Britain's car market is undergoing a rather remarkable change. Chinese car brands that were barely visible on British roads a few years ago are now becoming increasingly difficult to miss.
For years, savers have had to put up with the feeling that their money was doing very little for them. Interest rates eventually rose, but inflation often rose faster.
There must be a point when a government stops reviewing a problem and starts solving it. For women and families in Moray, that point may feel a very long way away.
Britain has just been given another reminder that the cost of changing workers' pay and conditions can sometimes extend far beyond the workplace. North Sea offshore workers employed by Wood Group are beginning strike action in a dispute over pay and employment conditions, including what unions say is the threat of "fire and rehire".
For much of the past year, the direction of travel seemed reasonably clear. Interest rates were expected to continue falling as inflation came under control.
For several weeks Glasgow City Council has been at the centre of one of Scotland's most serious local-government employment disputes. Thousands of council workers faced the possibility of being dismissed and then offered their jobs back on new terms and conditions.
Scotland has a population problem. The number of births is falling, the population is ageing and in many parts of the country deaths now substantially outnumber births.
For the past couple of years, borrowers have been given a fairly reassuring message. Interest rates rose sharply to bring inflation under control, but once inflation began to fall the expectation was that rates would gradually come down again.
Scotland has a child poverty target written into law. By 2030/31, the proportion of children living in relative poverty after housing costs is supposed to be below 10%.
Tens of thousands of people have been protesting across Spain over the country's housing crisis, with rapidly rising rents and the growing influence of tourism among their biggest concerns. The protests came after the Spanish parliament rejected government measures intended to strengthen tenant protection and restrict some forms of short-term rental accommodation.
It is easy to become gloomy about Britain. Turn on the television or radio and there is a steady diet of bad news.
Diesel has passed £2 a litre in Britain for the first time. In February it was £1.41.
Walk down Wick High Street today, and you’ll find a town center that has emerged from a major public realm overhaul. With the Caithness flagstone paving completed, updated street layouts in place, and new public seating installed, the physical infrastructure of the street looks fresh, modern, and welcoming.
Scotland has spent almost two decades talking about smaller primary-school classes. The SNP made a very clear commitment in its 2007 manifesto to reduce P1, P2 and P3 classes to 18 pupils or fewer.
Private landlords in Scotland have just acquired another responsibility. From 6 October 2026, new rules mean landlords must investigate reports of damp and mould within set timescales and, where necessary, start remedial work.
Official ONS figures show the number of transport & storage sector businesses reporting lower turnover more than doubled in a month, while almost none saw growth. The home delivery expert Parcelhero says the sector’s expectations for October are weak, with only 6.1% of firms forecasting growth, compared with 23.5% of manufacturers.
For Scotland's farmers and crofters, the next 12 months could be rather more important than they first appear. There is no single crisis waiting around the corner.
Sole traders and landlords earning over £30,000 urged to get ready for Making Tax Digital. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax will extend to sole traders and landlords earning more than £30,000 from 6 April 2027.
The Financial Times has published remarkable data on inheritance tax in the UK. Just five London parliamentary constituencies paid more inheritance tax than the whole of Scotland and Wales combined.
The price of diesel has crossed a psychologically important barrier in Britain. The UK average has reached around £2 a litre, a level that would have seemed extraordinary only a few months ago.