The decision by the Argyll and Bute Integration Joint Board (IJB) to launch a public consultation on its budget is significant, not simply because of the proposals themselves, but because it marks a departure from how financial decisions have traditionally been handled. This consultation announced on 30 January 2026 strongly suggests a growing crack in the relationship between need, funding, and service delivery across NHS Highland.
The future of work is being rewritten by artificial intelligence (AI) but technology competence alone will not be enough to empower the workforce of the future. While AI has massive potential to improve efficiency, accuracy and productivity in the workplace, it's less clear how it will evolve to foster the person-centred concerns that all businesses face.
By April, Universal Credit (UC) is finally due to be fully rolled out, thirteen years after its introduction in 2013. With half of all children in the UK (6.5 million) living in families receiving UC, the Government must use this milestone to build trust and improve the system for claimants, according to new proposals published (Thursday 29 January 2026) by the Resolution Foundation and Changing Realities.
Billions of pounds in export and investment deals for the UK have been secured, as the Prime Minister wraps up his visit to China. First PM visit to China in eight years ends with £2.2 billion in export deals, around £2.3 billion in market access wins and hundreds of millions of investments secured.
The Scottish Government is currently grappling with a tight fiscal outlook marked by rising public service costs, limited tax revenues, and constraints on borrowing powers. The biggest issues are funding pressures in health and social care, the cost of welfare commitments like the Scottish Child Payment, and balancing devolved tax powers with UK-wide fiscal rules.
Credible reports say that Orbex a UK space launch company, is facing significant financial challenges, but the situation is complex and not simply about "government grants being withheld. The issues are broader and include funding gaps, delays, restructuring, and potential sale talks.
Young people are set to benefit from TV and film industry support for the Government's Youth Guarantee. Pinewood Studios, Europe's leading studio complex and home to James Bond and the Carry On films, is supporting the Government's Youth Guarantee.
New support for social work education will be available from February, strengthening learning amongst the workforce and benefitting local social work students. The Scottish Government is investing up to £600,000 through the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to support the sector in addressing some of the reported challenges surrounding social work education.
According to the latest Begbies Traynor "Red Flag Alert" report, around 67,000 UK companies were classified as being in critical financial distress at the end of 2025 meaning they show strong signs of financial strain and vulnerability to collapse. This number is often highlighted in media coverage about "zombie" companies, though these reports describe financially distressed firms rather than only those kept alive solely by COVID loan rollover.
People assume pensions are "saved money" — a pot with their name on it, safely invested for the future. They aren't.
In the UK, if you need to complete a Self-Assessment tax return for the tax year 6 April 2024 - 5 April 2025, the key deadline you need to know right now is midnight today - 31st January 2026. Submit your online Self-Assessment tax return by 11:59 pm on 31 January 2026 — this is the final day to file online and avoid an automatic late-filing penalty.
Few economic policies provoke as much debate as the minimum wage. Supporters argue that it protects workers from exploitation and raises living standards, while critics warn that forcing employers to pay higher wages will inevitably lead to job losses.
For centuries, the City of London has been one of the world's most influential financial centres, acting as a bridge between global capital markets. In the years since Brexit.
Recent figures suggest the UK government is struggling to move people off benefits and back into employment, with the number of welfare claimants securing work falling to its lowest level in around seven years. This trend has prompted political debate and renewed scrutiny of welfare-to-work policies, but the underlying causes are more complex than a simple failure of incentives or effort.
Current Spot Gold Price (per ounce, in USD). As of today (Jan 31, 2026) the spot price of gold is about $4,865.35 per troy ounce - this is down from recent record highs.
David Phillips, Associate Director, head of Devolved and Local Government Finance at the Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at Reform UK plans for tax rates in Scotland. Reform UK have announced plans for cuts to income tax in Scotland if they were to win the Scottish Parliament elections in May.
Women affected by changes to the state pension age have reacted with anger after ministers again rejected their claim for compensation. The government reconsidered the case after a new document came to light, but has again concluded no compensation should be paid.
DVLA has launched a new campaign featuring a talking clamp to remind drivers to tax their vehicles and underlines the consequences of failing to do so. DVLA has launched a new vehicle tax campaign featuring a talking clamp.
A programme on BBC Radio 4 today caught out ears and for anyone who eats honey regularly or even now and then it is well worth a listen - now on BBC Sounds. The programme was made as part of the series the Food Programme - The Honey Trap.
The Scottish Parliament has passed the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill delivering for both nature and people with ambition at its heart and showing respect for nature, for the land and the people who steward and care for it. For the first time statutory targets will be in place to enhance nature and protect biodiversity in Scotland.
