News Archive
8/6/2024
Candidates Confirmed By Highland Council For UK Parliamentary General Election 2024
14 candidates are seeking election on Thursday 4 July 2024 for the two Highland UK Parliamentary constituencies:. 7 candidates are standing in the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency 7 candidates in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.8/6/2024
Rent Control Effects Through The Lens Of Empirical Research - An Almost Complete Review Of The Literature
Rent controls such as the SNP cap on rents gives respite for some tenants but what is not mentioned are the adverse affects and where the pressure goes on other properties not controlled. The main problem is of course a shortage of suitable housing in he UK.
8/6/2024
£23 Billion Of Post-election Tax Rises Are Hiding In Plain Sight Amid Ongoing Tax Bombshell Rows
While the main parties trade blows over possible secret tax bombshells, far bigger tax rises are hiding in plain sight, with £23 billion a year of post-election tax rises - equivalent to around £800 per household - having already been announced, and neither party committed to reversing them, according to new research published today (Saturday 8 June 2024) by the Resolution Foundation. Hiding in plain sight - the latest Resolution Foundation election briefing, funded by the Nuffield Foundation - examines what has happened to the UK's tax take since 2010, what that has meant for the taxes paid by typical employees, and what might happen to tax in the next parliament.
8/6/2024
An Inherited Problem - Inheritance Tax Affects The Most Wealthy
There has been recent speculation that the Conservative Party might announce that they intend to abolish - or significantly reduce - Inheritance Tax (IHT) if re-elected. Calls for cutting or abolishing IHT are frequent, given the tax's unpopularity - despite the fact that only a small minority of people will ever be likely to pay it.
8/6/2024
Is It Too Late For Sunak To Fall On His Sword? - Mathew Parris In The Times Today
PM's D-Day blunder will leave many candidates wondering if a different leader might yet save them from defeat. This weekly column could be regarded as among Rishi Sunak's last safe havens.7/6/2024
Moneyfacts Publishes Issue Eight Of INTEREST 
Moneyfacts Group plc, the UK's leading provider of retail financial product data, has published the latest issue of its ‘INTEREST' publication. ‘INTEREST' seeks to identify the effects, positive or negative, interest rates have on the main sectors of the economy.
7/6/2024
What We Know So Far About Labour's Plan For Great British Energy
The Labour party has announced its plans for the energy sector, closing off the first full week of the 2024 election campaign. Great British Energy is one of Keir Starmer's six first steps for government, should his party win the election.
7/6/2024
Education Reform Legislation Published - New Qualifications Body And Independent Inspectorate To Be Established
Legislation to create a new national qualifications body and an independent inspectorate of schools and other educational providers has been published. The Education (Scotland) Bill includes provisions to replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) with a new national qualifications body, Qualifications Scotland.7/6/2024
E. Coli Advice Issued Amid Rise In Cases
UKHSA is working with partners to investigate a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreak.
7/6/2024
How Many Tory MPs Will Quit Their Party Today - Richard Murphy
Today is the last day when people can be nominated as candidates in the general election. Rumour has it some right wing Tory MPs will quit the party this afternoon and become Reform candidates, leaving the Tories no time to replace them.
7/6/2024
Donations To The SNP Appear To Have Collapsed According To Newly Released Data From The Electoral Commission
Yesterday the electoral commission released the data on the latest donations to political parties. Political parties registered in the UK have reported accepting £22,974,403 in donations and public funds during the first quarter of 2024, according to figures published today by the Electoral Commission.7/6/2024
Liz Truss's Mini-budget Looms Large In The Election Campaign - Here's Why It Was Such A Disaster
The words "Liz Truss" and "mini-budget" have become shorthand for financial recklessness and economic chaos. But what was it about the former prime minister's economic management that was so disastrous? Truss's premiership was defined by the mini-budget disaster, where she promised £45 billion of unfunded tax cuts and hoped to unleash runaway growth.
7/6/2024
How Sunak Came Up With Disputed Labour Tax Figures - And What's Wrong With Them
The first televised debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer was dominated by the prime minister's claim that every working family in the country would be paying £2,000 more in tax if Labour win the general election. It was a bold claim, which Sunak said was backed up by "official calculations" from the Treasury.
7/6/2024
Pause On Debt Recovery For People With Mental Ill Health
Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill approved by Parliament. Protections for people who are in debt and experiencing mental health problems have been approved by the Scottish Parliament.6/6/2024
Big Rows Over Small Pledges Risk Missing Wider Uncertainties That Could Leave The Next Government Confronting A £12 Billion Black Hole In The Public Finances
The narrow focus of the election campaign on relatively small spending pledges by the main political parties risks missing bigger economic uncertainties that the next government may need to confront, including a possible £12 billion black hole in the public finances from a productivity downgrade, higher market interest rates and infected-blood compensation, according to new Resolution Foundation research published on Wednesday 5 June 2024. With the public finances at the forefront of the 2024 General Election campaign, the Foundation's first election briefing - funded by the Nuffield Foundation - examines how we got to where we are today, and the challenges ahead for the next parliament.
6/6/2024
Highland Voters Urged To Prepare For Upcoming UK General Election
Residents in the two Highland Constituencies - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire are being urged to prepare ahead of the UK parliamentary general election taking place on Thursday 4 July. Anyone who wants to have their say in the UK general election must be registered to vote by Tuesday 18 June.
6/6/2024
Waiting List Text Message Validation By NHS Scotland
NHS Scotland is using text messaging to make sure that their waiting lists are up to date and check whether patients still need their appointments or surgery. From June, all patients in NHS Scotland who are on a waiting list for an Orthopaedic, Endoscopy or Dermatology appointment or procedure will get a text message from the National Elective Coordination Unit (NECU) on mobile number 07860 039092.6/6/2024
Are The Big Banks Complying With Their Consumer Duty Obligations?
Data from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk shows that the big banks are continuing to offer easy access savings rates well below the average, despite their continued obligation via the Financial Conduct Authority to offer fair value to customers. The big banks all pay less than 2% on their most accessible no-notice accounts, even though over 80% of the market (292 of 364 products) currently pay 2% or higher on a £10,000 balance.
6/6/2024
Yougov Predicts SNP Win In Caithness, Sutherland And Easter Ross - Will Voters Prove Them Wrong?
Yougov is predicting a win for SNP in the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency despite also predicting a loss of of 31 seats at the same time. If the prediction is correct Jamie Stone who had a slim majority at the last election for the Lib Dems would be out.6/6/2024
