The pandemic killed our Whatson section with no events. It has taken along time for people and organisations to post again.
Monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 0.4% in March 2024, following growth of 0.2% in February 2024 (revised up from 0.1% growth in our previous publication) and an unrevised growth of 0.3% in January 2024. Real gross domestic product is estimated to have grown by 0.6% in the three months to March 2024, compared with the three months to December 2023.
This release from the UK government will be viewed by many with dismay. GDP shows the overall picture but for most people the cost of living with shop and energy prices still high.
The value of goods imports decreased by £1.2 billion (2.5%) in March 2024, because of falls in imports of machinery and transport equipment and fuels. The value of goods exports decreased by £0.4 billion (1.3%) in March 2024, with a fall in exports to non-EU countries partially offset by a rise in exports to the EU.
Monthly production output was estimated to have risen by 0.2% in March 2024; this follows a rise of 1.0% in February 2024 (revised down 0.1 percentage point) and a fall of 0.5% in January 2024 (revised down 0.2 percentage points). The monthly increase in output for March 2024 resulted from a rise in two of the four production sectors, with the largest contribution from "manufacturing" (0.3%) and a smaller contribution from "mining and quarrying" (1.0%); this was partially offset by falls in "electricity and gas" (0.9%) and "water supply and sewerage" (0.1%).
We estimate that monthly services output increased by 0.5% in March 2024, following a revised increase of 0.3% (up 0.2 percentage points) in February 2024 and a revised increase of 0.4% (up 0.1 percentage points) in January 2024. The Index of Services (IoS) saw monthly increases in 10 of the 14 sectors in March 2024, with the majority of monthly growth coming from the five largest contributing sectors: "human health and social activities" (1.1%), "administrative and support service activities" (1.6%), "wholesale and retail trade" (0.9%), "accommodation and food service activities" (2.7%), and "professional, scientific and technical activities" (0.9%).
The East Caithness mobile post office service are to cease from 23 May as the operator has resigned. The places affected are Reiss, Latheron, Keiss, Thrumster, Mey, Auckengill, Canisbay, Mid Clyth, Berriedale, Westerdale and Pulteneytown, will cease.
So many things are creeping up on us since Brexit. Weaken post-Brexit rules on pesticides in drinking water, farming lobby told minister Unearthed reporter Zach Boren has a new story out this morning, giving an insight into how the National Farmers Union (NFU) wants the UK to use its post-Brexit freedoms.
The company made millions of unsolicited cold-calls, with thousands of people complaining to the Information Commissioner's Office. Duncan Paul was the director of a company which bombarded people with automated cold-calls in 2018.
Cabinet of 11 will be supported by 14 Ministers. First Minister John Swinney has completed the appointment of his ministerial team.
Environmental taxes, using an internationally agreed definition, raised £52.5 billion in the UK in 2023, up 4.9% from £50.1 billion in 2022. Revenue from energy taxes accounted for 75.0% of all UK environmental tax revenue in 2023, followed by transport (22.5%) and pollution and resource (2.4%) taxes.
Interest rates for savers and borrowers have shown mixed signs of both rises and falls over the past six months. Moneyfactscompare.co.uk has analysed the average rates offered across savings and mortgages and how the markets have changed over time.
Highland and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, says the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, is correct in labelling the excuses given by the Scottish Government for the delay in dualling the A9 between Inverness and Perth as "pathetic". Commenting on the former First Minister's appearance in front of the Scottish Parliament's Citizens Participation and Public Petitions Committee this morning (08.05.2024) Rhoda Grant said "The people of the Highlands and Islands have been badly let down by this SNP Government." "I don't readily agree with much that Alex Salmond says but on this I do agree.
You can join them by submitting your Self Assessment tax return for 2023 to 2024 now and have peace of mind for the rest of the year. If you have already submitted your tax return, or if you do not need to complete one and have already told us, thank you, please ignore this email.
A Highland Investment Plan worth £2 billion over the next twenty years has been approved by Council. The Plan will see wide ranging investment across communities in the Highlands, with over £1bn of capital investment in schools and roads over the next 10 years in phase one of the programme.
Miltary spending is surging in the face of heightened geopolitical tensions. The UK plans to hike it to 2.5% of GDP by 2030, amounting to £87 billion a year.
Ignore politicians: we need a national debt. Not only is the national debt not a burden - or even something that will ever need repayment - but its existence if fundamental in the management of the economy.
Local vape retailer Mr Adnan Abbas, has been banned by Inverness Sheriff Court from selling vapes for 15 months through two of his retail shops, following an investigation by Highland Council Trading Standards officers. Mr Abnan Abbas owns two retails shops in the city centre of Inverness.
Organisations are now invited to apply to set up a new National Academy focused on Mathematical Sciences. Competition to set up and develop new Maths Academy over next three years now open until 4 June.
£196 million for high-tech nuclear fuel facility and new measures for fusion energy. UK to build first high-tech nuclear fuel facility in Europe to shut Putin's Russia out of the global market and create hundreds of jobs to improve energy security at home and abroad.
