A Message from our CEO and Chair

A Christmas message from CHO CEO and Chair, Anthony Hughes…

2025 has been a year of measured progress for our industry. While the GTA 2 discussions remain ongoing, we have achieved some important milestones across a number of areas, including a new set of maximum daily rates, and the start of a pilot project to test dispute resolution for credit hire claims. Achieving a new set of basic hire rates was down to the unprecedented collaboration between the stakeholders involved, for which I’m very grateful, and while the arbitration pilot is in very early stages I’m confident that eventually, it will become a useful tool to settle disputed claims without the need for litigation.

The publication of the Motor Insurance Taskforce report on 10 December, added further grist to the mill of those who see collaboration as the best way to resolve challenges in mobility provision. Ministers gave a strong endorsement of the GTA in the report’s executive summary, noting: “The government welcomes the work by the Credit Hire Organisation (CHO) and the ABI to revise the General Terms of Agreement (GTA) to ensure credit hire costs are fair for consumers.” Amen to that. We’re not over the line yet, but I hope 2026 will see a successful conclusion to many months of hard yakka by the motor insurers, led by Pete Highfield, and our own GTA team. Thanks are also due to Stewart McCulloch for his excellent chairmanship of the GTA.

This year also marked the first Mobility Conference, in partnership with our friends at I Love Claims. The October event, at the British Motor Museum, proved to be an outstanding success, with high quality speakers and robust debate. The evening dinner for CHO members was also a hit, though some of our members taking part in the Karaoke should not – in any event – give up their day jobs. The conference and dinner followed a well-attended CHO lunch in Manchester in March. Guest speaker Paul Merson gave the audience some penetrating insights on the perils of football superstardom, responding to questions from our own Matt Rowland. The first credit hire workshop we organised was also well-attended, and we aim to continue with all these initiatives in 2026.

I believe members can look forward to 2026 with confidence. There will of course continue to be challenges from various quarters, not least the economy, but we are a resilient bunch, and it’s worth remembering that we fulfil a socially important role, helping people to get their children to school, or to and from their places of work, while their own vehicle is off the road.

I want to thank Matt Rowland, Emma Reid, Ben Welsh and other members of the CHO team for their support for me during the year. Thanks are also due to our Board, for their wise counsel and ongoing dedication to helping our industry thrive and prosper. Finally may I wish all our members a Merry Christmas, and our best wishes for 2026.

Anthony Hughes

CEO and Chair