By JASON GROVES, POLITICAL EDITOR

Published: 23:46 BST, 10 September 2026 | Updated: 02:33 BST, 11 September 2026

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 01:06 BST, 11 September 2026 | Updated: 02:46 BST, 11 September 2026

Concerns have been raised over whether the area has enough services to cope

More than 27,000 more homes could be built across the Huntingdonshire district as the area faces an ‘unavoidable reality’. Huntingdonshire District Council has approved the latest version of its local plan which highlights where more than 27,000 new homes could be built.

The plan will apply until 2046 and was debated on Wednesday evening (September 9). Concerns were raised by residents and parish councillors that the number of new homes planned would essentially create a “new town” without the infrastructure. Under the local plan, more than 27,000 homes could be built in areas including Huntingdon and St Ives.

Cllr David Keane said he had grown up in an estate built in the 1960s which had schools, doctors and dentists planned alongside it. The Conservative councillor said: “When I used to talk to older St Ives residents, they remember when all where I was living was fields.

“Later I experienced a bit of that myself – the fields I knew disappeared and the landscape changed again. Most of us don’t particularly like change, unless we’ve chosen it, but there’s one unavoidable reality – we do need homes.”

He questioned whether this local plan was the right way to build new homes with infrastructure already strained. He said: “We cannot keep saying that the developer’s pound can be spent here, here and here – it can only be spent once to make this all work”.

The plan would aim for 32,200 homes spread over 25 years, of which 4,400 are already built and 11,300 more have been given permission. Cllr Brett Mickelburgh told the council that 18 months ago, the government recognised Huntingdonshire as a “high growth area” and raised their housing target by 50 per cent. The Liberal Democrat councillor said this placed the council in “tilted balance” – where a housing shortfall weighs planning decisions in favour of developers.

This means if the council rules against an application, it is more likely to be overruled by a planning inspector who could also order them to pay the developer’s appeal costs. He warned that this could lead to “speculative sites in the wrong places” and urged the council to support the local plan.

Cllr Peter Gammons called the number of houses “outrageous” as it would be a 33 per cent increase compared to a national average of between 22 and 25 per cent.The Reform councillor said: “It would be a betrayal of the residents who voted for us and are already angry at the disappearing of their communities.”

Cllr Keane said they need confidence not just that infrastructure has been considered but that it can be “realistically delivered” along with the homes.

Cllr Alex Bulat said that after some of the “basket-case situations” on the council over the last few months it was “really difficult to find the good will to support the administration on any particular item”. The Labour councillor said: “I understand why residents are opposed to having a lot more new houses and I cannot blame anyone who is rightly questioning this plan.

“Especially when they do not see the improvements to infrastructure and local services matching the level of development we have had in our area. However, it is also true that we haven’t been building enough for decades.”

Cllr Lara Davenport-Ray said she believed the target set by the government was “absurdly inflated” but without a local plan the market would decide where homes are built. The Green councillor said the plan was their only safeguard to defend their area “from hostile national planning targets”.

Cllr Sarah Conboy, leader of the council, said that voting to support the plan was “not an easy decision” but they were unable to guarantee infrastructure in it. The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “We will need to work with government to secure the things that we need government to deliver that we cannot enshrine in a local plan.

“If we could guarantee all of the infrastructure first we would do that, but we can’t. What we will commit to alongside this, though, is lobbying at every opportunity and making the case for Huntingdonshire and what it needs as it continues to grow – now, and for the residents of the future, and that’s something we can promise.”

Cllr Mickelburgh said he was “really worried” about hearing a “chicken and egg argument” around infrastructure. He said: “Nobody is going to build a ten million pound water treatment plant upgrade if they don’t know the demand is coming. You won’t find anyone investing in infrastructure unless they know the demand is coming and the local plan is how they know the demand is coming.”

The council voted in favour of the pre-submission with 25 votes for, 17 against and five abstentions.

On September 11, 2001, Virgin Airlines flight 75 from Manchester to Orlando, Florida, was taking a very special group of passengers across the Atlantic. Ninety of them were terminally-ill children who were fulfilling a lifetime ambition to visit Disney World through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

When they touched down however, the youngsters would have been shocked to look out of their windows and find not Mickey and Minnie waiting to greet them but a squad of grim-faced police surrounding the plane. The officers were taking no chances over who might be on board.

That day – 25 years ago – the Virgin aircraft was the first of 38 packed passenger jets to land at the remote airport of Gander in Newfoundland, Canada, as I did this week.

Nowadays, just five flights a day (and small planes at that) come into Gander International Airport, bringing passengers who – whatever the weather where they boarded – will invariably have to trudge off across the tarmac towards the 1950s terminal in rain or snow. However, on September 11 the planes didn’t stop coming at the start of a remarkable five days that for many would prove life-changing and which, as a rare glimmer of light amid the darkness of the Al Qaeda terror atrocities, inspired myriad books and even a hit musical that has played around the world.

The passenger jets were forced down because, reeling from the 9/11 attacks and fearing more hijackings, George W Bush took the unprecedented step of closing US air space.

‘Get those goddamn planes down,’ US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta reportedly shouted to underlings from a bunker under the White House shortly after the fourth hijacked plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field.

Every civilian plane already flying over the US was told to land immediately while all international flights heading towards America were told to turn back or land in a different country. Any that entered US airspace were warned they would be shot down.

On the eastern tip of North America, the island of Newfoundland thrusts far into the Atlantic. So Gander, intentionally built close to the so-called ‘Great Circle’ route that most flights follow when flying between Europe and America, was the obvious destination for many planes when the shutdown was announced.

Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center after they were hit by two hijacked planes on September 11, 2001, in New York City 

Operation Yellow Ribbon, which handled the diversion of civilian airline flights, has been hailed as a modern parable of compassion, community spirit and the kindness of strangers

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The story of how a town of 9,600 people rose magnificently and magnanimously to the challenge of suddenly having to care for nearly 7,000 frazzled, confused and often terrified airline passengers from 92 countries – is one of the most uplifting stories to emerge from 9/11.

Operation Yellow Ribbon, as it was known, has been hailed as a modern parable of compassion, community spirit and the kindness of strangers.

The musical it inspired, Come From Away (which takes its name from the description Newfoundlanders give to visitors from everywhere else) has been a huge hit – winning four Olivier awards in the West End and a Tony on Broadway. It has played across Europe, South Korea and the Philippines.

More than 50,000 people have travelled to Gander to see the production now running in a theatre in the airport building.

And as I discovered this week in a place where everyone brandishes their own 9/11 scrapbook, few in this close-knit community have forgotten their five days of glory while the world waited for the US to reopen its airspace and they shared their town.

Gander was famous once before when its location earned it the nickname of ‘Crossroads of the World’. The airport – around which the town gradually grew – was built in the late 1930s largely at the instigation of Britain as an essential transatlantic refuelling stop for propeller planes.

After the war, it was used heavily by airlines and – after its stylishly modernistic international lounge (including the celebrated Big Dipper bar) was opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1959 – it became the perfect star-spotting location. Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles were among those who touched down on its beautiful orange and yellow leather banquettes. (Sinatra was famously told off for queue-jumping at the Big Dipper bar by a local – Newfoundlanders pride themselves on being unimpressed by celebrity).

But the advent of jumbo jets which could carry far more fuel meant air traffic from Gander dwindled, although its possession of two huge but underused runways – at one time the biggest in the world – ensured that it could be very useful in an emergency.

They’d never planned for an event like 9/11, Claude Elliott, Gander’s mayor at the time, told me. Many locals imagined the planes would only be there for a few hours but he suspected it would be considerably longer.

The local Red Cross organised accommodation while the Salvation Army distributed food. With the local radio and TV stations broadcasting a call to ‘lend a hand, do what you can’, schools and non-essential businesses were closed in Gander and the surrounding smaller townships so everyone could volunteer.

Newfies, as Newfoundlanders are known, are famous for their generosity and communal spirit – qualities that they attribute to the fact that their hardy fisherman ancestors, who mostly came from Ireland, Devon and Cornwall, had to rely heavily on each other as they struggled to survive in a harsh environment with ferocious winters. (Newfoundland – nicknamed The Rock – only reluctantly voted to leave the British Empire and become part of Canada in 1949).

In Gander, the planes were parked nose to tail on one of the runways but passengers couldn’t alight until police and the town’s sole immigration officer had assured themselves they weren’t letting a terrorist slip through.

Some passengers had to wait up to 12 hours cooped up on the runway before they were allowed off and – after running a gauntlet of metal detectors and pat-downs – allowed into the airport terminal.

Gander’s location earned it the nickname of ‘Crossroads of the World’, being built in the late 1930s largely at the instigation of Britain as a refuelling stop for propeller planes

Gander’s current mayor, Percy Farwell, said tensions between US and Middle Eastern passengers dissipated ‘once everyone realised they were all in it together’

Visitors had to sleep on the hall floor inside the Society of United Fisherman after their flights were redirected to Gander

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They had virtually nothing with them as their main luggage was kept locked in the cargo hold. Some even thought they were being abducted.

A convoy of school buses, whose drivers had called off a strike as soon as they heard of the influx, were waiting outside to take them to various destinations – schools, churches, social organisations and even a Salvation Army summer camp outside town. (Gander’s 550 hotel rooms were reserved for aircraft crews.)

US officials initially requested the passengers from each plane remain together and didn’t want them staying in people’s houses because they were still concerned some might be terrorists. The airlines also wanted to keep them together in case they were given the all-clear to fly.

It made for some strange roommates as the denizens of First Class and Economy found themselves having to bed down next to each other on mattresses or camp beds on the floor of a school gym or recreation hall.

Prominent passengers included Werner Baldessarini, the chairman of fashion giant Hugo Boss, who’d been heading to New York Fashion Week; a US Army general in charge of intelligence; former supermodel Marisa Berenson, and the wife and children of Cheers star Woody Harrelson.

None of them asked for special treatment and when Mr Baldessarini was offered a Saudi Arabian prince’s private jet to come and pick him up, he politely declined insisting he had to see out the drama with his fellow passengers – although he did accept a consignment of clean underwear brought to him by a member of staff at his nearest store in St John’s, a three-hour drive away.

The ‘Plane People’ as the locals called them, were treated less like refugees and more like long-lost relatives. Many would later say they were profoundly moved by the friendship shown to them – the perfect antidote to the 9/11 horrors that, after hours in agonising ignorance about what had happened, they could finally see in TV reports.

There were initially significant tensions between some US and Middle Eastern passengers, Gander’s current mayor, Percy Farwell, told me, but they dissipated ‘once everyone realised they were all in it together – it’s a great equaliser’. Some passengers, too desperate to wait, ‘mutinied’ and hired a bus to take them to the US border 650 miles away.

With requests broadcast on local TV, every Gander business donated supplies for free. Pharmacies filled prescriptions for those whose vital medication remained with their luggage on the planes, a local telephone company set up a bank of 100 phones the passengers could use day or night to make international calls to worried loved ones.

A local toyshop cleared out its warehouse and, lights blazing, a Gander fire engine roared around town handing it all out to the visiting children.

The generosity continued on a personal level. Gander people gave them their bedding, their clothing, their food and their time. Gander is not the most prepossessing place – more a sprawling suburb of housing estates, business parks and retail strips than a conventional town. At the time it reportedly had just four sets of traffic lights.

The Newfies took people off on fishing expeditions and hikes, entertained them at night with karaoke, live music and drinks in the pub, and treated them to local delicacies such as ‘bottled moose’.

Many invited Plane People to come and take a shower or even – if they looked particularly worn out – stay in their house.

Bonnie Harris, who runs the local animal shelter, scrabbled around in plane cargo holds to rescue 19 ‘forgotten’ pets which were then looked after in an aircraft hanger.

Local police officer Oz Fudge helped organise a Disney-themed party after hearing that terminally-ill British children who’d been on one of the flight had birthdays

Beulah Cooper said her first reaction on learning that so many planes were landing in Gander was ‘thank God they’re coming here because I know they will be looked after’

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A steel beam from the World Trade Center was gifted to Gander to thank residents for supporting thousands of stranded airline passengers

When local police officer Oz Fudge, famous for hugging any Plane Person he thought needed it, heard that several of the terminally-ill British children who’d been on that Virgin flight had birthdays, he helped organise a Disney-themed party for all 350 passengers on their plane.

A shop baked a 14ft-long cake, there were clowns and a sea of balloons while Constable Fudge’s daughter and her friends dressed up as Disney princesses.

The children eventually had to fly back to the UK and never made it to Disney World but one of the birthday girls’ fathers revealed to Constable Fudge she’d admitted she enjoyed herself so much in Gander it didn’t matter. ‘That tore the heart right out of me,’ he said.

Even romance blossomed among the Plane People. Nick Marson, an oil industry engineer from the UK and Diane Gray, a buyer for a Texas department store, flirted for days as they slept feet apart in a school gym and then kissed on the bus back to their plane. They married a year later and honeymooned in the place where they first met.

The generosity of the Newfies could be overwhelming. When a local school requested loo rolls, they rapidly received enough rolls to last a year. So much fresh food was donated that the town’s ice rink was turned into a giant fridge.

Down at the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, where 67 Aer Lingus passengers shared the hall floor, Legion stalwart Beulah Cooper (who inspired one of the main characters in the musical) epitomises the Gander spirit.

‘I don’t shake hands, I’m a hugger,’ she informed me. Her first reaction on learning that so many planes were landing in Gander, she said, was to think: ‘Thank God they’re coming here because I know they will be looked after’.

And they certainly were. ‘The day they left here we all lined up at the bar and sang For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow and So Long it’s Been Good to Know You”, and there weren’t many dry eyes that went out that door.’

Beulah, now 85, who put up three women in her own home, kept passengers’ spirits up with trays of sandwiches and a limitless supply of saucy jokes.

She particularly bonded with an Irish-American passenger named Hannah O’Rourke who was frantically worried about her son Kevin, a New York firefighter, who had gone missing in the World Trade Centre. Beulah’s own son was a volunteer fireman and she walked Hannah to church to pray.

The O’Rourkes later discovered their son had indeed died but – like so many of the relationships forged in Gander which have continued in the subsequent decades– the two women remained friends for years until Hannah died of cancer in 2025.

Why has what happened at Gander resonated so profoundly with people? Former mayor Claude Elliott believes his town ‘restored faith in people’ after the nightmare of September 11.

‘We like to say that on the 11th you saw the worst of Man, and then on the 12th you saw the best,’ he said. ‘Right now, with our world in such a mess, people are looking for a good news story and this is the one they are grabbing onto.’

As if to prove his point, minutes later he’s embraced in the airport terminal by Charlotte Bayford, from Colchester, Essex, who has seen the Gander musical 60 times and has flown to the town with friends to see it again. She said she found it inspiring to find so much ‘kindness and compassion’ in a true story.

Former mayor Claude Elliott believes Gander ‘restored faith in people’ after the nightmare of the September 11 attacks

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A Washington DC firefighter is welcomed by his Gander counterparts, marking the town’s ability to conjure a small heartwarming triumph out of a heartbreaking disaster

The visitors started arriving on a Tuesday and had gone by Sunday – many looking far more emotional than when they’d arrived. ‘I’m not sure we could have gone on many more days – people were exhausted,’ said Mr Elliott.

‘Gander was lonely when they all left, said Beulah Cooper. ‘But it did your heart good to know you were part of it.’

The passengers not only left $60,000 to help pay for their stay but some also contributed $85,000 worth of new computers to a local school while others set up a $2million scholarship fund to help young Newfoundlanders attend university.

Many continue to return to see old friends even as – thanks largely to the musical – Gander has become a tourist attraction.

The idea that an event as horrific as 9/11 could spawn a musical seems outrageous, but it speaks volumes for a little town’s ability to conjure a small heartwarming triumph out of a heartbreaking disaster.

Dogs that tremble, drool or refuse to jump in the car aren’t being stubborn – for many, it’s anxiety or motion sickness kicking in

Car journeys can trigger anxiety, phobias or motion sickness in dogs – and even if you’re not heading to the vets, some pets associate the car with stress or feeling unwell, making them reluctant to jump in.

In a message to owners, Vets4Pets urges people to keep in mind the “16-week” rule. It explains that puppies can be nervous in cars at first – and one mistake is not training them to be in the car early in life. After all, their first journey is often the trip away from their mum and littermates, which is likely to happen in your car.

And because puppies can’t go for walks until they’ve had their jabs, their next few car rides are often to the vet, which can be stressful. That can make them fear the car, whether you’re going to the vet or not, and the problem can last into adulthood if they keep associating it with ‘bad’ events.

Even dogs that usually travel well can get motion sickness. If they start to link the car with feeling unwell, they may become reluctant to get in.

How can I prevent a car phobia from developing?

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In a message to UK drivers with pets, it urged owners to get puppies used to the car early, during their socialisation period. This period lasts up to around 16 weeks old, when they’re most open to new experiences.

Try to make time in the car as positive as possible; you don’t always have to be driving. Use treats and play, and take them to places they enjoy (as long as it’s puppy‑friendly until vaccinations are finished). And always make sure your puppy is safely secured when travelling.

If they’re unsure, try sitting and playing in the car while the engine idles, so they can get used to the noise and vibrations. “Don’t forget – it’s all about positive reinforcement. If your puppy is calm or having fun in the car, make sure to tell them how good they are being and reward that behaviour”, Vets4Pets reassures.

Can dogs get car sick?

Yes. PDSA – a British veterinary charity – explains: “Car sickness/motion sickness is thought to be caused when certain types of movement affect the balance centre in the brain, combined with anxiety/stress when travelling.

“Car sickness is common in puppies but can also affect older dogs. Your dog is more likely to develop car sickness if they aren’t used to travelling or if they haven’t been slowly introduced to it as a puppy.

What are the signs and symptoms of travel sickness in dogs?

• Retching
• Feeling nauseous
• Panting
• Lip licking
• Vomiting
• Swallowing a lot
• Drooling

Dogs that get travel sick often start to dread car journeys. That stress can then intensify the nausea, meaning even short drives can become a problem.

Signs your dog may be scared of travelling include:

• Peeing/pooing in the car
• Shaking before or during travel
• Pulling away from the car or refusing to get inside
• Barking or whimpering

President Donald Trump’s former press secretary Karoline Leavitt stepped back behind a podium, but was literally left in the dark as she began her speech at the GOP’s unusual midterm convention.

Leavitt came onto the stage in Dallas Thursday night after a highlight reel of her pushing back against reporters in the briefing room played. As the crowd cheered, just a silhouette of Leavitt appeared behind the podium as the spotlight meant to shine on the former press secretary remained off.

After a few seconds passed, the lights turned on Leavitt and she could be seen smiling from ear to ear.

“It feels good to be back behind a podium,” she told the crowd. “It feels much better speaking to a stadium full of patriots than a briefing room full of journalists.”

Leavitt touted the Trump administration’s accomplishments, including closing the southern border and signing a massive tax bill, calling it an “honor of a lifetime” working for him.

“President Trump only has two more years of being the leader of our great nation, and God bless him. But he needs your support to vote for Republicans up and down the ballot so he can continue his efforts to make America great again,” Leavitt said to conclude her brief speech.

Leavitt left the White House at the end of August to spend more time with her young family.

Her decision, announced in early August, came months after she returned from maternity leave following the birth of her second child in May.

Trump and his team have yet to pick Leavitt’s replacement, with names such as Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator for CNN, and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly being floated.

Vice President JD Vance filled in for a White House press briefing on September 3.

The Republican convention, which has seen the likes of Trump, Vance and other members of his administration, is meant to boost GOP candidates’ election chances and keep the party in control of the House and Senate while the president’s own approval rate sinks.

But a significant number of GOP candidates and lawmakers planned to skip the two-day convention because of prior commitments like fundraisers and weddings or objections to steep ticket prices that reportedly have reached the five-figure mark, according to a Politico article published earlier this month.

The president gave a keynote speech during the first night of the convention Wednesday, during which he made a controversial promise to pay a $5,000 “Trump Dividend” to each American adult if voters help keep the Republican Party in power.

Trump will speak later Thursday to close out the convention.

Doubts emerged after the RAF display team pulled out of Wednesday’s Guernsey Air Display because of aircraft and engineering resource problems.

However, organisers and spectators can now look forward to the return of one of the Great North Run’s most iconic traditions as the Red Arrows prepare to take to the skies over the route and South Shields seafront.

An RAF spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the planned flypast over the Great North Run on Sunday will take place.”

The Red Arrows will fly over the start at 10.52am.

They have become a familiar sight at the world’s biggest half marathon since first joining the event in 2002. Their display, featuring the team’s trademark red, white and blue smoke trails, has provided one of the standout moments of race day for both runners and spectators.

Thousands of supporters are expected along the route from Newcastle to South Shields on Sunday as more than 60,000 runners take part in the 13.1-mile race.

The event will be shown live on BBC One from 10am to 2pm on Sunday.

Highlights will be shown on BBC Three at 9pm.

The team also cancelled a planned appearance at Sanicole, a major air show in Belgium, scheduled for the same day as the Great North Run.

This is the landscape made famous by TV series ‘Heartbeat’, where the loveable rogue Claude Greengrass and his trusty ‘Mandy Morris’ truck became local institutions.

In these rural parts, a tough, no‑nonsense pick‑up has always been popular – and the diesel D‑Max has long been a familiar sight on farm tracks and village high streets alike.

The question now is whether an all‑electric D‑Max can win over the same crowd.

The Isuzu D‑Max EV on an outing to North Yorkshire (Image: Newsquest)

On paper, the EV version makes a strong case. It swaps the 1.9‑litre turbodiesel for dual electric motors – one on each axle – delivering 188 bhp and 240 lb ft of torque.

That’s enough for a 0–62 mph time of 10.1 seconds and a top speed of 84 mph, making it noticeably quicker than the diesel while remaining entirely silent.
For a vehicle aimed at farmers, tradespeople and fleets, the shift to electrification is less about thrills and more about practicality, running costs and compliance with tightening emissions rules.

Climbing into the Double Cab eV‑Cross, the cabin feels reassuringly familiar.
There are heated seats wrapped in hard‑wearing leather, robust plastics that won’t flinch at muddy boots, and plenty of sockets to keep devices charged.
The biggest changes are subtle: paddle shifters behind the wheel let you adjust regenerative braking strength, and the rev counter is replaced by a power gauge showing energy flow.
An 8.0‑inch touchscreen and 7.0‑inch digital driver display look dated next to newer rivals, but wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto keep things usable.

The interior of the Isuzu D‑Max EV (Image: Newsquest)

Pulling away from the car park in Goathland – the very spot where Heartbeat’s fictional Aidensfield was filmed – the absence of engine noise is striking.
Claude Greengrass, the ducker and diver with an ear for opportunity, might not have recognised this hushed approach.
But he would likely have approved: he always liked a new scheme, especially one that cut costs.
And on that front, the D‑Max EV has appeal. As a company vehicle, it benefits from far lower benefit‑in‑kind tax rates than a diesel double‑cab, turning a high list price into a compelling proposition for business users.

Out on the moorland roads, the EV’s permanent four‑wheel drive and instant torque make it easy to place.
It doesn’t handle like an SUV – there’s plenty of lean in corners and a fidgety ride at low speeds – but body control is reasonable and grip is strong.
The silent powertrain is a welcome change from the clattery diesel, and while 188bhp isn’t abundant, it’s sufficient for steady progress up steep, winding lanes.

The Isuzu D‑Max EV on an outing to North Yorkshire (Image: Newsquest)

Where the D‑Max EV truly shines is in its core brief: utility.
Payload and braked towing remain identical to the diesel at 1,000 kg and 3,500 kg respectively, figures that lead the electric pick‑up class.
Ground clearance is 210mm and wading depth 600mm, slightly down from the diesel’s 230mm and 800mm, but approach and departure angles (30.5° and 24.2°) are unchanged.
Add a dedicated Rough Terrain Mode and a strengthened ladder chassis, and the EV remains a credible off‑roader – even if we’ve yet to test it to its limits in the mud and heather.

The Isuzu D‑Max EV outside the famous Grand Hotel in the North Yorkshire seaside resort of Scarborough (Image: Newsquest)

Range is the obvious compromise. In a part of the world not renowned for being overun with public charging points, I had to plan my journeys wisely.
The 66.9 kWh battery delivers a WLTP combined figure of 163 miles, edging out the estimated 159 miles for Toyota’s upcoming Hilux EV but still modest for long days on the road.
DC charging peaks at a slow 50 kW, though 11 kW three‑phase AC charging is standard, allowing a full top‑up in around six hours.
For farms and depots with on‑site chargers, that’s workable; for lone operators covering wide areas, it demands planning.
And as with all electric workhorses, hauling maximum payload or towing will cut into that range further.

The Isuzu D‑Max EV on an outing to North Yorkshire (Image: Newsquest)

Back in the Moors’ stone‑walled lanes, it’s easy to imagine the diesel D‑Max earning its keep here for years to come.
But the EV version makes a convincing case for the future: quiet, clean, and still tough enough for the job.
In these parts, where practicality trumps prestige, the D‑Max EV could prove just the new scheme a rural business needs.

The Isuzu D-Max EV has a list price of about £60,000. Commercial buyers will be able to reclaim whatever tax you pay on top, because it has a payload greater than one tonne. 

However, for private buyers, it’s not a cheap option – and buyers such as Claude Greengrass would have been looking to haggle on the price.

POWERTRAIN: dual electric motors (front and rear)
DRIVE: permanent four-wheel drive (4wd)
BATTERY CAPACITY: 66.9kwh lithium-ion
POWER: 188bhp
TORQUE: 240lb ft (325nm)
0-62MPH: 10.1 seconds
TOP SPEED: 84mph
RANGE: 163 miles (wltp)
DC CHARGING: up to 50kw
AC CHARGING: up to 11kw three-phase
AC CHARGE TIME (0-100%): approximately 6 hours
PAYLOAD: 1,000kg
TOWING CAPACITY: 3,500kg (braked)
GROUND CLEARANCE: 210mm
WADING DEPTH: 600mm
APPROACH ANGLE: 30.5 degrees
DEPARTURE ANGLE: 24.2 degrees
PRICE: from £59,995 + vat
MODEL TESTED: Isuzu d-max ev eV-cross double cab

In a recent interview, President Donald Trump offered a vague answer when asked about the timing of the $5,000 “Trump Dividend” checks he said his administration would send to Americans after the midterms.

The Republican, who outlined the plan last night at the GOP’s midterm convention in Texas, spoke with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham about the check plan after his speech.

In a preview clip of their interview, which will air on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. Eastern time, Ingraham asked the president why he was promising to send the checks after the midterms if the money was available now.

“Because the Democrats can’t do it. Because with them, it’s negative growth. With us, it’s so positive,” Trump said. “So, we’re taking in $21 trillion. No country has ever taken in anywhere near that. It’s four or five times higher than the next one. All because of that beautiful word you and I love more than most others, tariffs.”

During his speech, the president described the checks as being contingent on voters helping Republicans keep their majority in Congress, a pitch critics said resembled buying votes ahead of the November elections.

“So if the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000,” Trump said during his remarks.

The White House did not provide additional details about the plan when asked for comment by The Independent.

“President Trump has consistently proven his doubters wrong, drawing a clear contrast with the Democrats’ record of historic inflation, unfettered illegal immigration, skyrocketing crime, and weakness on the world stage,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told The Independent in a statement.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.