GOV.UK Chat is now available in the GOV.UK app – a new AI tool that lets people ask questions in plain language and get clear, reliable answers instantly. GOV.UK Chat – a new AI tool in the GOV.UK app – lets people ask questions in plain language and get clear, reliable answers instantly.
Rather than being a principled reform to the taxation of pensions, this change creates another new arbitrary line in the tax system. In last November’s Budget, the Chancellor announced that salary sacrifice pension contributions above £2,000 per year will be liable for both employer and employee National Insurance contributions (NICs) from 2029–30.
Registration for tax advisers opens next week. From 18 May 2026, a new registration requirement for tax advisers will roll out.
Drones which will accompany the Army’s Apache helicopters are receiving £10 million investment today as the programme reaches a new milestone. Four industry partners selected to develop drone designs capable of being the ‘wingmen’ for Apache attack helicopters.
Data centres have quietly become one of the UK’s fastest growing energy consumers. They are vast, windowless fortresses of servers humming day and night, drawing more electricity than many towns and drinking more water than some industries.
The North Falls Offshore Wind Farm application has today been granted development consent by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. North Falls Offshore Wind Farm will generate around 1 GW of electricity — enough to power roughly 400,000 UK homes — and has now received planning consent.
Business confidence in Scotland showed modest improvement in early 2026, despite all six key indicators of activity staying in negative territory for a sixth consecutive quarter, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute. The Institute’s latest Scottish Business Monitor (SBM) reveals firms reported continued declines in sales, new business activity, investment and exports, pointing to broad-based economic weakness.
The wall‑to‑wall media focus on Labour’s internal conflict and the question of who might replace the Prime Minister is already damaging confidence in UK financial markets, and there is clear evidence that investment decisions are being paused until the political situation stabilises. This isn’t speculation — it’s exactly what the financial press and market analysts are reporting this week.
The Highland Council will meet on Thursday, 14 May and on the agenda for discussion is a report on the Highland Housing Challenge. The Highland Housing Challenge was declared in June 2024, with a target of 24,000 new homes by 2034.
There have been more reports of scammers attempting to take advantage of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)'s car finance compensation scheme. Under the scheme, those who used finance to buy a car, motorbike or van between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 may be owed compensation.
The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill will take its first step through Parliament today with its First Reading. A Bill to grant the Government powers to nationalise steel companies such as British Steel, subject to a public interest being met, will be introduced to Parliament today (14 May), marking an important step towards safeguarding the long‑term future of the UK steel industry.
The latest ONS trade figures for March 2026 reveal a UK economy grappling with rising import costs, uneven export performance and a shifting global environment. For businesses, the message is not one of crisis, but of tightening margins, volatile markets and a trade position that is becoming harder to stabilise.
Britain’s public services are in a state that no one can ignore, yet the political system seems unable to confront the scale of the challenge. That is the central argument of the Resolution Foundation’s latest report, which sets out a stark but measured assessment of where the country stands in 2026.
Amazon is set for a bumper $27.6bn Prime Day in the US and £2.4bn in the UK alone, forecasts the home delivery expert Parcelhero. However, Amazon is now facing increasing competition from the likes of Joybuy and Temu.
UK government borrowing costs are rising fast, and the official explanation does not make sense. Britain is paying far more to borrow than France or Italy, despite having its own currency, a central bank, and no meaningful risk of default.
British soldiers will be equipped with modern guns capable of firing eight rounds per minute at targets up to 70km away – delivering the long-term close support artillery solution for the British Army, a landmark moment in UK defence modernisation. Procurement of 72 Remote Controlled Howitzers (RCH 155) for the British Army will deliver a step change in artillery capability.
The latest GDP figures from the Office for National Statistics paint a picture of a UK economy that is moving — slowly, unevenly, and with more fragility than confidence. March 2026 delivered a modest 0.3% rise in GDP, with a 0.6% increase over the three‑month period.
DINGWALL, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd., (May 12th) sold 229 adult head of breeding cattle at their special sale. The bull show was kindly sponsored by Sellars Agri, Invergordon and judged by Mr Blair Duffton, Huntly.
DINGWALL, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd., (May 12th) sold 71 Pedigree and commercial Luing cattle at their annual spring breeding sale. Pedigree Bulling Heifers (63) averaged £3,396.67 and sold to 6,200gns (£6,510) for lots 25 & 26 from A l & A C McCall, Culmaily Farm, Golspie selling to Messrs Jardine, Fairgirth Farm, Dalbeattie.
Thirty women from across the region are starting out on a new leadership programme launched by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The women, who come from a wide range of sectors, age groups and communities, are taking part in the 16-week HIE Impact Women programme.