There's been a recent increase in rogue traders who visit properties and offer to clean or repair driveways. One man was visited by cold callers on three occasions and eventually felt pressured into agreeing to pay them to clean his front and rear driveways.
According to the 2024 Big Scottish Scam Survey, the most common scams in Scotland are related to deliveries, with 42% of respondents having experienced a delivery scam within the past year. Following regular reports of scam text messages and emails, claiming that you need to rearrange a missed delivery, there are now cases of scam WhatsApp messages.
There have been recent reports of scam text messages and emails which say you are eligible to receive a £400 discount under the 'Energy Bill Support Scheme'. You are asked to click a link to apply for the rebate - this will take you to a website using UK Government branding which asks for your personal and credit card details.
Well worth a read when a good idea comes along. The rise of populist parties in Europe and the rout of the Democrats came about because progressives in Europe and the US have no coherent and easy to understand response to voters' desire for economic security for their families and their communities.
Donald Trump has announced new tariffs, including a 25% levy on imported cars, drugs, and chips, with plans to increase the rates later in the year. He claims these tariff measures are encouraging major global companies to return manufacturing to the U.S.
Legislative proposals to help restore nature and protect biodiversity in Scotland have been introduced to Parliament. The Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, which will now be considered by MSPs, would place a duty on Ministers to set legally-binding nature restoration targets and will modernise how national parks and deer are managed.
We are witnessing a very sad moment in American history. The President of the United States is aligning himself with the dictator of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to undermine the independence of Ukraine and its democracy.
The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH) rose by 3.9% in the 12 months to January 2025, up from 3.5% in December 2024. On a monthly basis, CPIH was little changed in January 2025, compared with a 0.4% fall in January 2024.
Elon Musk might think he's very smart, but his management style - which is controversial in the private sector - is totally alien to the state sector because it relies on the acceptability of failure, and governments must never fail. lon Musk is wrong.
The MAGA put Trump back in the White House, but like Biden before him, nothing he's doing is going to make ordinary Americans feel better off, and we know what they did to the Democrats as a result. When will the MAGA give up on Trump? What I mean is, when will the ordinary Americans, who have populated the Make America Great Again movement that has got Trump into the White House for the second time, get fed up with him? Because I think they will.
Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates have been affected by increased volatility, resulting from smaller achieved sample sizes. This means that estimates of change should be treated with additional caution; we recommend using them as part of our suite of labour market indicators alongside workforce jobs (WFJ), Claimant Count data and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) estimates.
Additional £25 million to establish a Grangemouth Just Transition Fund. First Minister John Swinney has announced an additional £25 million to establish a fund to help secure the future of Grangemouth.
Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates have been affected by increased volatility, resulting from smaller achieved sample sizes, meaning that estimates of change should be treated with additional caution; we recommend using them as part of our suite of labour market indicators, alongside workforce jobs (WFJ), Claimant Count data, and Pay As You Earn Real Time Information (PAYE RTI) estimates. The LFS continues to be the sole source of data for unemployment, economic inactivity and self-employment, and provides a range of breakdowns that are only possible from LFS data.
Early estimates for January 2025 indicate that the number of payrolled employees broadly stayed the same compared with January 2024, a rise of just 49,000 employees. This change was highest in the health and social work sector, a rise of 92,000 employees, and lowest in the accommodation and food service activities sector, a fall of 58,000 employees.
Producer input prices fell by 0.1% in the year to January 2025, compared with a revised fall of 1.3% in the year to December 2024. Producer output (factory gate) prices rose by 0.3% in the year to January 2025, up from a revised fall of 0.1% in the year to December 2024.
A campaign to increase awareness of tenants' rights was launched today by Housing Minister Paul McLennan. This includes information about where renters can to go to access help and advice.
66 per cent of SME employers were urban-based while 34 per cent were rural-based. Urban/rural locations are based on the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification 2020.
People living and working in rural communities are being asked their views on what government priorities should be to improve their lives. A Scottish Government survey will help develop the forthcoming Rural Delivery Plan and is an opportunity to take a fresh look at to bring about change and address the issues in mainland rural Scotland.
27 per cent of SME employers that had been trading for at least one year had employed more people than a year previously. 54 per cent employed the same number and 19 per cent employed fewer.
An important project to ensure the Sellafield site has a more resilient electricity supply has taken a significant step forward. The Electrical Distribution Network Upgrade Project (EDNUP) aims to strengthen the site's electrical distribution network by installing six new substations and bolstering its emergency power generation capability.
