News Archive

Freedom From Fear - Richard Murphy

Of the four fundamental freedoms democratic politics should promote - the freedoms of speech and worship and the freedoms from want and fear, the freedom from fear is the most important because it is the back stop created by the failure of all the others.   So why aren't our politicians trying to deliver it? ABOUT RICHARD MURPHY Richard Murphy is Professor of Accounting Practice at Sheffield University Management School.  

Government Launches New Free Business Management Course For Small Businesses

Government has launched Help to Grow: Management Essentials, a new online training course for small business leaders.   Government has today launched Help to Grow: Management Essentials, a new online training course filled with practical advice and resources for small business leaders.  

£30 Million Paid This Year To Help Households With Higher Energy Bills

Winter Heating Payment supports households on low incomes, including older people, disabled people and families with children under five.    People in Scotland have received more than £30 million via two Scottish Government benefits to help them deal with increased energy costs this winter, new statistics have show.   Child Winter Heating Payment helps families of the most severely disabled children and young people.    The official figures show more than 400,000 Winter Heating Payments of £55.05 were issued between November last year and the end of March.  

Higher Interest Rates Could Add £29 Billion To Household Energy Bills So Britain Needs A Plan To Deliver An Energy Investment Surge That Protects Lower Income Households

Britain needs to increase investment in its power sector four-fold over the next decade to deliver the crucial next step in decarbonising the economy.  But promises that electrifying our home heating and driving will lead to lower energy costs have relied on the pre-energy crisis low interest rates world returning, and we need a plan for paying for this investment in case interest rates stay at current high levels, according to new research published on Monday 22 April 2024 by the Resolution Foundation.  

UK Economy's Growth To Accelerate In 2025 As Barriers Fall

While the UK's economic outlook is expected to remain modest this year, growth is predicted to build throughout 2024.   That is before accelerating in 2025 thanks to falling inflation, higher consumer spending and anticipated reductions in interest rates, according to the new EY ITEM Club Spring Forecast.  

Economic Activity And Social Change In The UK - Real-time Indicators

Consumer behaviour indicators showed increased activity in the latest week, with aggregate UK spending on credit and debit cards increasing by 1% compared with the previous week and transactions at Pret A Manger stores increasing in 9 of the 10 location categories; meanwhile, overall retail footfall remained broadly unchanged.  (Bank of England CHAPS, Pret A Manger, MRI OnLocation).  

Recent Trends In UK Trade Volumes And Balances: 2010 To 2023

UK trade trends have been volatile over recent years following a range of overlapping economic and trade shocks.   UK export growth has become increasingly dominated by services since 2010, with goods exports increasing by just 7% in real terms, compared with services exports growing by 63% over the same period.  

Business Insights And Impact On The Uk Economy

The latest results suggest business conditions remain challenging but estimates since January 2024 show small signs of improvement for some measures.   More than one in five (22%) trading businesses reported that their turnover had decreased in March 2024 compared with February 2024, while 16% reported their turnover had increased; these figures are broadly stable with February 2024.  

Alcohol-specific Deaths In The UK - Scotland Tops The Numbers

In 2022, there were 10,048 deaths (16.6 per 100,000 people) from alcohol-specific causes registered in the UK, the highest number on record.   The number recorded in 2022 was 4.2% higher than in 2021 (9,641 deaths; 14.9 per 100,000) and 32.8% higher than in 2019 (7,565 deaths; 11.8 per 100,000), the last pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic year.  

UHI and SQA announce new pathways for learners with articulation agreement

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have announced the signing of a new articulation agreement.  Yjis will allow learners who have completed SQA's Higher National Certificates and Diplomas to seamlessly progress onto UHI degree programmes at advanced levels increasing accessibility to higher education and streamlining progression pathways.