News Archive
26/1/2024
People Smuggler Jailed For Fake Passport Scheme
A people smuggler has been jailed for conspiring to bring 16 Albanian migrants to the UK with fake EU passports and fraudulent airline bookings. A people smuggler has been jailed today after conspiring to bring 16 Albanian migrants to the UK by providing them with fake EU passports and making fraudulent airline bookings.26/1/2024
Lawyers Are Rapidly Embracing AI - Here's How To Avoid An Ethical Disaster
Imagine a world where legal research is conducted by lightning-fast algorithms, mountains of contracts are reviewed in minutes and legal briefs are drafted with the eloquence of Shakespeare. This is the future promised by AI in legal practice.
25/1/2024
Treasury ‘Orthodoxy': What Is It? And Is It A Problem For Government?
This report examines accusations that rigid beliefs - an ‘orthodoxy' - shape the Treasury's economic thinking, with former prime minister Liz Truss. Her allies attacked the department for being ideologically anti-growth and anti-democratic in the way it worked with ministers.
25/1/2024
PPP Accounting Flexibility To Be Considered - Short Term Benefit But Long-Term Pain
A briefing has been provided to all members of the Council on an accounting flexibility introduced by Scottish Government and available to Councils to utilise in 2022/23 or 2023/24. A number of reports to Council in recent months have covered this topic, and a number of other Councils have utilised the flexibility in 2022/23 or are considering doing so in 2023/24.25/1/2024
Continuing Rent Protection For Private Tenants - Transitional measures proposed as rent cap ends
Regulations to protect tenants concerned about rent increases following the ending of the emergency rent cap have been laid in the Scottish Parliament. From 1 April onwards, subject to parliamentary approval, the process for rent adjudication will temporarily be modified for one year.24/1/2024
Met Office Weather Caithness - Getting Better By 10.00am - 1.00pm Today
Highlands & Eilean Siar weather forecast Wednesday 24 Jan - Sunday 28 Jan. Very windy, showery start, easing wind, drier and brighter later.
24/1/2024
Wick And Thurso High Schools Closed Today 24 January 2024
Wick Unfortunately due to the high wind speeds experienced in our local area, we have taken the decision to close the school to staff and pupils today (24th January 2024). As with previous closures during the prelim diet we will inform you of rearranged dates and times in due course.24/1/2024
Letters For The Rich, Letters For The Poor? The Future Of Royal Mail
Royal Mail is losing money. In the first half of this financial year, the company lost £319m, up from £219m the previous year.
24/1/2024
UK Constituency Boundaries Are Being Redrawn To Make Them More Equal - But It Won't Save The Conservatives
Thanks to political scientists Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, we now know how the 2019 election would have turned out if it had been contested using different constituency boundaries. Spoiler alert: the Conservatives would still have won - with a slightly larger majority.
24/1/2024
Major Disruption Due To Extreme Weather On All Rail Routes To Start But Improving Later
Another storm, Storm Jocelyn, has impacted the railway. All ScotRail services had to be suspended from 19.00 on Tuesday night (23 January) and there are no rush hour services on Wednesday morning, as high winds and heavy rain batter the country once again.24/1/2024
Could Taxing Land More Than Income Fix The UK Housing Crisis?
Fifty years ago, a group of activists occupied London's Centre Point Tower in a fabled episode of direct action on housing. At the time, in January 1974, England was beset by rising homelessness and too many empty homes.
24/1/2024
Ofcom - Universal Postal Service Must Modernise
Ofcom calls for national debate on future of UK's postal service, as letter volumes halve since 2011. Options for reform include changing letter delivery speed or days, as other countries have done, but not downgrading delivery targets Second Class stamps will remain affordable option as price cap continues.
24/1/2024
Public Sector Finances, UK - December 2023
Public sector net borrowing excluding public sector banks (borrowing) in December 2023 was £7.8 billion, around half or £8.4 billion less than that borrowed in December 2022 and the lowest December borrowing since 2019. Central government debt interest payable was £4.0 billion in December 2023, £14.1 billion less than in December 2022 and the lowest December figure since 2020; changes in interest payable are largely the effect of Retail Prices Index (RPI) movements on index-linked gilts.
24/1/2024
Local Roots Of Trade Routes - The Uk's Regional Services Trade Over Time
Services trade is increasingly important for the UK Politicians are often laser-focussed on goods trade, but trade in services is increasingly important for the UK's growth story. Globally, services trade growth is expected to continue to outpace goods trade growth - with the share of services predicted to rise from 25 per cent of trade in 2020 to 28 per cent by 2035.
24/1/2024
Lower Debt Interest Costs Give Chancellor Timely Boost Ahead Of Pre-election Budget
Lower than expected inflation over the end of last year has helped to reduce debt interest costs, and in turn reduce borrowing levels - providing the Chancellor with a timely boost in the penultimate set of public sector finances data before the Budget, the Resolution Foundation said on Tuesday 23 January 2024. Borrowing in December was £7.8 billion - £6.2 billion below the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) estimate for this month, almost all of which was debt interest costs coming in £5.5 billion lower than forecast.24/1/2024
Moray Council Sets 2024/25 Increased Charges For Services A 5.7%
Following the decision in December 2023 to set the default increase of charges for 2024/25 to 5.7%, elected members have agreed variations to some services where that is not practical or representative of full cost recovery. The figures agreed are only for charges within the council's control, some charges are set or calculated by law or limited by law.24/1/2024
20mph In Highland Public Consultation Closes Next Week
The Chair of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans is encouraging anyone who has not yet taken part in the 20mph consultation to do so before it draws to an end. He said: "Firstly I want to thank everyone who has taken time to engage in the consultation process since we launched it in December.
23/1/2024
Slightly Calmer Today Monday But Met Office Warning For Tuesday 23rd January And Storm Jocelyn Arriving On Late Tuesday Into Wednesday
24Tuesday 2024 A spell of strong winds associated with Storm Jocelyn is expected to affect western and northern Scotland from Tuesday evening. What to Expect There is a good chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.
23/1/2024
Scotrail Services To Be Suspended During Storm Jocelyn - Tuesday Evening Phased Shutdown To Include Wednesday Morning Rush Hour
ScotRail is advising customers that all services across the country will be suspended from 19.00 tomorrow (Tuesday 23 January) and there will be no rush hour services on Wednesday morning, as the extreme weather from Storm Jocelyn arrives. With the safety of customers and staff of paramount importance, Network Rail has taken the decision to close the railway to passenger services while the worst of the weather hits the infrastructure.
23/1/2024
