Thousands more North Sea workers will be able to access tailored support to help them transition into jobs in the sustainable energy sector - thanks to an £18 million boost in funding. The Scottish Government will invest a total of £9 million over the next three years to the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, matched by £9 million from the UK Government, to help oil and gas workers access careers advice and funding for training to enable them to move into roles in sustainable energy industries.
The University of Dundee has agreed to host Scotland's first national testing and research laboratory for drug-checking, boosting efforts to cut drug-related harm and save lives. Part of a national pilot and backed by increased Scottish Government funding of more than £1.5 million, the site will analyse samples to help respond to emerging trends such as highly dangerous synthetic substances.
More than four years after the idea of a "digital pound" first entered public debate the Bank of England (BoE) and HM Treasury remain cautious about whether the United Kingdom truly needs to introduce a central-bank digital currency. Although the project is still alive, officials are now striking an increasingly sceptical tone, suggesting that a launch is far from guaranteed and may ultimately depend on how quickly private-sector payment systems evolve.
After years of sluggish expansion, the question of how to reignite economic growth has become central to the UK's policy and business debate. Productivity has flatlined since the 2008 financial crisis, real wages have only recently recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and investment lags behind most other advanced economies.
First Minister John Swinney reaffirmed his government's commitment to gender equality around the world, announcing the first grants to be awarded from the £3 million Women and Girls Fund. The grants will support women and girl-led organisations in Zambia and Malawi with a wide range of projects, including enhancing women’s representation in politics and decision-making, furthering rights for disabled women and girls and creating gender-inclusive public services.
Throughout history, control over money has been one of the most powerful levers of state authority. Rulers have long understood that whoever issues and manages the currency also commands the economy and, by extension, society itself.
If you've ever watched a British politician on TV say "the Bank of England is independent," you might have wondered - How can that be true when the government owns the Bank?. After all, the Bank of England is a public institution fully nationalised after World War II and, in theory, the government could tell it what to do.
The recent bankruptcy of U.S. auto parts giant First Brands Group has sent tremors through global financial markets.
As digital currencies tumble once again, we look at what Bitcoin and stablecoins actually are — and why their values have been falling. Bitcoin is back in the headlines, but for the wrong reasons.
Max from @UNFTR reports on two major developments in the financial markets. The first is the high profile private credit bankruptcies and the shocking case of $1.9 billion that has gone missing from one of these companies.
Rachel Reeves is once again facing tough choices on tax and spending. After promising no further tax rises last autumn, the Chancellor could now see a sizeable downgrade to the borrowing outlook - enough to wipe out the limited ‘headroom' she built into her fiscal plans last spring.
Donald Trump has built his entire political project on hype and delusion — the same ingredients that fuel every economic bubble. But belief cannot defy reality forever.
Nearly 500 employers fined over £10 million for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage. Nearly 500 employers fined over £10 million for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage.
The Highland Council is pleased to announce the first phase of local businesses to gain the newly created Highland Employer Charter accreditation. Five gold and three silver accreditations have been awarded to businesses for their commitment to high standards of excellence.
In this video, I explain the controversial changes to Income Tax for landlords and Sole Traders; Making Tax Digital. I'll cover: Quarterly updates Key dates HMRC compatible software Digital records.
It may not be for everyone but battery heated clothes are a light and an efficient way to maintain body temperatures in cold times. Battery-heated clothes (jackets, socks, gloves) can make a noticeable difference to how warm you feel and are a cheap way to heat a person.
Explaining the UK tax strategy that feels like an HMRC-approved cheat code for getting a brand new electric car..
The Chief Statistician has released predictions for the 2025 Scottish harvest. These industry predictions anticipate overall cereal production could reach a high of over 3.2 million tonnes.
Seven emerging AI healthcare technologies have been selected for the second phase of the MHRA's AI Airlock programme. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools that could transform patient care - from reducing bowel cancer test times from weeks to minutes, to detecting skin cancer and genetic eye diseases sooner - are being tested in the next phase of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) AI Airlock programme.
Veterans can now apply for and download a secure digital version of the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card via the GOV.UK One Login app. Veterans can now apply for and download a digital version of the Veteran Card on their smartphone.