First Minister John Swinney has said the Scottish Government is committed to putting "more money in people's pockets" through policies that alleviate financial pressures on families as Challenge Poverty Week begins. The First Minister said the Scottish Government's cost of living guarantee, which includes free bus travel for 2.3 million people, more than £6,000 in early learning and childcare support for each eligible child.
The Chancellor should protect workers' pay packets and level the playing field on how different forms of income are taxed - including a 2p cut in employee National Insurance (NI) offset by a 2p rise in Income Tax (IT) – in order to raise £6 billion in a Budget that will require significant tax increases, according to major new Resolution Foundation research published on Tuesday. A combination of policy-U-turns since the last Budget, higher borrowing costs and a likely downgrade to the UK’s productivity outlook mean significant fiscal consolidation will be needed for the Chancellor to meet her fiscal rules in her upcoming Budget.
Most of Scotland's rail network is back and open for business following widespread disruption caused by Storm Amy. Winds of up to 100 miles per hour in places ripped up trees, including more than 80 that were brought down on overhead electric lines and rail tracks, especially in the north of the country.
The Government will need to both hit and sustain its unprecedented target of creating 1.5 million new homes at least over this Parliament and the next to reduce pressure on private rents and temporary accommodation, according to new Resolution Foundation research published last week. The Housing Outlook Q3 2025 finds that that hitting the Government's target of 1.5 million new homes in England over this Parliament, equivalent to around 300,000 new homes per year, would arrest the recent decline in Britain’s housing stock relative to its population.
ScotRail is advising customers that disruption from Storm Amy will continue into Saturday, and anyone considering travel by train should check their journey before attempting to travel. There has been significant disruption across the country, with strong winds blowing debris onto overhead lines, heavy persistent rain causing flooding in many areas, and trees falling onto the tracks in parts of the country.
New Intellectual Property Office campaign warns buyers of major health and safety risks. 259,000 fake toys worth over £3.5m have been seized at the UK border so far this year - equivalent to 24 tonnes of goods.
Almost 45,000 disabled children and young people to be supported this year. Families of almost 45,000 disabled children and young people are set to receive winter heating support, as Scotland's unique benefit marks its fifth anniversary.
UK-Greenland trade deal talks resume to deliver cheaper seafood for British shoppers. Negotiations resume on UK-Greenland trade deal to slash tariffs on over £70m of seafood imports, cutting prices for British shoppers.
ScotRail is advising customers to plan ahead and check their journeys before travelling on Friday, 3 October, as Storm Amy is expected to bring severe weather conditions across Scotland. Latest forecasts suggest that high winds and heavy rain will affect parts of the country from Friday evening, with the potential for widespread disruption to rail services.
Company helped failing businesses avoid legitimate insolvency procedures. Manchester-based Davis Acquisitions Ltd worked with Save Consultants Ltd, a company shut down last year for offering unlicensed insolvency services Davis Acquisitions Ltd was appointed director of 78 of Save Consultants Ltd's client companies, acting as a vehicle to avoid formal insolvency procedures, asset recovery, and director conduct scrutiny Insolvency Service investigations have resulted in Davis Acquisitions Ltd now being wound-up in the public interest A Manchester-based company has been shut down after investigations revealed it was acting as a front to enable unlicensed insolvency activities previously carried out by another firm.
Rainforest projects are to benefit from more than £3 million funding to protect biodiversity and build ecosystem resilience to climate change. The funding will be used to help save Scotland's temperate rainforest.
Short-term prisoners due for release within the next six months are to be released early under emergency proposals to tackle prison overcrowding, with stringent safeguards to protect public safety, if Parliament agrees. The prison population has surged by more than 200 in the past three months and now stands at 8,363, one of the highest levels ever recorded.
Scotland's colleges face changing how they operate due to ongoing financial pressures. The sector has experienced a 20 per cent real terms cut in funding over the last five years.
Energy services company, Global, is set to develop a new head office on Inverness Campus, as part of a company expansion that includes the creation of more than 50 new jobs. Campus developer, HIE, has sold a 3.21 acre development plot to Global, where they will build a state-of-the-art head office next to the Life Sciences Innovation Centre (LSIC) and adjacent to UHI Inverness College.
Amazon says its Big Deal Days 2025 event, set to run from 7-8 October, is ‘just in time for the festive season'. Is it too early for Christmas shopping and are Prime members' events past their prime? The home delivery expert Parcelhero predicts another record Prime event.
An anti-cancer drug that researchers believe may be up to 500 times more effective than current treatments. This is one of 18 projects receiving pilot funding to develop innovative ideas into commercial success.
Are all our major political parties now the same?. Labour, Conservatives, the Lib Dems, and even Reform are united by one ideology: neoliberalism.
Royal Navy's ASW Spearhead programme rapidly developed three autonomous testbed platforms - CETUS, PROTEUS, and SCYLLA - to enhance ASW capabilities. CETUS: One of the largest autonomous underwater vehicles (20 tonnes, 12 metres) began trials with the Royal Navy in February 2025.
An Island solar farm, community ice rink and a small community wind farm are among almost 50 projects to benefit from more than £5.5 million funding. Supported through a combination of Scottish Government and Great British Energy funding, the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme's (CARES) Community Energy Generation Growth Fund will enable 46 community groups to install local renewable energy schemes such as wind turbines and solar panels, to meet local needs.
Migrants granted asylum in the UK will no longer be automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, under landmark policy changes outlined by the Prime Minister. Changes to the leave granted to asylum seekers in the UK will mean they are no longer automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, balancing protection against persecution with controlling our borders.
