News Archive

23/11/2025

Mosmorran summit - Meeting to support workers of Fife plant.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes is to host a summit following a visit to the Exxon Mobil plant at Mosmorran with Scottish Enterprise's Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, on Tuesday.   This visit and summit follows the Deputy First Minister's announcement to the Scottish Parliament last week that she will convene a taskforce with Scottish Enterprise Hundreds of staff have been told that their jobs are at risk as the petrochemical company prepares to close part of the site in February.  

23/11/2025

Pensioners, Fiscal Drag, and the November Budget

As the Chancellor prepares to deliver the Autumn Budget on 26 November, pensioners across the country are bracing for changes that may not be announced with fanfare but will be felt in their pockets nonetheless.  The issue at hand is not a headline tax rise, but something subtler: fiscal drag.  

23/11/2025

From smartphones to fridges: UK to end overreliance on imports of critical minerals

The UK Government has launched the UK's new Critical Minerals Strategy.   New Critical Minerals Strategy sets out the ambition to produce 10% of UK's mineral needs domestically and 20% through recycling by 2035.  

23/11/2025

Growth and opportunity set to be at the heart of UK-hosted G20

The UK will host the G20 in 2027, the Prime Minister has confirmed on Saturday 22 November 2025.   UK will host major G20 summit in 2027, UK confirms during South African summit.  

23/11/2025

First rail freeze in 30 years to ease the cost of living but not in Scotland

Rail fares frozen for the first time in 30 years in historic intervention to deliver real savings for millions of commuters.   The move from the Chancellor and Transport Secretary will keep household costs down for hardworking families and drive economic growth by limiting inflation by keeping travel costs down.  

23/11/2025

Successive UK governments keep failing on fraud - and the problem is only getting worse

Fraud is now the most common offence in the UK accounting for more than 40% of reported crime.  In the year to July 2025, around 4.2 million people reported being defrauded in England and Wales.  

23/11/2025

Well paid jobs are draining fast from the Chemical and Oil Industries

Mossmorran (Fife Ethylene Plant, ExxonMobil) - 179 direct staff + 250 contractors = 400-450 jobs lost.   Grangemouth refinery (Petroineos) 400 jobs lost when refining ends in 2025.  

23/11/2025

One small change Rachel Reeves could make to close tax loopholes and raise revenue

Whatever decisions Rachel Reeves makes in her second budget as UK chancellor, it is clear that she needs to find lots of money.  Some argue that the best and fairest way of doing this is to raise the taxes of the country's wealthiest people.  

23/11/2025

UK expands visa fraud campaign in India to tackle illegal migration

The UK's campaign to raise awareness against visa fraud in India is expanding to a second region, Tamil Nadu.   It is the latest example of the UK and India working in partnership to protect people from scams and tackle illegal migration.  

23/11/2025

Will Job Lossesin The Chemical and Oil Industry Be Replaced By Alternative Energy Jobs

Alternative energy jobs can replace many of the losses in chemical and oil industries, but the transition is uneven.   The UK's clean energy workforce is projected to nearly double from 440,000 jobs in 2023 to ~60,000 by 2030, creating about 400,000 new roles.  

23/11/2025

Supporting Scotland's economy - Finance Secretary sets out UK Budget hopes

The UK Government must invest in public services, support economic growth and take action on the cost of living, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said.   Ahead of the UK Budget on Wednesday 26 November, Ms Robison is calling on the Chancellor to: deliver more funding for Scotland's public services, infrastructure, and cost of living support - including actions to lower household energy bills.  

22/11/2025

Changes to energy price cap between 1 January and 31 March 2026

Changes to the maximum amount energy suppliers can charge people on default tariffs for each unit of energy and the daily standing charge.   Every 3 months we review and set a level for how much an energy supplier can charge for each unit of energy and daily standing charge, under the price cap.  

22/11/2025

 
Public sector finances UK October 2025 - Government Borrowing Climbs

Borrowing - the difference between total public sector spending and income - was £17.4 billion in October 2025; this was £1.8 billion (or 9.6%) less than October 2024 but the third-highest October borrowing (not adjusted for inflation) since monthly records began in 1993, after those of 2024 and 2020.   Borrowing in the financial year to October 2025 was £116.8 billion; this was £9.0 billion (or 8.4%) more than in the same seven-month period of 2024 and the second-highest April to October borrowing (not adjusted for inflation) on record, after that of 2020.  

22/11/2025

Energy Prices To Rise Again - price cap will rise by 0.2% from January

Energy regulator Ofgem has today [Friday 21 November 2025] announced a 0.2% rise of the energy price cap for the period covering January to March 2026.   This change amounts to a small increase of around 28 pence a month for the average dual fuel household.  

22/11/2025

Unexpected rise in Energy Price Cap shows why Chancellor should take action to bring these costs down

The Energy Price Cap will unexpectedly rise by £3 a year in January, as a rise in the costs of government policies that are added to energy bills cancels out a small fall in the gas prices.  This makes clear that more action is needed in the Budget to significantly cut bills, the Resolution Foundation said on Friday 21 November 2025.  

22/11/2025

Thousands of British jobs secured as billions of pounds worth of aero deals announced at Dubai Airshow

Engineers and manufacturing workers across the UK will benefit from a flurry of major new aircraft deals announced this week at the Dubai Airshow.   Major Airbus aircraft orders including from Etihad and Emirates at Dubai Airshow worth billions to the UK economy.  

22/11/2025

 
Why Rachel Reeves's first budget cannot survive the coming financial meltdown - Richard Murphy

Rachel Reeves is presenting a budget built on assumptions that simply cannot survive the world we are about to enter.   Share prices are likely to fall sharply.  

22/11/2025

Secretary of State discusses £100 million wind farm deal on Belfast Harbour visit

Mona and Morgan wind farms expected to boost economic growth and provide energy security.   Secretary of State Hilary Benn has visited Belfast Harbour to view the site where two major offshore wind farms will be assembled as part of a £100 million landmark deal.  

22/11/2025

PM call with President Macron of France, Chancellor Merz of Germany, and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 21 November 2025

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this afternoon.   The Prime Minister spoke to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this afternoon.  

22/11/2025

People across UK to benefit from easier access to local services as councils get digital boost

A new government unit, GDS Local, has launched to help councils across the UK make everyday services - from managing council tax to accessing local support - easier, faster, and more accessible for residents.   new government unit will work with councils to make everyday services – from managing household finances to accessing local support – quicker and easier for residents across the UK.