News Archive

OBR concludes planning reforms will bring housebuilding to its highest level in 40 years

OBR forecast concludes housebuilding will be at its highest level in over 40 years a result of UK government's planning reforms by 2029/30.   This brings UK closer to Plan for Growth 1.5 million homes target.  

Reform urgently needed to tackle precarious health and social care finances

Community health and social care finances are increasingly precarious.  Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) must urgently work with their partners in the NHS and councils to reform how they deliver services to achieve financial sustainability.  

Investing in Scotland's natural resources - Funding to help local authorities restore biodiversity

Local authorities will directly receive £10 million to support new, or to enhance existing, approaches to restoring biodiversity through the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF).   More than £55 million has been awarded via the NRF since its launch in 2021 for projects delivering habitat and species restoration, coastal and marine initiatives and control of invasive non-native species.  

Scottish Monthly GDP Estimates for January

Scotland's onshore GDP grew by 0.3% in January 2025, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician.  This follows growth of 0.5% in December 2024 (revised from 0.6%) .  

Disability benefit reforms - implications for the Scottish Budget

Rachel Reeves provided more detail on the forecast savings from the changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility announced on 18 March.   This blog updates last week's SPICe blog on the potential impact in Scotland.  

Stronger growth is not causing inflation - TUC analysis of OECD data

International evidence clears the way for the Bank of England to cut rates faster in support of higher growth, says TUC New analysis of OECD data - published today (TBC) by the TUC - finds that there is no international evidence of higher consumer spending and faster growth leading to inflation over the last three years.   The analysis looks at data on consumer spending, GDP growth and inflation for 36 OECD countries across the three years from Q3 2021 to Q3 2024.  

The UK's nuclear deterrent relies on US support - but there are no other easy alternatives

Now that Washington is potentially an unreliable ally, the UK needs to revisit its nuclear strategy.  But going alone is costly, and partnering with France poses its own risks.  

Why the social pain of welfare reform overshadows any economic gain

The UK government is calling it the "biggest shakeup to the welfare system in a generation" - prompted by what the prime minister described as the "devastating" cost of sickness and disability benefits.  Planned reforms to cut those costs are designed to save £5 billion a year by 2030, from a welfare budget that will reach £70 billion on current projections.  

Major £1.6 billion equipment contract to support British Defence jobs and boost Army readiness

British Army equipment, including tanks and armoured vehicles, will receive world-class maintenance and spare parts under a contract which supports 1,600 UK jobs.   Directly supports 1,600 defence jobs across the country, supporting a 6,000-strong business supply chain.  

Trump's tariff wars and their impact on the UK economy in five graphs

President Donald Trump's ongoing trade wars and "stop-go" policy threats and actions are damaging the global economy, and the UK is not an exception.  Bank of England interest-rate setters are not oblivious to these threats.