News Archive

More French Officers To Patrol Beaches To Tackle Small Boat Crossings

Joint UK-France arrangement on tackling small boat crossings in the Channel includes a 40% increase in the number of UK-funded officers patrolling French beaches.   Numbers of officers in northern France will increase by 40% over the coming months as a result of UK funding to step up action to reduce illegal small boat crossings, following a new UK and France agreement signed today.  

Pm Sets Out Five-point Economic Action Plan For The G20

The Prime Minister will call for coordinated global action to address international economic instability and the rising cost of living when he attends the G20 Summit this week.   The Prime Minister arrives at the G20 Summit in Indonesia today (Monday 14 November 2022) for talks with the leaders of the world's biggest economies.  

First Fall In GDP Since The Pandemic Sets Britain On Course For Quickest Return To Recession In Nearly Half A Century

The UK economy shrank by 0.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2022, setting Britain on course for the quickest return to recession since 1975 and offering sobering backdrop to the Autumn Statement next week, the Resolution Foundation said.   While a smaller fall than markets expected, the latest contraction was widespread, with consumer spending shrinking amidst an acute cost-of-living.  

West Of Orkney Windfarm To Begin Public Consultation Events In Caithness And Orkney

Local people interested in the proposed West of Orkney Windfarm can find out more by attending one of a number of public events in the coming weeks.   In January, a consortium comprising Corio Generation, TotalEnergies, and Scottish offshore wind developer RIDG successfully secured rights in the Crown Estate Scotland's ScotWind leasing round to develop a 2 GW offshore windfarm around 30km off the west coast of Orkney and around 25km from the Sutherland coast.  

Uncertainty and the ‘r' word: What exactly is a ‘recession’?

Darren Morgan is Director of Economic Statistics Production and Analysis at the Office for National Statistics gives and explanation for recession.   In times when the economy appears to be slowing, commentators will inevitably debate whether or not it is moving into ‘recession'.  

Quality Of Life In The UK November 2022

From the Office for National Statistics.   This release provides an update on 10 of the 44 indicators across 10 domains of national well-being, using the latest data available as of October 2022.  

Technology Has Not Been The Swift ‘Job Destroying Tsunami' Many Predicted, And More Of It Will Be Needed To Raise Pay And Productivity For Everyone

Fears about robots taking people's jobs are overplayed, as their negative impacts on some people's pay and jobs have been offset by gains elsewhere.  The real fear to overcome should be Britain's lack of productivity-enhancing robots, software, AI and other technologies, according to new Resolution Foundation and LSE research published on Thursday 10 November 2022.  

The Case For A £15/hour Minimum Wage

A report makes the case for a £15/hour minimum wage by 2024 to compensate employees for a "lost decade" of wages.   14 million people would see an increase in pay under proposals to increase the minimum wage to £15/hour, according to new research by James Meadway and Howard Reed for the Progressive Economy Forum (PEF).  

The Dangerous Fiction of the "Fiscal Black Hole"

New research, published today by the Progressive Economy Forum, shows that the widely- reported £50bn "hole" in the public finances, is the result of government accountancy rules and highly uncertain forecasts, not tax or spending decisions.   Using official forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility, economists Dr Jo Michell and Dr Rob Calvert Jump show that small changes in forecasts for future interest rates and growth, and what is counted as government debt, dramatically alter the size of the apparent "hole" in the public finances.  

Committee Approves Conservation And Management Plan For Thurso

Members of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee have approved the Thurso Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, to help safeguard the distinct architectural and historical features of the town.   Following public consultation and discussions with local Councillors at the Caithness Area Committee, the boundary of the Conservation Area has been amended so that it more accurately reflects Thurso's special architectural and historic importance.