Reforms to legal aid have been set out to make the system simpler and easier for both solicitors and those who need legal assistance - along with longer-term proposals for funding and improving the delivery of services. Actions set out in a discussion paper will simplify the funding system and build on recent improvements to reduce the amount of information needed during the application process.
Local authorities could be given the optional power to introduce a tax on cruise ships that visit their areas in future. The Scottish Government is seeking views on the practicalities of such a levy, as well as the potential market implications and effect on local economies and communities.
Scotland's onshore GDP grew by 0.6% in December 2024, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician. This follows growth of 0.2% in November 2024, revised up from ‑0.5%.
There was an increase in the number of young people aged 16 to 24 years not in education, employment or training (NEET) in October to December 2024. The total is currently estimated to be 987,000, up from 877,000 in October to December 2023.
Overall retail footfall increased by 6% in the week to 23 February 2025 from the previous week, coinciding with school half-term holidays for some parts of the UK. This was 5% higher than in the equivalent week of 2024 (MRI OnLocation).
Overall, UK household costs, as measured by the Household Costs Indices (HCI), rose 2.8% in the year to December 2024, compared with 2.0% in the year to September 2024. Over the past 12 months, the all-households inflation rate has followed the sixth income decile most closely; costs for these households rose 2.7% in the year to December 2024, compared with rises of 3.2% for high-income households (decile 9) and 2.6% for low-income households (decile 2).
During Donald Trump's meeting and press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell says that Trump was "humiliated by his own ignorance." Lawrence dissects both events and shares why he hopes the White House press corps took “performance notes” after The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg and British journalist Robert Peston pressed Trump on his lies..
The Highland Council's Education Committee has approved a proposal to create a new primary school to serve the Tornagrain housing development, east of Inverness. The decision follows a statutory consultation exercise undertaken in the autumn of 2024.
Weekly jobless claims just hit their highest point in nearly a year - while coffee prices surge and could climb even higher. MSNBC's Ari Melber reports on Trump's economy and is joined by Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman..
Trump's turning on the mainstream media in the US. Much of it is to be banned from the White House.
"There is a growing fear now that Donald Trump is poised to take an American economy that was the envy of the world—strong and stable just months ago—and drive into the ground," says Chris Hayes. .
There have been more reports of cold calls that appear to be AI-generated and ask about the insulation in the recipient's property. The 'caller' asks to make an appointment for an inspector to visit the property and check if the insulation is sufficient, saying that the inspection will be funded by the Government.
Highland Council at its special meeting on 3 March 2025 will propose to raise council tax by 7%, with 5% for core service provision and 2% for investment in schools and roads through the Highland Investment Plan. The SNP led administration has a majority so the proposals are likely to be passed at the council meeting.
The latest figures show that the UK received a record number of asylum applications last year. A total of 108,138 people applied for asylum in 2024, which is an 18% increase from the 91,811 applications in 2023.
The Government's upcoming Child Poverty Strategy won't be credible without a commitment to scrap the two-child limit, as child poverty would otherwise remain on course to rise over the Parliament. But an ambitious strategy has the potential to get child poverty rates down to their lowest level in 40 years, according to new research published on Wednesday 26 February 2025 by the Resolution Foundation.
Changes in family spending - which the Climate Change Committee (CCC) forecast will ultimately save the average household £1,080 a year in 2050 - will be the key to the next phase in Britain's decarbonisation drive. But policy must ensure these gains are shared with poorer families, the Resolution Foundation said on Wednesday 26 February 2025.
This report analyses the Scottish Government's Budget for 2025-26, with chapters on tax strategy, school spending, public sector pay and more. The Scottish Government's Budget for 2025-26 takes place after Chancellor Rachel Reeves's first UK Budget transformed the short-term funding outlook for public services nationwide, but the medium-term outlook still looks challenging.
After receiving numerous complaints from businesses and the public, Highland Council Trading Standards has seized a significant quantity of illicit tobacco products from a retailer in the Highlands. This operation underlines the Council's commitment to protecting consumers and supporting legitimate businesses.
The Highland Council is delighted to announce a significant increase in positive destinations for school leavers in the academic year 2023/2024. An impressive 96.5% of Highland leavers have secured a positive destination, up 1.2% from last year.
New vision by government to deliver on its Plan for Change by increasing timber use in construction and boosting economic growth. A new roadmap to get Britain building with the use of sustainable and low carbon building materials, will help solve the housing crisis and achieve 2050 net zero targets.
