Scotland’s onshore GDP contracted by 0.2% in April 2025, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician, following contraction of 0.4% in March 2025 (revised from contraction of 0.2%). In the three months to April, GDP is estimated to have contracted by 0.2% compared to the previo
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A fraudster who earned more than £500,000 by deceiving luxury hotels and stores into buying "unique" Scottish-grown tea that was actually imported, has been imprisoned for three and a half years following a prosecution by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).
With the UK’s most significant inheritance tax (IHT) reforms in nearly two decades set to roll out from April 2025, legal professionals must prepare for an influx of estate planning enquiries, according to a new YouGov survey commissioned by Brodies LLP. The survey of 2,001 UK adults aged 50+
CMS has announced 48 new promotions in Scotland including four lawyers who move to the senior role of Of Counsel. The promotions also include an elevation for 14 colleagues operating in non-fee earning roles within the firm’s three Scottish offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
The Scottish National Investment Bank is to work with Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the organisation which champions the nation’s town centres, on strategic initiatives this year. This is a working relationship designed to encourage new and innovative investment opportunities to fu
As the public consultation on the Charities SORP 2026 ends, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has called for further action to ease the growing reporting burden on charities. Christine Scott, head of charities and reporting at ICAS said: "The proposed changes offer more clari
A Glasgow-based construction skills provider has been sold for more than £2.2 million, almost £400,000 above its original valuation. The deal was secured following a competitive sale process led by M&A advisory and business finance firm Hilton Smythe.
UK CPI inflation has remained frozen at 3.4% in May, after the Office for National Statistics corrected April's 3.5% reading to 3.4%. Annual food inflation surged to 4.4% last month, a notable rise from 3.4% in April. This was spurred by the fastest-ever recorded increases in the price of sugar, jam
Nearly one in six inward investment projects in the UK last year were secured in Scotland, according to new data published by EY.
Insolvency-related activity in Scotland hit a 29-month high in May 2025, according to new research from R3. The insolvency and restructuring trade body's analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows there were 141 cases of insolvency-related activity in Scotland in May – the highest number on
RSM UK’s regional managing partner for Scotland, Ross Stupart, examines the potential ramifications of the recent UK government Spending Review for Scottish businesses and the subsequent fiscal decisions the Scottish Government faces. With the UK suffering sluggish domestic growth, falling emp
Armstrong Watson’s head of payroll has received national recognition for her devoted contribution to the payroll industry. Karen Thomson has been named among the most influential people in the payroll and reward industry by Reward Strategy on its Partner 50 list for 2025 – which features
The UK economy contracted by 0.3% in April, a sharper decline than economists had forecast. Data released by the Office for National Statistics on Thursday revealed a more substantial downturn than the 0.1% contraction that had been anticipated, reversing the 0.2% growth seen in March.
Edinburgh-headquartered BR-DGE has announced the latest global alternative payment method (APM) supported on its platform, through a strategic partnership with AstroPay, a global digital wallet service. AstroPay is now integrated with BR-DGE’s platform, making it available as an alternative pa
The internal audit team at Wbg has secured seven new clients in the first quarter of 2025 and retained a further five following competitive re-tenders, generating a recurring fee income of over £285,000. The team’s expanded public sector client portfolio includes contract wins for N
