Official statistics have been released today on school pupils' Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels (ACEL) in the reading, writing, listening & talking and numeracy ‘organisers’. The statistics, based on teacher judgement, report on the percentage of school pupils in Primary 1 (P1), Primary 4 (P4), Primary 7 (P7) and Secondary 3 (S3) who have achieved the expected CfE Levels relevant to their stage.
Yesterday, the UK Prime Minister welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Downing Street. The summit was framed as a "crisis talks" session, emphasizing Europe's continued support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.
The latest criminal proceedings statistics for 2023-24 have been published today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. Although the total number of people prosecuted in Scottish courts saw a reduction in 2023-24, this masks an increase in many of the more serious offences.
Almost one million young people will benefit from learning or employment opportunities as a result of a major £820 million funding package. The funding will create 350,000 new workplace opportunities designed to support young people into employment.
A new expert panel chaired by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy will meet for the first time today (Monday 8 December), to make sure the UK remains a leading global centre for legal services. First meeting of new panel working to future-proof UK's world-leading position.
In recent months, the UK Government has placed a major focus on tackling youth unemployment and expanding opportunities for young people who are out of work or education. Central to this effort is a new "Youth Guarantee" — a proposal to ensure that young people, particularly those aged 18 to 21, can access employment, apprenticeships, training or meaningful work experience, rather than staying stuck on benefits.
The UK has unveiled work on its ground-breaking Atlantic Bastion programme, which will make Britain more secure secure from Russian undersea threats in the North Atlantic through a transformation of the Royal Navy and its submarine-hunting capabilities. Atlantic Bastion will combine autonomous vessels and AI with warships and aircraft to create a highly advanced hybrid force to protect undersea cables and pipelines.
Headlines about tax in the UK being at an all-time high abounded after the autumn budget. The current overall tax take, at 35% of GDP, is indeed a historic high for the country.
There is always an increase in Amazon scams at this time of year, as more people shop online. One recent scam message reads: "Our investigation confirmed that the seller violated Amazon's policies by offering non-compliant products.
The US has long sat at the centre of the global financial system, with the US dollar serving as the backbone of the world economy. Private investors rely on the dollar as a store of value in times of uncertainty.
As the North Coast 500 approaches its tenth anniversary, it has become one of Scotland's most well-known tourism success stories. The 516-mile loop around the far north of the Highlands has been celebrated internationally, marketed as a world-class road trip, and credited with transforming visitor numbers in some of Scotland’s most remote areas.
The UK will require seafood exporters to provide new information to generate IUU documentation through the Fish Export Service (FES) from the evening of 8 January. This change comes slightly earlier than the EU's requirement, which takes effect on 10 January.
New anti-corruption strategy 2025 will drive dirty money out of the UK, strengthening national security and putting more money into working people's pockets. Corrupt insiders and criminal networks will be brought to justice by a strengthened specialist police unit and tougher safeguards across the public sector, as government unveils a landmark anti-corruption strategy.
A notable article in the Guardian on 6 December 2025 noted the high sums being paid by London councils outsourcing services to private firms. The article starts with the reduction in council funding by UK government since 2010.
The tax and regulatory environment for landlords (private and commercial) in the UK has changed substantially over recent years, and that has a big impact on whether property investment remains "worth it" today. A walk through the full-range of major taxes and costs facing landlords now for residential (private) and commercial letting and then give a balanced view on whether it's "worth it" compared to a few years ago, and the circumstances under which it may make sense to sell up.
The Highland Council is inviting people that live, work, or study in Thurso, to come along to the public consultation events to have their say. This is an opportunity to help shape the future of Thurso, to gather views and ideas.
Modern Monetary Theory — or modern money as I prefer to call it — simply describes the truth about how money works in the real economy. Governments create new money every time they spend.
Don't panic - From 18 November 2025, identity verification becomes a legal requirement. This date is not a deadline.
The Reith Lecture on the BBC used to be on television but are now moved to Radio 4. The first of this years lectures is challenging.
HMRC is gearing up for the most aggressive enforcement crackdown the UK has ever seen — and it's ordinary taxpayers, small business owners, freelancers, landlords, crypto investors and side-hustlers who are firmly in the firing line. In this video, I break down exactly what HMRC is planning for 2026, why tax investigations are exploding, the new criminal offence you NEED to understand, the surveillance-level data HMRC will soon have on you, and what to do right now to protect yourself.
