News Archive
10/4/2024
How Realistic Is Labour's Aspiration To Cut Tax Gap By £5bn?
All agree that billions are missing from HMRC coffers but Rachel Reeves may not be looking for it in the right places - Larry Elliot in the Guardian Each year His Majesty's Revenue and Customs know how much tax they would collect if all individuals and companies paid what they owed. They also know how much they have actually collected.9/4/2024
Grid Bottlenecks On The Way In Europe?
A new analysis by the energy think tank Ember has found that several countries in Europe could soon face bottlenecks in their national transmission energy grids, as more solar and wind power will be generated than these networks have capacity for. As the following chart shows, Spain, France and Poland are just some of the countries that will have energy grids which undershoot their country's respective 2030 policy targets for wind and solar capacity.
9/4/2024
New Figures Show Logistics Firms Talk The Talk On Green Initiatives And AI, But Fail To Walk The Walk
New figures reveal that more transportation & storage sector businesses are ‘very concerned' about the impact of climate change than any other sector. However, many have not taken steps towards cutting emissions and are lagging far behind in vital AI technological investment, says the home delivery expert Parcelhero.9/4/2024
Unpaid Carers Across Scotland Granted New Employment Rights As Groundbreaking Carer's Leave Act Now In Force
Workers with unpaid caring responsibilities in Scotland will be entitled to take up to five days unpaid leave when the new Carer's Leave Act came into force on Saturday 6th April 2024. Carers who are also in paid employment can find it difficult to balance their job with caring responsibilities at home.
9/4/2024
Climate Engagement Fund Reopens - Continued Support For Climate Action In Communities
Organisations across Scotland, including community, cultural and education groups, will be able to bid for support from a fund aimed at engaging people in tackling the climate emergency. The £250,000 Climate Engagement Fund will support activities such as climate festivals, skills workshops, art exhibitions and youth development programmes - all aimed at increasing people's understanding of climate change and encouraging climate action.9/4/2024
Ukraine War - Why Many NATO Countries Are Thinking Of Introducing Conscription And The Issues That Involves
"Your country needs you!" The 1914 poster of Lord Kitchener pointing an accusatory finger at those reluctant to volunteer to fight for the British Army in the first world war is one both copied and parodied even to this day. But calling for volunteers then was not enough.
9/4/2024
RBS Report - Decline in staff appointments across Scotland 
The latest Royal Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs survey signalled a fresh decline in permanent staff appointments across Scotland during December. The pace of reduction was the strongest since April, as growing economic uncertainty weighed on hiring decisions and discouraged workers from seeking new roles.
8/4/2024
Renters Will See The Amount Spent On Rent Grow Faster Than Earnings In The Years Ahead, Even As The Surging Cost Of New Tenancies Cools
Britain's recent exceptional surge in new tenancy rent levels - up by almost a fifth over the past two years - is coming to an end, but average rents could rise by 13 per cent over the next three years, as today's high market rates work their way through existing tenancies, says new Resolution Foundation research published today (Monday 8 April 2024). Through the roof - Recent trends in rental price growth examines what lies behind the recent rents surge, sets the record straight on some commonly-suggested causes, and shows what this could mean for the coming years.
8/4/2024
Does Virginia Show The Way To The End Of Newspapers In Print As Law Changes For Notices To Be Only In Print
Newspaper circulation has been in decline ever since the internet and digitisation offered free news to everyone. The end has been speeding up in recent years as the sales of newspapers continue to fall.
8/4/2024
Fixed Mortgage Rates Rise Modestly And Choice Grows
Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data reveals the overall average two- and five-year fixed mortgage rates rose, but more modestly compared to a month prior. Product choice overall rose, but so did options for higher loan-to-value deals.8/4/2024
Border Force Bolster Security Measures In General Aviation Space
New fines of up to £10,000 for international general aviation flights that do not submit advance passenger information online up to two hours before departure. Pilots, owners and operators of private aircraft will now be liable for fines of up to £10,000 if they do not provide Border Force with advance passenger information online before they depart to or from the UK, under new regulations to strengthen border security.
8/4/2024
UK Funding Boost For International Space Projects
Eleven projects that showcase the best of UK space expertise on the international stage have secured a funding boost from the UK Space Agency. The UK Space Agency's International Bilateral Fund is focused on supporting the UK space sector to work directly with international partners on exciting and innovative projects.
7/4/2024
A Deeper Look At UK Consumption Data By The Fraser Of Allender Institute
This has been a relatively slow week in terms of economic news after the Easter break, especially as we await next week's UK GDP release. But that has also given us time to delve into some interesting but not normally as high-profile statistical releases such as the ONS's consumer trends dataset, which captures household consumption across different goods and services.
7/4/2024
UK To Boost Aid Support For Gaza By Sea
UK Government announces new package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza. The UK Government is today announcing a package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, including the deployment of a Royal Navy ship to join the life-saving mission in the Eastern Mediterranean.6/4/2024
Introducing The Taxing Wealth Report 2024 - An Important Report On How Government Could Change Taxation To Help Everyone
The Taxing Wealth Report 2024 explains how by making up to 30 relatively simple changes to the UK tax system up to £92 billion of additional tax and more than £100 billion of funds for investment could be made available to fund public services in the UK - which is more than any politician could imagine that they need. The aim is threefold.
6/4/2024
New Highland Prison
Contract signed for new facility that will increase prison capacity and create investment. A new prison in Inverness that has been given the final go-ahead will increase custody capacity, improve rehabilitation services and provide significant investment to the local area.6/4/2024
The Vast Majority Of GPs Resisted The Founding Of The NHS - Here's Why
Securing the reluctant assent of general practitioners (GPs) was one of Labour health minister Nye Bevan's most difficult tasks in founding the NHS by July 5 1948. The events behind this have been the subject of two new plays in the west end of London: one by Michael Sheen, the other by Lucy Kirkwood.
6/4/2024
Hardworking Brits Backed By New Employment Protections
Parents and carers granted new and improved rights at work, covering leave entitlements and redundancy rules. New legislation, including three Government backed cross party Acts, come into force today This comes alongside tax cuts of £900 a year for the average worker, an increase to the National Living Wage, and the introduction of free childcare for working parents Pregnant women and new parents will now receive special treatment in a redundancy situation, as a suite of new laws are introduced - delivering the Government's plan to support families and back hardworking Brits.6/4/2024
Ineffective Savings Accounts - Most Low Income People Do Not Benefit
Today 6 April 2024 marks the beginning of a new ISA (Individual Savings Account) year with savers able to squirrel away up to £20,000 over the next year, with the returns being completely tax free. This is the Government's flagship policy to promote saving - with around 12 million adults benefiting in 2021-22.
6/4/2024
