It would obviously be different. Brexit involved the UK leaving a much larger political and economic union while remaining one country.
The leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are meeting to discuss their constitutional futures and what they believe should be the right of their people to decide whether they remain part of the United Kingdom. For Scotland, that immediately raises a much bigger question.
The meeting in Cardiff on Monday is more significant than simply a discussion between the three nationalist parties. John Swinney (SNP), Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) and Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Féin), with Mary Lou McDonald also attending, are using the meeting to argue that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have a right to determine their own constitutional futures.
Britain's offshore energy industry continues to make a substantial contribution to the economy, supporting around 245,000 jobs and generating £36.7 billion in economic value each year, according to the 2026 Economic Report from Offshore Energies UK. But the report also delivers a warning.
More than 200 Brits are currently detained overseas in cannabis smuggling cases linked to Thailand alone, after being recruited with promises of free holidays, easy money and ‘low risk’ opportunities. Drug smuggling arrests involving British nationals abroad more than quadrupled between 2023 and 2025.
Vehicle theft is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with criminals using electronic equipment to exploit weaknesses in modern vehicle security systems. New legislation is now set to give police and the courts additional powers to tackle the people who possess, manufacture, adapt, import or supply electronic devices intended to facilitate vehicle theft.
Interest rate markets are in turmoil. Government bond yields are rising, inflation fears are growing, and financial markets are demanding higher returns.
UK and US set to sign agreements at the Global Fusion Summit to combine expertise in AI, computing and fusion and to cooperate on regulating fusion energy. UK and US to sign a new agreement on fusion and AI to accelerate commercial fusion energy rollout and thousands of jobs in both countries.
Passkeys are being rolled out across GOV.UK One Login, giving more than 23 million users a faster and more secure way to access government services. Passkeys are being rolled out across GOV.UK One Login, giving more than 23 million users a faster and more secure way to access government services, such as accessing childcare services or renewing their driver’s licence.
The Scottish and Welsh Governments have agreed to improve how they work together on areas of shared interest to strengthen democracy and deliver better outcomes for people in Scotland and Wales. The Cardiff Agreement, which was signed by First Ministers John Swinney and Rhun ap Iorwerth, covers areas of common interest including: tackling child poverty and improving outcomes for children and families.
Bond yields have hit their highest levels in years. The US 10-year is near 5%, UK 30-year gilts are at their highest since 1998, and oil is back above $100.
Delivery and logistics firms have gone from being the least likely UK sector to embrace homeworking to one of the fastest-growing, new analysis of ONS data by the delivery expert Parcelhero shows. It says manufacturing’s flexible working has also surged while wholesale & retail has slipped back.
Communities, businesses and residents are being given extra time to share ideas that will influence future development and land use across Highland. The Highland Council has an open Call for Ideas survey, which is inviting people to share ideas on future development and long-term land use in Highland.
Britain's jobs market continues to lose some momentum, with the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showing unemployment slightly higher than a year ago and the number of people on company payrolls continuing to fall. The unemployment rate was estimated at 4.9% in the three months to July 2026, up 0.2 percentage points on a year earlier.
HMRC is encouraging people to check their State Pension forecast using the HMRC app during Pension Awareness Week. Research shows 45 to 54-year-olds are more likely than any other age group to have never checked their State Pension, despite it being a key time for retirement planning.
There is a growing concern that children and adults are reading fewer books than previous generations. It is an issue worth taking seriously, particularly as Scotland is now reviewing its Curriculum for Excellence and looking at what children need to know and be able to do in the years ahead.
The important question is whether the Houthi attacks are creating a temporary market scare or the beginnings of a new inflation problem that could force the Bank of England to raise interest rates. There are three things in play right now.
Maternity services have been a continuing source of concern in parts of Scotland, particularly in rural and island communities where women can already face long journeys to reach specialist care. The latest exchange in the Scottish Parliament suggests that the arguments are still far from being settled.
The rising oil price is beginning to show up where motorists notice it most: at the petrol pump. Average petrol prices across Scotland are now around 175p a litre in Highland, compared with a Scottish average of about 170p.
For generations, people in Scotland have tended to think of water as something that simply comes out of the tap. It is certainly not free.