5 important things happening in the UK today

Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today – 1 August 2025.

Landmark car finance ruling due today: A ruling by the UK’s most senior judges later could pave the way for millions of motorists to claim compensation for motor finance mis-selling. The Supreme Court will decide whether or not to uphold an earlier ruling which found that hidden commission payments to car dealers were unlawful. Around nine in 10 new cars are bought on finance, so a decision could lead to billions of pounds being claimed by people who bought cars over many years. [BBC]

Heathrow submits plans for third runway: Heathrow has submitted its “shovel-ready” plans for a third runway as part of a £50 billion investment, as the government said expanding Europe’s largest airport could create 100,000 jobs and drive growth. The 2-mile (3.2km) runway expansion would cross a diverted M25 and allow more than 750 additional flights a day over London, helping bring the total annual number of passengers to 150 million. [Guardian]

Nurses in England reject pay rise, setting stage for strike: The UK’s largest nursing union has warned of potential strike action after its members overwhelmingly rejected the government’s proposed 3.6% pay rise. The Royal College of Nursing said 91% of staff who participated in the consultation opposed the award, describing the offer as insufficient to address long-standing concerns over pay erosion, workforce shortages and stalled career progression. [Financial Times]

Trump threatens NHS with higher drug prices: Donald Trump is pressuring the world’s biggest drug makers to raise prices outside of the US in a threat to the NHS. The US president has written to pharmaceutical companies including Britain’s GSK and AstraZeneca to demand they lower prices for Americans, suggesting they should pay for it by charging higher fees abroad. It raises the threat of higher costs for the NHS, which is one of the biggest buyers of pharmaceuticals in the world. [Telegraph]