The Chancellor's latest Budget contains an important assumption about the future of North Sea oil and gas. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the independent watchdog responsible for checking the Government's economic and financial forecasts, has included expected production from the controversial Rosebank oilfield when estimating future tax revenues.
The UK Government says Scotland is receiving hundreds of millions of pounds in additional funding following the Chancellor's Budget. The Scottish Government, meanwhile, warns that its budget is facing a substantial real-terms cut.
The Chancellor may have managed to satisfy the Government's fiscal rules, but the latest report from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) raises uncomfortable questions about Britain's economic future. Published shortly after the Budget on 28 October, the independent watchdog's assessment provides a sobering backdrop to the Chancellor's announcements.
From garages and shops to family businesses built up over a lifetime, a change to Capital Gains Tax relief could leave some owners with less money when they sell up or retire. For many small business owners, selling a business is not simply a commercial transaction.
The landscape of commercial media is shifting beneath our feet. For decades, the photography licensing industry was dominated by corporate giants and a steady, highly profitable subscription model.
Israel's inconclusive election has created a period of political uncertainty at a time when the Middle East remains a major source of concern for world energy markets. Benjamin Netanyahu may remain prime minister while politicians negotiate to form a new government.
From civil servants and council employees to offshore oil workers, the pressure for better pay is spreading. But employers face rising costs, tight budgets and difficult decisions about the future.
Councils, the NHS and other public bodies face a difficult choice when rising diesel and energy costs threaten the contractors they depend on. School transport in rural Scotland illustrates the problem.
The future of Poundland has been thrown into doubt after three directors resigned amid disagreements over a proposed rescue. The crisis highlights the pressures facing retailers across Britain, where rising costs, cautious consumers and changing shopping habits are reshaping town centres.
The UK Government is expected to announce a cut to gas standing charges in its Budget on Wednesday, offering some relief to households connected to the mains gas network. But for many people in the Highlands and other rural areas, the measure will do nothing to reduce their heating bills.
Land reform in Scotland can sound like an argument from another age. It conjures up images of Highland estates, wealthy landowners, crofting communities and the historic struggle over who controls the land.
UK exporters set to benefit from wider eligibility and faster access to government-backed finance of up to £15 million through UK Export Finance’s General Export Facility. Changes will widen access to the scheme, helping more businesses – particularly smaller firms – beginning their exporting journey to secure the working capital they need to grow overseas.
Renewed fears of war in the Middle East are pushing oil prices higher, with motorists, businesses and households facing the prospect of another expensive winter. The American elections may offer little reassurance.
The Government faces a difficult economic balancing act. As energy prices rise, international tensions threaten supplies and households worry about the cost of living, there is pressure to respond with emergency measures, financial assistance and announcements designed to reassure the public.
Every year, the Chancellor stands up in Parliament to present the Budget, surrounded by weeks of speculation, carefully managed announcements and political theatre. The nation waits to discover who will pay more tax, who might receive help and which promises the government believes it can afford.
Standing charges from household gas bills will be removed for around 23 million homes. Action from the Chancellor and Energy Secretary will make the energy system fairer and give some families breathing space.
Twenty million households in council tax bands A-D will receive a £100 ‘household energy payment' this winter - paid directly into bank accounts for help with rising energy bills, Healey says. Devolved nations wales and Scotland will get is share and thos governments are encouraged to pass it on.
From food banks and rising sickness claims to struggling young people and unpaid bills, the evidence suggests that financial hardship has become a persistent feature of British life. Poverty is not always easy to see.
Hospitality support raises questions about fairness as small accommodation providers face rising costs, new charges for visitors and uncertainty over the future of rural tourism. The Government has promised additional support for pubs, recognising their importance to local communities and the financial pressures facing the hospitality industry.
Sales surge after new advice urges households to prepare for three days without essential services, but ministers say there is no need to panic. The British public appears to be taking the Government’s latest advice about emergency preparedness seriously.