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Today

National Grid backs PM's education reforms with new £5 million jobs programme to help 5,000 young people into work

National Grid has today unveiled a major new commitment to support 5,000 young people who are not in employment, education or training over the next five years.   National Grid launches a new £5 million fund to help 5,000 young people who are not in education, employment or training get into work.  

Today

Why both unemployment and trade shortages exist - Caithness has plenty of work but harder to find tradesmen

The UK doesn’t have a shortage of people — it has a shortage of qualified tradespeople.  Unemployment and trade shortages coexist because the labour market is mismatched: the people who are unemployed often don’t have the skills, training, mobility, or experience needed for plumbing, electrical, or building work.  

Today

Nine Million Arrivals, Five Million Departures: How Migration Has Changed Britain – And What It Means for Housing and Public Services

Nine Million Arrivals, Five Million Departures: How Migration Has Changed Britain – And What It Means for Housing and Public Services Britain is approaching a significant milestone.  With the UK's population now close to 70 million, the country is larger than at any time in its history.  

Today

Boost for farmers and crofters - Grants Up To £20,000

Grants of up to £20,000 to help farmers and crofters invest in their businesses and modernise operations will open for applications from winter 2026, First Minister John Swinney has announced.   At least 725 farming and crofting businesses will share £14.25 million as part of the next round of the Future Farming Investment Scheme.  

Today

Caithness Committee: Housing, Community Funding and Winter Resilience at the Heart of Today's Council Decisions

The latest meeting of the Caithness Committee today 3 August 2026 highlights three issues that continue to shape everyday life in the county.   The future of council housing and empty properties.  

Today

Oil Prices Fall Again: Why Is Crude Dropping Despite Middle East Tensions – And Where Could Prices Go Next?

Oil Prices Fall Again: Why Is Crude Dropping Despite Middle East Tensions And Where Could Prices Go Next?.   For many people who heat their homes with oil, drive vehicles, or run energy-intensive businesses, oil prices have been a constant source of concern.  

Today

The Risks To Investing In Crypto Are Growing But Perhaps Not What You Think

The Bitcoin network itself has never been successfully hacked in the sense that someone has broken the blockchain's encryption.  Instead, the biggest risks have shifted to the places where people store, trade or access their cryptocurrency.  

Today

Can Digital Money Ever Replace Cash If People Fear Losing Everything?

Every New Crypto Theft Raises the Same Question.   Every few months another headline appears announcing that millions—or even billions—of pounds worth of cryptocurrency has been stolen.  

Yesterday

 
The Future of Work Has Already Begun: Which Jobs Will Thrive – and Which Could Disappear?

For generations, career advice was relatively straightforward.  Train as a teacher, accountant, engineer, nurse, builder or civil servant and you could reasonably expect decades of stable employment.  

Yesterday

Research Before You Invest Says Police Scotland

Police Scotland is urging members of the public to exercise caution following a rise in sophisticated investment fraud.   Fraudsters are increasingly targeting individuals through convincing online advertisements, social media campaigns and unsolicited cold calls, often promising high-yield returns with little to no risk.  

Yesterday

The £100,000 Habit? How Small Everyday Choices Could Transform Your Finances Over 40 Years

For decades we've heard the same financial advice.   Stop smoking - Drink less alcohol - Cut down on takeaway coffees.  

Yesterday

Nuclear Restoration Services' quarterly virtual supply chain engagement session on 10 September

Join Nuclear Restoration Services' quarterly virtual supply chain engagement session on 10 September at 10:30am.   Hosted by Nuclear Restoration Services managing directors and commercial business partners.  

1/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Economic Development or Political Numbers Game? How Should We Judge Organisations Like HIE?

Economic development agencies frequently publish impressive statistics: thousands of jobs created, businesses supported and millions of pounds of investment attracted.  But one question is often much harder to answer: how much of that success actually happened because of their intervention? This is one of the biggest challenges facing organisations such as Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise.  

1/8/2026

Europe's Migration Turning Point: Is Britain Alone, or Is the Whole Continent Changing Course?

The dramatic scenes at Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, where tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco in a short period, have once again brought immigration to the top of Europe's political agenda.  While many of those who crossed later returned to Morocco, the incident served as a reminder that migration pressures can escalate rapidly and unexpectedly.  

1/8/2026

What the Autumn Budget Could Mean for Rural Scotland

As the Chancellor prepares to deliver the Autumn Budget on 28 October, households and businesses across the UK are wondering what changes lie ahead.  While no one knows the final contents until Budget Day, the economic pressures facing the Government mean we can already make some educated predictions.  

1/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Economic Development: How Do We Judge Success When Taking Risks Means Some Projects Will Fail?

Economic development organisations are often asked to perform an almost impossible task: transform regions, create jobs and encourage investment in places where the private sector may be reluctant to take risks.  But when some supported projects fail, criticism quickly follows.  

1/8/2026

The Return of Industry: Why America and Europe Are Rethinking Decades of De-industrialisation

For much of the last half-century, Western economies appeared to accept that manufacturing was in decline and that the future belonged to services, finance and technology.  But after decades of factory closures and overseas outsourcing, governments on both sides of the Atlantic are now asking a different question: did the world move too far away from industrial production? The answer is becoming increasingly important.  

1/8/2026

Money worries can leave a lasting mark on the brain, 80‑year study shows

Money worries can keep us up at night, but could decades of financial stress leave a lasting mark on the brain itself? That’s the question my colleagues and I set out to answer in a new study – and the answer, it turns out, is yes.   Most research on money and brain health looks at people’s financial circumstances at just one point in time.  

1/8/2026

Britain Approaches 70 Million People: Why Population Growth Is Creating Pressure — But Not Everywhere

The United Kingdom is approaching a significant demographic milestone.  With the population now around 69.5 million people, the country is likely to pass 70 million during 2027 if current trends continue.  

1/8/2026

Government takes action to crack down on rogue funeral operators

Urgent work to take place to protect bereaved families.   Proposals for formal regulation of the funeral sector to be developed following harrowing case in Hull.