Daily Motor News – Thursday 22 January 2026 

Stuart James, Chief Executive Officer of the IGA, described the development as a landmark moment: “This has been a 17-year journey, and the scale of this achievement cannot be underestimated. Independent garages have long faced barriers accessing vital security-related vehicle information, and SERMI now provides a recognised, trusted route to that access.”  Read more

Drug-drive reoffending increases by 134% over last four years in England and Wales 

Instances of drug-drive reoffending have surged by more than 134 percent in the last four years revealing a system that is broken and in need of urgent reform, according to victims and road safety campaigners. Read more 

Evolving vehicles, shifting expectations 

In a data-rich presentation, Paul Sell, Director at Trend Tracker, explored how the UK’s car parc has evolved – and how this transformation is shaping claims management, repair trends and customer expectations across the insurance sector. Read more

UK becomes first non-EU country to gain SERMI approval 

The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has confirmed full approval of the SERMI scheme in the UK, marking a significant milestone for independent automotive repairers and securing access to vital vehicle security data. Read more

CMA draft Annual Plan launches the first phase of its new Strategy for 2026 to 2029 

The draft Annual Plan centres on promoting competition and protecting consumers with a clear end goal in mind: to drive economic growth and improve household prosperity. This is in keeping with the government’s Strategic Steer to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which provides important transparency over the policy priorities it can help advance whilst explicitly acknowledging its statutory independence. Read more

JLR cyber attack: 6 lessons every broker should know 

The Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack was a wake-up call for the UK economy, showing how deeply cyber risk can disrupt supply chains. Now that JLR is back online, here are six lessons about where supply chain risk truly lies. Read more

Britain’s battery future at a critical turning point 

A cross-party commission has today published a major set of recommendations designed to secure Britain’s place in the global battery industry, safeguard the future of its automotive sector, and ensure the country remains competitive in a rapidly shifting international landscape. Read more

NAMA Market Update – January 2025: Positive sentiment as wholesale market moves forward in 2026 

After a slow first week, the market has gathered momentum week by week in January. While overall volumes remain slightly behind the same period in 2024, performance is comfortably ahead of pre-COVID levels. As January has progressed, confidence has improved. Read more

How tiny Slovakia became a car making heavyweight 

In a giant factory surrounded by mountains covered in snow, a lift lowers the steel bodies of cars onto the start of an assembly line. They’ve just been welded together by robots – there are 690 working in this factory. Read more

Microsoft clicks on Formula One grid with new Mercedes deal 

Microsoft, the $3.4trn computing behemoth, will this week unveil a partnership with the Mercedes Formula One team that will underline the sport’s resurgent appeal among the world’s biggest technology companies. Read more

Charles Trent named exclusive UK recycling partner for BMW Group 

Charles Trent Limited has been appointed as the exclusive long-term recycling partner for BMW Group UK, covering end-of-life vehicles across BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Read more

Defaqto acquires pricing data leader to boost insurance insight 

Defaqto has announced the acquisition of Pearson Ham Group’s Market Pricing Business in a strategic move to expand its data and technology capabilities across the UK insurance and financial services sectors. Read more

Silverlake continues partnership with Hampshire Police to support road safety 

Silverlake Automotive Recycling has reaffirmed its commitment to road safety by continuing its long-standing partnership with the Hampshire Roads Policing Training Unit throughout 2026. Read more

Over 6,000 young people take part in CII and PFS virtual work experience 

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and Personal Finance Society (PFS) report that more 6,600 young people have participated in the insurance and personal finance virtual work experience programme since its launch in October 2023. Read more

Cogent Hire has strengthened its senior leadership team with two strategic appointments aimed at accelerating growth and enhancing partner relationships within the credit hire sector. Read more

Carpenters Group Owner and Director Donna Scully has been named on the prestigious 2026 Northern Power Women PoWEr List, recognising leaders who are driving gender equality in the workplace and creating meaningful change across the North. Read more

Crawford & Company has announced a new global operating structure designed to accelerate its client-centric strategy to deliver an integrated service model, strengthen collaboration across geographies and enhance the company’s ability to deliver unmatched service to clients worldwide. Read more

Lee Baker has started a new role as Regional Network Performance Manager at AXA. 

The ABI’s latest figures reveal that health insurers processed a record £4 billion in individual and workplace private medical insurance claims in 2024 – up 13% compared to 2023 (£3.57bn).1 That’s roughly £11 million paid out every single day across the year. Read more