Dear Colleague,
This week, I attended the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. I met with a number of Conservative MPs, national journalists and motor industry colleagues to discuss the issues affecting franchised retailers, including the implications of prolonged Brexit uncertainty, the decline in diesel sales and obstacles facing the growth of the electric vehicle market. We will be following up on the recent discussions we had with parliamentarians to maintain a constructive dialogue with legislators.
New passenger car registrations figures were up just 1.3% in September as, despite stable footfall and online enquiries, consumers delay their new car purchases as a result of the continued political uncertainty. It is vital that the Government provides clarity to businesses and consumers as soon as possible so as not to undermine the stability of the automotive sector, one of the key contributors to the UK economy. Light commercials declined -23.5% after 8 months of consecutive growth, however year-to-date the market is still up a healthy 4.5%. More information below.
As part of their ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ campaign, the Government will be delivering 30 events for businesses across the UK, to ensure that as many organisations as possible are preparing for Brexit. Some of these events have already taken place, please find more details in this week’s news.
The first NFDA EV Marketplace Seminar will take place on Tuesday 3 December 2019 at the Warwick Hilton. Keynote speakers will analyse the challenges and opportunities facing the electric vehicle sector. The first confirmed speaker is Graeme Cooper, Electric Vehicles Project Director at the National Grid. Please find more details in today’s news and email nfda@rmif.co.uk to book your place.
NFDA is the voice of automotive retailers: if you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our member helpline at 0178 538303.
Sue Robinson
NFDA Director
