The first televised debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer was dominated by the prime minister's claim that every working family in the country would be paying £2,000 more in tax if Labour win the general election. It was a bold claim, which Sunak said was backed up by "official calculations" from the Treasury.
Residents in the two Highland Constituencies - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire are being urged to prepare ahead of the UK parliamentary general election taking place on Thursday 4 July. Anyone who wants to have their say in the UK general election must be registered to vote by Tuesday 18 June.
The narrow focus of the election campaign on relatively small spending pledges by the main political parties risks missing bigger economic uncertainties that the next government may need to confront, including a possible £12 billion black hole in the public finances from a productivity downgrade, higher market interest rates and infected-blood compensation, according to new Resolution Foundation research published on Wednesday 5 June 2024. With the public finances at the forefront of the 2024 General Election campaign, the Foundation's first election briefing - funded by the Nuffield Foundation - examines how we got to where we are today, and the challenges ahead for the next parliament.
NHS Scotland is using text messaging to make sure that their waiting lists are up to date and check whether patients still need their appointments or surgery. From June, all patients in NHS Scotland who are on a waiting list for an Orthopaedic, Endoscopy or Dermatology appointment or procedure will get a text message from the National Elective Coordination Unit (NECU) on mobile number 07860 039092.
Data from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk shows that the big banks are continuing to offer easy access savings rates well below the average, despite their continued obligation via the Financial Conduct Authority to offer fair value to customers. The big banks all pay less than 2% on their most accessible no-notice accounts, even though over 80% of the market (292 of 364 products) currently pay 2% or higher on a £10,000 balance.
Yougov is predicting a win for SNP in the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency despite also predicting a loss of of 31 seats at the same time. If the prediction is correct Jamie Stone who had a slim majority at the last election for the Lib Dems would be out.
The EU has become the second major global economy to cut its lending rate this week. The European Central Bank (ECB) announced a cut in its main interest rate from an all-time high of 4% to 3.75%.
The closure of the Avonlea children's home In Wick has been shrouded in secrecy since December 2022. A report to the Audit committee for the meeting on 13 June 2024 might give some clues although the home is not named.
The Scottish government has implemented a pay rise for public sector employees worth an average of 9.3% over the next three years. The 2024-25 Public sector pay policy details a framework for pay increases for civil servants and other public sector workers.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies report looking at the economy 2010 - 2024 nails it once again - taxes are higher than ever under the Conservatives. The National Insurance cuts are outweighed by freezing allowances until 2027/28 - so called Fiscal Drag The biggest tax rise of the 2019 to 2024 parliament, though, came about through the freezing of income tax and National Insurance thresholds, initially for four years (announced by Mr Sunak as chancellor in 2021) and extended to six by Mr Hunt.
Plans to grow Scotland's childminding workforce by 1,000 and provide more support to childminders have been announced. Backed by more than £1m Scottish Government funding, the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) will scale up their successful childminder recruitment pilot programme across the country, starting with 16 local authority areas.
On 13 June 2024 the Audit committee of highland council will give councillors a chance to examine Frauds and Whistle blowing in the ear ended 31 March 2024. The report lists the numbers of frauds and actions taken including reporting to the Procurator Fiscal for consideration of criminal proceeding in court.
Since 2008, the UK economy has faced a series of shocks and challenges, leaving the next government with a difficult task. From low growth to falling living standards, we ask what structural problems the next government faces.
The two main parties contesting the UK general election have been unusually cautious on their spending plans, despite urgent calls for more public funding to tackle crises in housing, social care and the environment. While they have pledged not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, they have refrained from promising tax cuts, despite evidence of these helping to sway past elections.
A national programme of engagement will take place over the next year to inform Scottish Government plans for health and social care reform. Through a series of direct engagements with the workforce, service leaders, royal colleges, third sector groups and the people of Scotland, the Scottish Government will collect views on how best to transform services to meet changing demands.
The Scottish Government is estimated to have invested almost £1.4 billion to benefit children in low income households in the last financial year. Awarding almost £430 million to families through the Scottish Child Payment, supporting more than 329,000 children as of 31 March 2024.
Speak to any councillor on any council and they will how service cuts over the last few years are down to government squeezing budgets whether in Scotland or England. so any talk of cutting taxes should come with a health warning and statement of what services will be reduced.
The Horizon enquiry live on Youtube. .
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) annual congress is underway running from 2nd to 6 June 2024. Already for politicians they have set out difficult questions on the health service and the Tory government in charge for 13 years are struggling to answer.
The terrorist attack on Moscow's Crocus City Hall in March 2024, which left 140 people dead, has sparked a crackdown on central Asian workers living in Russia, and put the relationship between the region and Russia under increasing strain. The four suspected gunmen under arrest are all citizens of Tajikistan, a central Asian nation that was once part of the Soviet Union.
