman on pavement missing her by inches before ploughing into shop Over 90 cameras, drones and black boxes were used to capture the moment of impact, recording crash dynamics, vehicle data and driver reactions. The experiment provides valuable insights into crash dynamics, safety systems and human behaviour during multi-vehicle accidents, while also highlighting areas for improvement in vehicle design and accident analysis. The aftermath of the crash replicated several intricate details, such as a car sliding under the lorry and also demonstrated crumple zones, which are effective at absorbing impacts and saving lives. Statistics on road safety Multi-vehicle crashes: Account for nearly 20% of all fatal road accidents in the UK (2020 data) Account for nearly 20% of all fatal road accidents in the UK (2020 data) Frequency of accidents: Someone is killed or injured on British roads every 16 minutes Someone is killed or injured on British roads every 16 minutes Injury and death rates: In 2022, almost 75,000 car occupants were injured, and nearly 800 died In 2022, almost 75,000 car occupants were injured, and nearly 800 died Speeding: 45% of UK drivers exceed motorway speed limits; speeding is a factor in 24% of fatal crashes 45% of UK drivers exceed motorway speed limits; speeding is a factor in 24% of fatal crashes Seatbelt use: 24% of drivers killed weren't wearing seatbelts For example, despite a massive rear shunt from a van, the Prius' electric battery remained intact. Afterwards, Marcus Rowe, a crash investigator, was sent to the scene of the accident - having not witnessed the crash - to figure out what happened using crash forensics. One concerning finding was that airbags might not always deploy and largely depend on where the vehicle is hit, showing that safety systems can struggle with multiple impacts. One thing that can't be determined is a driver's reaction in the heat of the moment, as one panicked motorist accelerated into the lorry, despite having come to a stop safely. Lastly, it found that the hard shoulder is a dangerous place to be, as any drivers or passengers in the cars on the mock-up hard shoulder would most likely have lost their lives. Speaking on the experiment, David Twohig, an Automotive Engineering Consultant, said: 'The beauty of a lab-based crash test is everything is controlled. "Everything is repeatable, but unfortunately, the real world is not a laboratory, and there are many, many variables. 'It might be the weather conditions, it might be the friction of the road surface, it might be temperature, humidity, the state of the driver, the mood of the driver - so I think that's the limitation of the lab, it's almost too good.' Pile Up – World's Biggest Crash Test airs Sunday 15 June at 9pm on Channel 4.

Bangladesh leader says Tulip Siddiq should face court and declines to meet her
Bangladesh leader says Tulip Siddiq should face court and declines to meet her

ITV News

timean hour ago

  • ITV News

Bangladesh leader says Tulip Siddiq should face court and declines to meet her

ITV News Political Correspondent Shehab Khan sat down with Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has urged Labour MP Tulip Siddiq to return to the country and face trial over corruption allegations, rejecting her request for a meeting during his official visit to the UK. Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist currently heading a caretaker government in Dhaka, declined Siddiq's invitation to discuss the charges brought against her by Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). He told ITV News that any allegations should be dealt with in court, not through political dialogue. 'If she has allegations against her, she should appear in court to face a trial,' Yunus said. He later added: 'I have not spoken to her. I took it as a legal process and it should be done in a legal way, I should not get involved.' An arrest warrant was recently issued for Siddiq by Bangladeshi authorities, following accusations that she illegally obtained a 7,200-square-foot plot of land in Dhaka. The investigation, according to Bangladeshi officials, is separate from an ongoing probe into a controversial nuclear power plant deal involving Siddiq's aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Highgate and a former UK Treasury minister, has strongly denied the allegations. Her legal team described the charges as 'politically motivated' and claimed that attempts to engage with the Bangladeshi authorities had been ignored. She had written to Yunus ahead of his visit to the United Kingdom, asking to meet, so she could help to 'clear up the misunderstanding perpetuated by the Anti-Corruption Commission in Dhaka.' In a statement, Siddiq said she was disappointed by Yunus' refusal to meet and accused him of fueling a campaign of politically charged misinformation. She said: "He's been at the heart of a political vendetta based on fantasy accusations with no evidence relentlessly briefed to the media. "If this was a serious legal process they would engage with my lawyers rather than sending bogus correspondence to an address in Dhaka where I have never lived. Siddiq resigned from her ministerial role earlier this year after referring herself to the UK government's ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, in light of the property allegations involving her family. While Magnus concluded she had not breached the ministerial code, he noted that she should have been 'more alert to the potential reputational risks' posed by her family's ties to Bangladeshi politics. From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points. Listen to the latest episode below...

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store