The number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) increased slightly at the end of last year to reach 957,000. With the UK perilously close to having over one million NEETs for the first time in 13 years, the Chancellor should use the Spring Forecast next Tuesday to take action and prevent youth unemployment rising further, the Resolution Foundation said in response to new ONS data published on Thursday 26 February 2026.
Drivers almost always rush to fill up when they believe a fuel shortage or a major price spike is coming. The UK has some of the clearest evidence anywhere that this behaviour is both predictable and self‑reinforcing.
Energy is a core input for almost everything the UK consumes. When oil and gas prices rise, the cost of producing, transporting, and storing goods rises with them.
The outbreak of open conflict between the United States and Iran has triggered one of the most dramatic shocks to global energy markets in years. Oil prices were already rising on geopolitical tension, but the escalation into direct military confrontation and Iran's reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz—has transformed a regional dispute into a global economic threat.
The risk of positive policies being "swamped" by a narrative of U-turns is a central concern for the Labour government as it heads into the 7 May 2026 elections. After 18 months of what critics call "policy whiplash," polling suggests a significant "corrosion of confidence" among the electorate.
Following a significant by-election loss in Gorton and Denton in February 2026, the Labour government is facing intense political pressure to accelerate or expand policies that improve living standards. While the government has recently announced several measures to cut costs for 2026—including the removal of the two-child benefit limit and energy bill reductions—critics and some Labour MPs have called for a "braver" approach as household disposable incomes are projected to fall by as much as 3.3% between 2025 and 2030 after housing costs are factored in.
Estimates from January to March 2025 include the full effect of the improvements in Labour Force Survey (LFS) data collection and sampling methods introduced from January 2024; however, estimates may be subject to the effect of further ongoing improvements. An increased amount of volatility will remain in the estimates from mid-2023 and throughout 2024, so we would advise caution when interpreting change involving those periods.
The Chancellor's Spring Statement on Tuesday 3rd March 2026 is widely expected and intended by the Treasury to be a "quiet affair" or a "non-event" rather than a platform for major policy announcements. Following the significant tax rises in the 2025 Autumn Budget, Rachel Reeves has committed to holding only one major fiscal event per year in the autumn.
Yesterday, I spoke to you about the situation in the Gulf and explained that the United Kingdom was not involved in the strikes on Iran. That remains the case.
In 2023, the BBC admitted that comparing government finances to a household budget is "dangerous territory" that can mislead audiences. And yet we still hear that myth every day.
In this blog, Iain Hamilton, HIE's Head of Creative Industries, explains how digital storytelling is redefining the future of Gaelic culture and why embracing new platforms is vital for the Highlands and Islands. Culture has always been one of the Highlands and Islands' biggest strengths.
For many workers, the benefits of professional relationships and the networks they create are clear. Bringing together people and social spheres that are otherwise unconnected is linked to higher salaries and more rapid promotion.
In this episode of the Fraser of Allander podcast, Professor Mairi Spowage, Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, tackles "cyber". What it really means, why it matters for Scotland's economy, and how it intersects with AI adoption.
The looming financial collapse of Thames Water—Britain's largest utility—has reignited one of the most fierce debates in UK politics. Was the mass privatisation of the 1980s a historic mistake? As Thames Water teeters on the brink of a state-led rescue, the contrast between the English private model and the Scottish public alternative has never been more stark.
Consumers are set to benefit from more home-grown clean energy, with an increased number of renewable projects to be enabled on the public forest estate. Consumers are set to benefit from more home-grown clean energy, with an increased number of renewable projects to be enabled on the public forest estate under new powers coming into force on Friday 27 February 2026.
The Scottish Government has deferred a looming crisis on public sector pay until after the 7 May election, according to a major new report published today by the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde. The report, part of a collaboration with Cardiff University and supported by the Nuffield Foundation, finds pay settlements have exceeded the Scottish Government's own published pay policy every year since 2022.
Net Zero is the culture war of our time. On one side renewables are the saviours of the planet, to critics renewables are bankrupting the country.
The byelection in Gorton and Denton this week has been huge for the Green party of England and Wales, with Hannah Spencer pushing Reform's Matt Goodwin into second place, and Labour into third. Having one extra MP in parliament may not seem like a big milestone, but this byelection win is record-breaking for the Greens.
The latest statistics on wildlife crime in Scotland were published today. Recorded wildlife crime offences increased by 15% between 2022-23 and 2023-24 from 220 to 254 offences, before falling by 27% between 2023-24 and 2024-25 to 186 offences.
In the Highland Council 2026/27 budget proposals, the council plans to significantly increase council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty properties to address the region's housing crisis. These "scorching" increases follow the removal of the previous legislative cap under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025.