News Archive

27/1/2024

Exposed - The Institute Of Chartered Accountants In England And Wales Is Still Failing In Its Public Purpose

Richard Murphy's Blog 26 January 2024 exposes a problem.   Yesterday, I noted a request by a Guardian journalist for education in basic financial literacy.  

27/1/2024

Corporate Insolvency Numbers In Scotland Increasing

Scotland insolvency statistics Q3 2023, R3 in Scotland.   Corporate insolvency numbers (liquidations and receiverships) in Scotland for Q3 2023-2024 increased by 7.4% compared with Q3 2022-2023, to a total of 292.  

27/1/2024

 
Driving Examiner Strike - 8 February To 11 February 2024

Some driving examiners who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are planning to take strike action from Thursday 8 February to Sunday 11 February 2024.   The strike action by the PCS union is about action the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is taking to reduce driving test waiting times for you.  

27/1/2024

Chunk of Highlands 'needs island-style health care'

A story on the BBC web site.   It has all the usual bla safety bla working with local groups bla resources bla bla bla - chaing nothing to help.  

26/1/2024

 
Spreadsheet Errors Can Have Disastrous Consequences - Yet We Keep Making The Same Mistakes

Spreadsheet blunders aren't just frustrating personal inconveniences.  They can have serious consequences.  

26/1/2024

Offshore Wind Programme Progresses - Milestone As Projects Worth Around £500m Move Closer To Completion

Strategic investment to help unlock Scotland's green energy revolution has moved a step closer, First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced.   In a significant milestone for Scotland’s offshore wind sector, three projects have been invited to move to Stage 2 of the Strategic Investment Model (SIM) process.  

26/1/2024

 
Three Arrested In Fake Immigration Law Firm Raid

Three suspected fraudulent immigration lawyers have been arrested in Greater Manchester following a Home Office raid on Wednesday 24 January 2024.   The suspects are believed to be part of a legal advice firm run by Chinese and British nationals out of a garage attached to a residential property, which had been converted into an office.  

26/1/2024

Excel Errors - The Uk Government Has An Embarrassingly Long History Of Spreadsheet Horror Stories

When the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, first said the country would develop a £12 billion "world-beating" system for testing and tracing cases of COVID-19, few people probably imagined that it would be based around a £120 generic spreadsheet program.  Yet the news that the details of 16,000 positive test cases had been lost because of an error made with Microsoft Excel revealed that was exactly the case.  

26/1/2024

 
£33 Million Boost To Turn Green Ports And Ships Into A Reality

Funding awarded to 33 projects across the UK to develop clean maritime technologies.   £33 million for new technologies to cut shipping emissions, support jobs in coastal areas and boost local economies.  

26/1/2024

 
Vulnerable People Encouraged To Seek Help With Energy Bills

Families struggling with energy bills are being urged to speak to their council for Household Support Fund help.   Over £360m has already been spent on helping people with energy and water bills.  

26/1/2024

Overseas Visitors Are Coming To Scotland In Greater Numbers Than Before The Pandemic

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that Scotland has staged a stronger post-pandemic recovery than the UK as a whole, welcoming 1.4 million international tourist visits from July to September last year - up 14% on the same period in 2019.   Visitors spent a record £1.5 billion - 18% more than during the same three months in 2019 when adjusted for inflation.  

26/1/2024

 
Business And Tech Heavyweights To Boost Productivity Through Ai

New AI Opportunity Forum to ramp up adoption of AI in the private sector.   New forum to boost adoption of AI in the private sector Business and AI leaders including Google, Microsoft, Barclays and Vodafone unveiled as members.  

26/1/2024

New Laws To Introduce Digital Labelling For Businesses And Reduce Regulation Costs

Businesses are set to benefit from savings as import labels are made digital for the first time.   New legislation to introduce digital labelling for British businesses to cut red tape and save millions in unnecessary regulation costs Recognition of CE marking continued for products such as toys and machinery, easing burdens to businesses Digital labelling reforms made possible by Brexit and ensures the UK's regulatory requirements are fit for the modern world Businesses are set to benefit from reduced costs and burdens as import labels are made digital for the first time.  

26/1/2024

Government Announces A Further £600 Million Boost For English Councils

Extra £500 million earmarked to enable councils to provide crucial social care services.   Councils across England will receive a £600 million support package, in addition to funding outlined at the provisional settlement, to help them deliver key services, the Levelling Up Secretary has announced today.  

26/1/2024

 
Is AI A Traitor Or A Faithful - AI Advances Have Left News Publishers Fearing For Their Business Models - New Research

Who do you trust AI or Newspapers?.   News organisations are bracing for serious disruptions as a result of the increasing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) - both on the way that they work and the way their audiences consume news.  

26/1/2024

Inflation - How A Different Approach Could Ease The Burden Of The Cost Of Living Crisis

The latest annual inflation rate rise to 4% has dampened expectations about how soon the Bank of England might start cutting interest rates.  Marginally higher than the previous month's figure of 3.9%, it was a surprise to some economists.  

26/1/2024

People Smuggler Jailed For Fake Passport Scheme

A people smuggler has been jailed for conspiring to bring 16 Albanian migrants to the UK with fake EU passports and fraudulent airline bookings.   A people smuggler has been jailed today after conspiring to bring 16 Albanian migrants to the UK by providing them with fake EU passports and making fraudulent airline bookings.  

26/1/2024

 
Lawyers Are Rapidly Embracing AI - Here's How To Avoid An Ethical Disaster

Imagine a world where legal research is conducted by lightning-fast algorithms, mountains of contracts are reviewed in minutes and legal briefs are drafted with the eloquence of Shakespeare.  This is the future promised by AI in legal practice.  

25/1/2024

 
Treasury ‘Orthodoxy': What Is It? And Is It A Problem For Government?

This report examines accusations that rigid beliefs - an ‘orthodoxy' - shape the Treasury's economic thinking, with former prime minister Liz Truss.  Her allies attacked the department for being ideologically anti-growth and anti-democratic in the way it worked with ministers.  

25/1/2024 : Local Authority

PPP Accounting Flexibility To Be Considered - Short Term Benefit But Long-Term Pain

A briefing has been provided to all members of the Council on an accounting flexibility introduced by Scottish Government and available to Councils to utilise in 2022/23 or 2023/24.   A number of reports to Council in recent months have covered this topic, and a number of other Councils have utilised the flexibility in 2022/23 or are considering doing so in 2023/24.