The combination of a weak economic outlook and benefit cuts that fall disproportionately on lower-income families means that living standards are on track to fall. This will happen over the next five years for the poorest half of households by £500 on average, according to the Resolution Foundation's overnight analysis of Spring Statement 2025.
OBR forecast concludes housebuilding will be at its highest level in over 40 years a result of UK government's planning reforms by 2029/30. This brings UK closer to Plan for Growth 1.5 million homes target.
Local authorities will directly receive £10 million to support new, or to enhance existing, approaches to restoring biodiversity through the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). More than £55 million has been awarded via the NRF since its launch in 2021 for projects delivering habitat and species restoration, coastal and marine initiatives and control of invasive non-native species.
Scotland's onshore GDP grew by 0.3% in January 2025, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician. This follows growth of 0.5% in December 2024 (revised from 0.6%) .
A deterioration in the outlook for the public finances meant that fresh fiscal consolidation was needed in the Chancellor's Spring Statement to meet her fiscal rules. But with £4.8 billion of the savings coming from rushed welfare changes that will leave 3.2 million families £1,700 worse off on average, this unbalanced approach risks causing significant damage to many families’ living standards, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday).
Community health and social care finances are increasingly precarious. Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) must urgently work with their partners in the NHS and councils to reform how they deliver services to achieve financial sustainability.
Now that Washington is potentially an unreliable ally, the UK needs to revisit its nuclear strategy. But going alone is costly, and partnering with France poses its own risks.
People in the UK could soon be able to make satellite calls from their everyday smartphones, under proposals announced by Ofcom today. UK first country in Europe to move ahead with innovative plans for standard smartphones to make satellite calls.
Rachel Reeves provided more detail on the forecast savings from the changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility announced on 18 March. This blog updates last week's SPICe blog on the potential impact in Scotland.
Retail sales volumes dropped sharply in the year to March, marking the sector's sixth consecutive month of decline. That’s according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey.
Out of date tech and poor-quality data put public sector adoption at risk as public trust jeopardised over transparency in use of algorithms according to the Public Accounts Committee. Significant challenges lie in the way of Government's plans to support public sector adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
International evidence clears the way for the Bank of England to cut rates faster in support of higher growth, says TUC New analysis of OECD data - published today (TBC) by the TUC - finds that there is no international evidence of higher consumer spending and faster growth leading to inflation over the last three years. The analysis looks at data on consumer spending, GDP growth and inflation for 36 OECD countries across the three years from Q3 2021 to Q3 2024.
The CMA sets out its concerns over Ticketmaster's sale of Oasis tickets. CMA is concerned that Ticketmaster’s approach may have misled Oasis fans.
In 2023, artificial intelligence (AI) was adopted by 9% of firms while cloud-based computing systems and applications were adopted by 69% of firms in the UK. While 88% of firms in the top decile of management practice scores adopted at least one of AI, cloud-based computing systems and applications, robotics, specialised software or specialised equipment, only 51% of firms in the bottom decile did so.
The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH) rose by 3.7% in the 12 months to February 2025, down from 3.9% in the 12 months to January. On a monthly basis, CPIH rose by 0.4% in February 2025, compared with a rise of 0.6% in February 2024.
British Army equipment, including tanks and armoured vehicles, will receive world-class maintenance and spare parts under a contract which supports 1,600 UK jobs. Directly supports 1,600 defence jobs across the country, supporting a 6,000-strong business supply chain.
The UK government is calling it the "biggest shakeup to the welfare system in a generation" - prompted by what the prime minister described as the "devastating" cost of sickness and disability benefits. Planned reforms to cut those costs are designed to save £5 billion a year by 2030, from a welfare budget that will reach £70 billion on current projections.
How will the spring statement shape the chancellor's spending choices?. How has the OBR revised its outlook for the economy? Alongside the spring statement, the government will publish an updated assessment of the UK economy from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) - and the OBR is likely to present a gloomier picture than in October.
Scotland's housing market saw a 4.6% annual increase in average property prices, reaching £187,000 in January 2025, according to the latest House Price Index (HPI). This comes just under the 4.9% rise experienced across the UK, where the average price reached £269,000.
Rachel Reeves the chancellor will be all over tv, radio and other media today. The BBC is running a live updating web page today.
