This article by Ex PM Gordon Brown was published in the Guardian yesterday. For the first time since the welfare state was created, the food bank will be our safety net and charity our last line of defence.
From the Institute for Fiscal Studies. In the ‘mini-Budget' on Friday 23 September, the government is expected to confirm substantial tax-cutting measures reflecting the new Prime Minister Liz Truss's commitments during the leadership campaign.
The Treasury is refusing to publish a forecast of the UK's economic outlook alongside this Friday's mini-Budget. Independent forecaster the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has already provided a draft to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, the BBC understands.
Tax cuts, due to be announced on Friday, are likely to push UK borrowing and debt to unsustainable levels, a leading economic think tank has warned. The UK will spend billions helping households and firms with energy bills, but tax cuts will have a longer-term impact on public finances, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said.
Workers in the public sector have seen their pay squeezed over the last decade, and with inflation on the rise, disputes over pay look set to dominate the headlines this autumn. From the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
In an attempt to curb inflation Norway and Switzerland have raised interest rates. Norges Bank on Thursday raised interest rates by 50 basis points to 2.25 per cent, and indicated it was likely to make smaller hikes in November, December and March to end up at 3 per cent at the end of winter.
Hong Kong's dominant lender increased the rate by 12.5 basis points to 5.125 per cent, following a move from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to raise the city’s base rate to 3.5 per cent from 2.75 per cent. The city’s monetary policy mirrors that of the US Federal Reserve in order to maintain the Hong Kong dollar’s peg to the currency..
As Germany faces up to te loss of gas form Germany the price of wood and wood pellets has rocketed by over 85 percent. People are turning to alternatives to heat their homes.
Lidl is investing £39.5m to increase hourly wages for more than 20,000 store and warehouse workers. The German discounter will increase entry-level pay to £10.90 per hour from £10.10 outside London and from £11.30 to £11.95 within the M25.
Financial Scams Scammers are targeting people with misleading online adverts for quick and easy loans or investments which are supposedly endorsed by celebrities. They are also cold calling and sending scam emails and text messages posing as bank staff or offering investment opportunities.
UNISON Scotland is gearing up to ballot more than 50,000 NHS members in a dispute over pay. All NHS employers have now received a formal strike notification from UNISON, today (Thursday) - advising them the official ballot will commence on 3 October.
Every child and young person in Scotland is being encouraged to get involved in a National Discussion on education. Let's Talk Scottish Education invites those aged three to 18 to share their ideas, views and experiences.
The UK Government is being urged by the devolved governments to fund its cap on energy prices through a windfall tax, not higher borrowing. In a joint letter to the new Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng, Deputy First Minister John Swinney is joined by Finance Ministers from Wales and Northern Ireland in calling for more targeted support to those impacted the most by the cost of living crisis.
Support for households, businesses and public sector organisations facing rising energy bills has been unveiled. New Government scheme will see energy prices for non-domestic energy customers such as businesses, charities and public sector organisations cut - protecting them from rising energy costs.
The Bank of England delayed the announcement about the interest rate rise from last week due to the royal funeral. The announcement will be made on Thursday at Noon.
Mr Bailey needs to say where he stands on this vital issue, GMB Union says. GMB has asked Andrew Bailey if he will denounce plans for uncontrolled bankers' bonuses - after the Bank of England boss called on workers to show ‘wage restraint' earlier in the year.
The Federal Reserve raised American interest rates by .75 percent today for the third time. The Bank of England is likely to follow on Thursday 22 September 2022.
The finalists of the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards 2022 have been announced, as the Awards return after a two-year break. The Awards, now in their 17th year, are delivered by a steering group, including John Scott (Fearn Farm), Marian Armitage (Shetland Food and Drink), Sam Faircliff (Cairngorm Brewery) and Douglas Hardie (Bad Girl Bakery).
There's still time to have your say on the proposed merger of UHI North Highland, UHI Outer Hebrides and UHI West Highland as the 10-week public consultation enters its final weeks. This exciting new strategic partnership would create an anchor institution of scale and impact within UHI, and the region, supporting 9000 students and 600 staff in 19 rural and island campus locations across the north of Scotland.
On the 8th September, the UK Government announced financial measures to help consumers with rising energy costs. This included a discretionary fund for those who are not on standard gas/electricity contracts equivalent to the support available for those on gas-grid.
