Latest News

Today

£2 Diesel in Scotland? The Warning Signs Are Already Here

Diesel prices are moving sharply higher — and Scotland could be particularly exposed.   The latest figures put Scotland's average diesel price at about 184p a litre.  

Today

Enough of the Gloom: Are There Finally Some Green Shoots in the UK Economy?

Open the economic news on any given morning and it can feel relentlessly depressing.   Inflation, Energy prices; Interest rates, Government borrowing, Weak growth, Falling vacancies, Young people becoming NEETs and now Jaguar Land Rover announcing plans to cut around 4,000 jobs.  

Today : Local Authority

Where Will the Cuts Fall? Scotland’s Public Services Face Another Squeeze

The Scottish Government is facing a difficult financial year.  But the real question for councils, NHS boards and other public bodies is simple who will absorb the pressure? The latest Scottish Fiscal Commission report contains an important warning for Scotland's public services.  

Today

Scotland's £1bn Fiscal Squeeze - How Big Is the Hole in the 2027-28 Budget?

The Scottish Government is heading towards a difficult 2027-28 Budget.  The problem is not a single £1 billion deficit, but a combination of falling real-terms funding, a £720 million tax reconciliation, difficult savings targets and rising spending pressures.  

Today

 
New space strategy will bolster UK defences against threats from space

New UK space strategy to bring government's investment and activity under one plan to drive growth, strengthen security and back everyday technologies.   New national space strategy brings together UK’s plans for growth, defence, and national security to help reindustrialise the UK.  

Today

What Does the Eastgate Shopping Centre Sale Tell Us About the Future of Town Centres?

The decision to put Inverness's Eastgate Shopping Centre on the market for a guide price of £18.5 million is a remarkable development, particularly when set against the £116 million paid for the centre in 2015.   On the face of it, the figures suggest a spectacular collapse in the value of a major piece of town-centre property.  

Today

The Tax Raid Healey Won’t Talk About

John Healey did not announce a tax rise in his speech yesterday.  He did something potentially more significant in that he explained why the Government needs to raise money.  

Today

Britain Chooses Negotiation as Canada Fires Back in Trump Tariff War

Britain has so far resisted following Canada down the path of a full-scale tariff confrontation with the United States, choosing negotiation and compromise instead as Donald Trump's administration continues to reshape America's trading relationships.   The contrast has become particularly striking this week.  

Today

Britain Takes on Israeli Settlements So Could Trump Strike Back?

Britain's decision to ban trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank marks a significant new stage in the country's increasingly strained relationship with Israel but the more unexpected danger may lie across the Atlantic.   The Government's move, to be announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, is intended to put pressure on Israel over the expansion of settlements and particularly the proposed E1 development, which Britain believes could undermine the possibility of a viable Palestinian state.  

Today

From Leyland to Jaguar: How Britain Lost Its Manufacturing Muscle and Is It Happening Again?

Britain's motor industry is facing a moment of truth.   The announcement by Jaguar Land Rover that it plans to cut around 4,000 jobs over the next two years is not simply another corporate restructuring.  

Today

No news is bad news: the slow death of the British newsagent continues

While the demise of our local pubs is capturing the headlines, another great British institution is in equal danger of vanishing from our towns and cities.  From WHSmith's disappearance and its successor TG Jones's shaky finances, to years of turmoil at Clintons and Paperchase, Parcelhero's warnings about the decline of newsagents and stationers are being borne out chain by chain.  

Today

America and Canada Enter a New Phase of the Tariff War: Who Will Pay the Price?

The trade dispute between the United States and Canada has entered a new and potentially more dangerous phase.  On Tuesday, 8 September 2026, Canada put new retaliatory tariffs into effect on roughly C$27.6 billion, or about US$20 billion, of American goods.  

Today

Highlands’ first Cultural Assembly to shape future arts and culture strategy

The Highlands’ first Cultural Assembly will take place in Inverness this September, with Fiona Dalgetty of Fèis Rois confirmed as its first Convener.   The Assembly aims to bring together artists, creative practitioners, arts organisations and cultural bodies from across the region to help shape the future of arts and culture in the Highlands while creating a stronger, collective voice for the sector.  

Today

The £12,570 Trap and Why Britain Needs a New Tax Allowance for Pensioners

There is something increasingly peculiar about Britain's income tax system.  A pensioner receiving the full new State Pension is now paid almost exactly the same amount each year as the Government allows an individual to earn before income tax becomes payable.  

Today : Advisory / Counseling Services

Public sector investment supports floating offshore wind foundations development for Highlands

Plans to produce floating offshore wind foundations at Port of Ardersier have taken a step forward with the approval of more than £778,000 in Scottish Government funding.   Approval was given by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) after close collaboration with Scottish Enterprise’s international arm, Scottish Development International (SDI), to secure the project for Scotland.  

Today

Retail's Warning to Westminster - Britain's High Streets Cannot Survive on Good Intentions

Britain's retailers have delivered a message to Government which deserves rather more attention than it might initially receive.   The British Retail Consortium's new “Buy into Retail” manifesto contains ten demands aimed at creating more jobs, encouraging investment, reducing costs and helping Britain's high streets and town centres.  

Today

Why Are We Always Giving Business Money Away? It Is Time for Taxpayers to Become Investors

Britain has a curious habit when it comes to helping businesses.  When a company needs support, the first instinct of government is often to offer a grant.  

Today

Oil Nears $100 Creating A Fresh Threat to Britain’s Economy

Brent crude has surged to almost $100 a barrel, with OilPrice.com showing prices around $99 on Tuesday, as the continuing conflict in the Middle East threatens global oil supplies.   The immediate concern for Britain is not whether oil briefly crosses the symbolic $100 threshold.  

Yesterday

New support for families to be phased in from next year

Parents and carers will benefit from a new childcare offer aimed at bringing down the cost of living, tackling child poverty and boosting family incomes, First Minister John Swinney has said.   As part of the newly-published Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is transforming its childcare offer to ensure greater childcare support is available to families with children from nine months old through to the end of primary school.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

 
Highland Council opens statutory public consultation on a Tiered Fixed-Amount Visitor Levy proposal

All residents, businesses, community groups and visitors are being encouraged to have their say on a proposal for a tiered fixed-rate amount Visitor Levy in Highland.  The public consultation survey is now open (Monday 7 September) for a 12-week statutory period.