Every few years, everyone with a non-domestic (commercial) property in Scotland — shops, offices, pubs, warehouses, farms, etc. gets a new rateable value (RV) assigned by the Scottish Assessors.
UK inflation increased from 3.2 in November to 3.4 per cent in December, keeping the UK at the top of the G7 leader-board, but big falls are expected from January onwards, the Resolution Foundation said on Wednesday 21 January 2026. CPI inflation expectedly increased in December, driven by tobacco duty, airfares and food.
For many households, the hope going into 2026 is simple: that the worst of the cost-of-living crisis is finally over. Inflation has fallen from its recent peaks, energy prices are no longer surging at the same pace, and wages have begun to catch up in some sectors.
When the Scottish Government unveiled its latest Budget, ministers were quick to stress a clear message: local government funding is rising in real terms. On paper, that sounds like good news for councils across Scotland, including Highland.
The quantity of goods bought (volume) in retail sales is estimated to have fallen by 0.3% in Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2025 compared with Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2025. Supermarkets and non-store retailers' sales both fell following a strong Quarter 3 2025.
How much protection does the benefit system afford the newly unemployed? We use UK bank account data to track financial impacts of job loss. Workers who lose their job and receive unemployment benefits see their spending decline by around 20% in the first few months following job loss.
In a new Government survey, fewer transport & storage businesses say they are worried about the impact of cyber attacks, international conflict, increased trade barriers and climate change than any comparable business sector. Parcelhero asks whether this is a sign of robustness or complacency.
First Minister John Swinney has confirmed the Scottish Government intends to establish a new national housing agency with a focus on simplicity, scale and speed to enable the delivery of housing of all types, helping to meet housing need across Scotland. The executive agency will be called ‘More Homes Scotland' and is expected to start operating from 2027-28 and be fully functional in 2028-29, subject to the outcome of the Scottish Parliament election.
On Tuesday 20 January, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones gave a keynote speech to set out his plan to rewire Whitehall and modernise public services, to move fast and fix things after years of low public sector productivity. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister set out plans to rewire Whitehall and say Britain needs "a new digital state that delivers public services directly to you.
The government has this week committed over £650 million to upgrade the RAF's Typhoon fighter jet fleet, securing over 1,500 jobs across the UK. More than half a billion in funding committed this week to upgrade Britain's Typhoons - including advanced radar upgrades - securing over 1,500 UK jobs.
The World Economic Forum at Davos this week has been dominated by speculation about how the US president, Donald Trump, may be planning to fulfil his ambition to control Greenland. In the end he backed down from the threat of force against Denmark and its European partners while stepping up his demand to take control of the island.
£1.5 billion will be invested in cultural organisations over a five-year period - turning the corner on underfunding over the last decade and more. Investment will tackle the need for capital investment to help save 1,000 local cultural venues across the country, restoring pride in place and national renewal.
President Donald Trump earlier threatened to impose new tariffs on eight European countries including the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Finland unless they agreed to U.S. demands related to Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Angus Campbell, Chair of HIE, visited the Outer Hebrides last week to see the ambition in Uist and Benbecula as he begins a wider tour to meet staff, businesses and community groups. Over the next few weeks, I'll be travelling across the Highlands and Islands to meet HIE staff, businesses and community groups.
NDA group puts decommissioning at the forefront of the agenda at Nuclear Week in Parliament. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group put decommissioning at the forefront of the agenda at this year's Nuclear Week in Parliament, as the essential foundation underpinning the Government's ambition to become a clean energy superpower.
Seth Myers takes a closer look at Trump's Davos speech in which he confused Greenland and Iceland, called windmills "losers" and mocked the president of France. How many errors or false claims were identified There isn't a single definitive number tally of errors, but based on multiple independent fact-checking reports: Multiple specific factual inaccuracies confirmed Fact-checkers from outlets like The Guardian and BBC identified several distinct inaccuracies in Trump's remarks, including: Claiming the U.S.
The proposed U.S.-EU trade deal has been effectively suspended, reflecting a sharp deterioration in transatlantic political trust rather than a technical trade dispute. While negotiations between Washington and Brussels have not formally collapsed, the European Union has paused the parliamentary process required to turn the agreement into binding law, placing the deal in political limbo.
UK house prices rose by 2.5% in the year to November 2025, UP from the revised estimate of 1.9% in the 12 months to October 2025 On a non-seasonally adjusted basis. Average house prices in the UK increased by 0.3% between October 2025 and November 2025, compared with a decrease 0.3% from the same period 12 months ago (October 2024 and November 2024).
Andrew Bailey has warned MPs that substantial risks are building in global markets — and for once, I agree with him. Trump's attacks on the Fed, the escalating threats around Greenland, and the weaponisation of tariffs are turning political instability into financial instability.
A former head teacher is set to be appointed Scotland's new Chief Inspector of Education. Ruth Binks, currently Corporate Director of Education, Communities and Organisational Development at Inverclyde Council, will start in the role at the end of March, subject to final pre-appointment checks being completed and the appointment being made by an Order of His Majesty the King.
