Today's report from Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee warns that job losses from the North Sea oil and gas industry's decline currently outstrip jobs created by the scale-up of the clean energy industry. The committee's report on the future of Scotland's oil and gas industry is the conclusion of the first part of its inquiry into GB Energy and the net zero transition.
Defence Secretary John Healey hosted his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, at RAF Lossiemouth on Thursday 23 October 2025. The United Kingdom and Germany are ramping up their cyber and military cooperation to strengthen European and NATO security - with the two Armed Forces working closer than ever one year on from the signing of the landmark Trinity House Agreement on Defence.
The proportion of low-paid employee jobs fell to 2.5% in April 2025 from 3.4% in 2024, the lowest since the series began in 1997, while the proportion of high-paid employee jobs increased to 23.2% in April 2025. Average hourly pay (excluding overtime) for employee jobs in April 2025 increased for all earnings deciles year-on-year; for full-time employee jobs, pay has increased most in the top and bottom deciles.
From blood tests to AI, new ways to diagnose dementia sooner and treat it faster set to be unlocked by new research challenge. From blood tests to AI, new ways to diagnose dementia sooner and treat it faster set to be unlocked by new research challenge.
Retail sales volumes were up 1.5% in September year-on-year, following 0.7% growth in August. The month saw sales volumes rise among computer and telecoms retailers as well as online jewellers where there was strong demand for gold, that was offset by a modest decline in sales in department stores.
On 23 October 2025, the U.S. announced new sanctions targeting Russia's two major oil companies: Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC, plus many of their subsidiaries.
Retail sales volumes grew 0.5% in September, while online sales values soared by 1.4% as online jewellers reported a strong demand for gold. The home delivery expert Parcelhero says canny Brits may have spent their money on a safe investment during a time of market turbulence.
The government has announced a machinery of government change. The government announced that in order to deliver this cross-government priority, the Cabinet Office will have overall responsibility of the new digital identity scheme, including policy development, legislation and strategic oversight.
More than £7 million has been added to the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS) budget following exceptionally high demand, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon confirmed. The FFIS was launched in July to offer flexible capital grants to support investments in efficiency, nature and climate friendly farming.
The quantity of goods bought (volume) in retail sales is estimated to have risen by 0.9% in Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2025 when compared with Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2025. Good weather in July and August helped clothing sales in Quarter 3, while non-store retailers showed sustained monthly rises over both quarters.
Median weekly earnings for full-time employees were £766.60 in April 2025, which is a 5.3% increase on the year in nominal terms and a 1.1% increase in real terms; this figure is adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH). In April 2025, median weekly earnings for full-time employees increased across all major occupations and sector-level industries, when compared with April 2024.
The Chancellor has launched a new one-stop support service to make the UK more attractive to global investors and create jobs and opportunities for working people across the UK. One-stop shop within the Office for Investment to cut red tape and remove barriers for global firms investing in UK financial services.
The gender pay gap has been decreasing slowly over time; over the last decade it has fallen by more than a quarter among full-time employees, and in April 2025, it stood at 6.9%, down from 7.1% in April 2024. Men in full-time employment earned more than women in full-time employment in all major occupation groups in April 2025.
We're told tax is a curse and even "theft." That's wrong. Tax is how we build a fair society.
The number of young people aged 16-24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) has risen by 195,000 over the past two years to reach 940,000. The most common reason for being NEET is unemployment, but the largest increase in recent decades has been amongst those inactive due to disability and ill-health, according to the latest analysis from the Resolution Foundation, published this week.
This week there have been reports from Perthshire of stickers with scam QR codes being stuck onto several parking meters (as shown in the image). The stickers lead to a malicious website which is designed to gather customers' payment and personal details.
As Halloween approaches, it is important to know how to avoid potentially dangerous goods, from counterfeit makeup to costumes and products that do not meet UK safety standards. Last year, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) carried out tests on 128 costumes aimed at children under seven years old.
Scotland's latest insolvency data paint a mixed picture of personal resilience and business strain. The Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) and related reports show that while personal insolvencies are falling.
There have been recent reports of doorstep scammers who claim to work for or on behalf of the local council or housing association. They may ask to enter your property to carry out 'urgent' maintenance or repairs, or offer to carry out maintenance or repair work for a reduced cost.
Headline CPI inflation held steady at 3.8 per cent in September - defying expectations of a rise to 4 per cent - but this welcome surprise comes at the wrong time for the millions of households receiving benefits. The September inflation rate is used to determine benefit uprating the following April.
