News Archive
23/9/2022
Government Action On Tackling Energy Prices
Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) - The EPG will cap the unit price that consumers pay for electricity and gas in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This will bring the average household bill down to £2,500 per year for a period of two years from October 2022.23/9/2022
Reversing The National Insurance Rise Will Give Most To Those Who Need Help The Least
Commenting on the Chancellor's announcement that the Government will reverse the recent 1.25 per cent increase in the National Insurance contribution (NICs) rate from 6 November this year, Karl Handscomb, Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said, "While raising National Insurance was a flawed way to fund social care provision. It would initially largely benefit non-National Insurance payers, cutting NICs is an equally flawed way to tackle Britain’s cost-of-living crisis that is hitting lower-income households the hardest.23/9/2022
Scottish Deputy First Minister Says Chancellor's Measures Fail To Target Support
Deputy First Minister says statement is ‘cold comfort for many'. The Chancellor's fiscal statement and package of announcements targets the most wealthy, shifting further pressure onto the shoulders of those on the lowest incomes, Deputy First Minister John Swinney has said.23/9/2022
VAT-free shopping scheme for non-UK visitors to Great Britain
VAT free shopping - The government will introduce a modern, digital, VAT-free shopping scheme, with the aim of providing a boost to the high street and creating jobs in the retail and tourism sectors. The delivery will include modernising the scheme that currently operates in Northern Ireland and introducing a new digital scheme in Great Britain - a consultation will gather views on the approach and design of the scheme to be delivered as soon as possible.23/9/2022
Mini-budget: What it means for you and your finances
The BBC has set up a page of useful information. See it HERE.23/9/2022
Deep Concern At Retained EU Law Bill As 2400 Pieces Of Legislation May Be Revoked
Environment, food and animal welfare standards are amongst thousands of laws now at risk because of the UK Government's Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson has warned. The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, published today in the House of Commons, seeks to revoke over 2,400 pieces of EU legislation that were included in the UK statute book at the end of the Brexit transition period.23/9/2022
An Independent Assessment Of The Mini-budget
The Institute for Economy and Social Research looks at the Mini-budget. Today the new Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, presented a ‘mini budget' in which he unveiled ‘The Growth Plan' that is to be the centrepiece of economic policy for the new government.23/9/2022
Nearly £50 Million Boost For Britain's Industrial Future
£49.4 million government funding for new industrial fuel switching technology. £49.4 million government funding to help British industry end their reliance on fossil fuels and reduce energy costs.22/9/2022
Expert Reveals: Top CV Red Flags To Avoid
The average recruiter or hiring manager spends 6 to 8 seconds looking at a CV before they decide if it is suitable or not. On average in the UK, one position attracts around 250 CVs, which means that employers can immediately spot the red flags.22/9/2022
On The Road With Stagecoach - New Sponsor Revealed For Schools Engagement As Part Of Spirit Of The Highlands And Islands Digital Project
The Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project is delighted to announce that Stagecoach will sponsor Virtual Reality (VR) headsets as part of a schools engagement initiative reaching rural areas across the Highlands and Islands. The VR headsets, along with the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands immersive portal, has fast become one of the highlights at major events around Scotland having showcased at the Royal Highland Show, Inverness Highland Games and the Black Isle Show.22/9/2022
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority And National Decommissioning Centre Launch Research Partnership
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and the National Decommissioning Centre (NDC) have signed a three-year collaborative research agreement - the first of its kind between the nuclear and oil and gas decommissioning sectors. The unique strategic partnership, supporting research with a potential value of up to £900,000, will see the NDA work with researchers from the University of Aberdeen in areas of mutual interest to both the nuclear and oil and gas sectors.22/9/2022
Our Country Yearns For Unity - But Truss's Government Is Mercilessly Dividing It Into Rich And Poor
This article by Ex PM Gordon Brown was published in the Guardian yesterday. For the first time since the welfare state was created, the food bank will be our safety net and charity our last line of defence.22/9/2022
Will Public Sector Workers Get A Pay Rise?
Workers in the public sector have seen their pay squeezed over the last decade, and with inflation on the rise, disputes over pay look set to dominate the headlines this autumn. From the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
22/9/2022
Treasury Refuses To Publish UK Economic Forecast
The Treasury is refusing to publish a forecast of the UK's economic outlook alongside this Friday's mini-Budget. Independent forecaster the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has already provided a draft to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, the BBC understands.22/9/2022
Tax Cut 'gamble' Will Make Debt Unsustainable, Says IFS
Tax cuts, due to be announced on Friday, are likely to push UK borrowing and debt to unsustainable levels, a leading economic think tank has warned. The UK will spend billions helping households and firms with energy bills, but tax cuts will have a longer-term impact on public finances, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said.22/9/2022
Reversing NICs And Corporation Tax Rises Would Leave Debt On An Unsustainable Path
From the Institute for Fiscal Studies. In the ‘mini-Budget' on Friday 23 September, the government is expected to confirm substantial tax-cutting measures reflecting the new Prime Minister Liz Truss's commitments during the leadership campaign.
22/9/2022
Norway and Switzerland raise Interest rates
In an attempt to curb inflation Norway and Switzerland have raised interest rates. Norges Bank on Thursday raised interest rates by 50 basis points to 2.25 per cent, and indicated it was likely to make smaller hikes in November, December and March to end up at 3 per cent at the end of winter.22/9/2022
HSBC Raises Lending Rate In Hong Kong For First Time In 4 Years
Hong Kong's dominant lender increased the rate by 12.5 basis points to 5.125 per cent, following a move from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to raise the city’s base rate to 3.5 per cent from 2.75 per cent. The city’s monetary policy mirrors that of the US Federal Reserve in order to maintain the Hong Kong dollar’s peg to the currency..22/9/2022
Germany See Big Rise In Cost Of Wood And Pellets
As Germany faces up to te loss of gas form Germany the price of wood and wood pellets has rocketed by over 85 percent. People are turning to alternatives to heat their homes.22/9/2022
