The initial work of the Highland Poverty and Equality Commission focussing on impacts of poverty has recently been welcomed by Members of The Highland Council. An interim report introduced by Commission Co-Chairs Jim McCormick and Maggie Cunningham was noted by Councillors at a meeting of The Highland Council earlier this month.
As we enter 2026, major world economies face a mix of familiar and emerging financial challenges — from slowing growth and labour market shifts to structural imbalances and the pressures of global trade dynamics. While each region has distinct circumstances, there are common themes around productivity, inflation, demographic shifts and technological transformation that cut across national borders.
Energy production costs can be measured as the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE), which reflects the total lifetime cost per unit of electricity generated (per MWh). For new projects commissioning around 2025, the rough ranking with approximate costs is: Onshore Wind - cheapest, around £38/MWh Large-scale Solar – about £41/MWh.
Online adverts are sometimes so personal that they feel eerie. Even as a researcher in this area, I'm slightly startled when I get a message asking if my son still needs school shirts a few hours after browsing for clothes for my children.
Britain's jobs market appears to have entered a "low-hire, low-fire" freeze, creating stagnation that could affect everyone from school-leavers to professionals. But unlike recessions characterised by mass layoffs, this scenario represents a market in which workers cling to their jobs while newcomers find the door shut.
Across the United Kingdom, maternity services provided by the NHS are facing a sustained crisis marked by staff shortages, service downgrades, unsafe care concerns, and deep frustration from local communities. This isn't simply a matter of isolated incidents in a few hospitals — regulators, national inquiries, and campaign groups all indicate that services from rural Scotland to major English cities are struggling to cope with demand and deliver safe, high-quality maternity care.
With over 392,000 AI-powered calls already processed, ICS.AI is positioning the nation as a blueprint for cutting edge resident services. Following deployment of AI assistant Millie, Renfrewshire wins multiple awards, including Council of the Year for Service Delivery and the Digital Public Services Award at the Scottish Public Services Awards 2025.
As student finance maintenance payments are due to be paid in January, the Student Loans Company (SLC) is reminding students to remain vigilant of scams designed to steal personal and financial information. January marks the second maintenance loan instalment for many students whose courses started in autumn - and the first payment for those starting courses in January – making this a period where scammers will be targeting students.
As many people consider lifestyle changes at the start of the year, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is urging the public to make sure any weight-loss medicines they use are safe, effective and legitimate. The MHRA continues to warn about the serious risks linked to buying weight-loss products from unregulated websites or through social media.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak has called on the Government to have a relentless focus on affordability in 2026 or risk the further rise of the far and populist right. In his New Year's Message the General Secretary of the TUC Paul Nowak says tackling Britain's affordability crisis must be government's number one priority.
Horizon research with UK involvement was more widely cited, as UK celebrates 2 years in Horizon Europe. New figures show UK research backed by Horizon made bigger academic impact and more ambitious projects reached fruition.
Thousands of Self Assessment customers file over festive period. 4,606 people filed their Self Assessment tax return on Christmas Day.
In late 2025, the Scottish Government launched a public consultation on proposed reforms to family law, with changes to the legal framework for marriage and civil partnerships at the centre of discussion. At the heart of this consultation is a proposal to raise the minimum age at which people can legally marry or enter a civil partnership in Scotland from 16 to 18.
Majority (51 per cent) of voters still believe being British is something you can become with effort, rather than something you are born with. Only 3 per cent say you need white skin to be a good British citizen.
A current and evidence-based overview of the UK labour market (as of late 2025), covering trends in unemployment, participation, skills mismatches, wages and inflation, technology impacts, and the effects of Brexit. The UK unemployment rate has risen to around 5.1 % in the three months to October 2025, the highest level since early 2021.
Details of additional funding to end formal dispute with Scottish Government. The BMA's Scottish GP Committee and Scottish Government have agreed a package of funding over 2026-2029 that will see recurrent funding to general practice increase by £250m by 2028/29.
January Budget must close Scotland's delivery gap on key priorities, says IPPR Scotland. The Scottish Budget in January should aim to quicken the pace of delivery of the First Minister's four key priorities of eradicating child poverty, tackling the climate emergency, growing the economy and ensuring high quality and sustainable public services.
Carers and disabled people have had their benefit awards safely and securely transferred to Social Security Scotland from the Department for Work and Pensions after a multi-year project. More than 700,000 benefit awards have been successfully moved over to the Scottish system, meaning every disabled person and carer in the country who received Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance or Carer's Allowance will now receive their benefits from Social Security Scotland.
The war between Ukraine and Russia has already reshaped international politics, energy systems, and global markets, and it is unlikely to end in a sudden victory for either side. Instead, the most realistic expectation is that the conflict moves toward a prolonged stalemate or a negotiated ceasefire built on uncomfortable compromises.
History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes - and economic history is no exception. In 1964, a Labour government came to power in the UK with a pledge to curb inflation and to deliver growth.