The announcement of a six‑week consultation on the future of Thurso High School should have been a moment of clarity — a sign that after years of discussion, Highland Council was finally ready to move from aspiration to action. Instead, it has exposed a deeper truth about the state of capital investment in the Highlands - The numbers no longer add up.
The escalation of conflict between the United States and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz has created one of the most significant geopolitical energy shocks in recent years. While the fighting itself is geographically distant, the economic consequences are already being felt strongly in the United Kingdom through fuel prices, inflation, and financial markets.
Rural Scotland doesn’t just experience the cost‑of‑living crisis — it amplifies it. The same inflationary forces hitting the rest of the UK land harder north of the Central Belt because distance, climate, infrastructure and market size all turn national pressures into local burdens.
The situation around the Strait of Hormuz has pushed oil markets into one of their most sensitive phases in years, and the latest US–Iran escalation is exactly the kind of trigger that traders fear most. The Strait of Hormuz is not just another shipping route.
The share of UK businesses classed as innovation-active fell to 34% in 2022-24, deepening concerns about a long-term decline in business innovation and the country's future competitiveness. This figure compares to 53% just a decade earlier, a drop of 19 percentage points.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration is warning that oil buffer stocks are running down faster than expected.
The cost of living continues to place significant pressure on household finances, which affects the affordability of essential goods and services, particularly home energy, food and fuel. As these pressures persist, access to high‑quality advice, and clear information about the financial help and support available to residents across Highland is more important than ever.
Few issues divide small business owners more than the VAT threshold. In theory, it is a simple line: once your turnover passes £90,000 in a rolling twelve‑month period, you must register for VAT.
The Ukraine Support Act, introduced by Representative Gregory Meeks, is designed to provide $8 billion in military financing loans, extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) through 2027, and impose new sanctions on Russia. On paper, it looks like a decisive package.
When three very different institutions — the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC), and the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) — all turn their attention to Scotland’s tax system wha is he result. The result is not a chorus in harmony but a layered critique.
Most British mortgage holders live with uncertainty. They always face the risk of higher repayment costs through no fault of their own.
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) Business Insights survey paints a picture of an economy that is still struggling to find firm footing. While many businesses continue to trade successfully, rising costs, economic uncertainty and pressure on consumer spending remain major concerns across the UK.
The evidence suggests that credit card debt in Scotland is increasing, although Scotland-specific figures are not collected as comprehensively as UK-wide figures. If interest rates rise as some analysts are predicting the situation for people with credit card debt will get much worse.
Colorado’s breath-taking landscapes are increasingly overshadowed by breath-taking bills. Despite a high-growth economy, many households face a concerning paradox.
Total UK footfall decreased by 2.6% in May (YoY), up from -10.7% in April. High Street footfall decreased by 1.5% in May (YoY), up from -9.2% in April.
The latest real-time indicators from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal an economy that is still moving forward, but not without growing strains beneath the surface. The value of the ONS real-time indicators lies in their ability to provide an early glimpse of economic activity before the publication of traditional economic statistics.
Wylfa, located on Anglesey, North Wales, is a historic nuclear site that operated from 1971 to 2015, featuring the UK's largest and last Magnox reactors. Known for its significant contribution to UK energy, it is currently undergoing decommissioning while being designated as a premier location for new, small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
Patients in England set to benefit from the first sustained expansion of dental school places in nearly 20 years. First sustained expansion of dental school places in nearly 2 decades Targeted at areas where patients have struggled to access NHS dental care University of East Anglia (UEA) and University of Portsmouth to each receive 25 new dental training places Patients in so-called ‘dental deserts’ will benefit from the first sustained expansion of dental school places in nearly 20 years, with 50 extra dentists to be trained in the regions that need them most from 2027 onwards.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has (3 June 2026) delivered a speech at the Scientific Superpower Conference. Thank you And thank you to the Supercluster Board especially for everything that has gone into today and over the last year and a half. It’s great to be able to be here to speak to you this afternoon.
UK–Ghana Growth Partnership (2026–2028) aims to boost jobs, trade, infrastructure and skills through major investments and private sector–led growth initiatives. The UK and Ghana have signed a new Growth Partnership aimed at delivering tangible benefits for people and businesses in Ghana, including more jobs, stronger infrastructure and better access to skills and education.