Insight

The National Security and Investment Act 2021 celebrated its first anniversary in January. The UK government has not been shy about using it, imposing 15 final orders either blocking or placing conditions on deals: in almost 20 years of the previous national security screening regime, fewer than 20

Victoria Ivinson discusses the conflict between passion and profits in the agricultural industry, and the importance of identifying and rectifying missed opportunities to ensure the financial stability and future success of rural businesses. Passion projects and a deeply ingrained love of a certain

Neil Kirk discusses the unintended consequences of rent freezes in Scotland, which have negatively impacted tenants, caused a shortage of rental properties, and deterred investment in the residential property sector. During a cost-of-living crisis, it might be difficult to feel sympathy for landlord

Nicola Alexander discusses the challenges faced by small, independent retailers due to Brexit and Covid such as increased import costs, and provides practical steps for businesses to ensure their continued operations. The cost-of-living crisis is an all-too-familiar phrase at the moment. It’s

Michael Reid discusses the available options a director should consider when a company is facing insolvency to ensure they act in the best interest of all stakeholders. If all attempts to avoid formal insolvency have been exhausted and the company is about to fold, directors might be forgiven for ha

Roman MacKenzie explores the Gary Lineker and BBC saga through an employment law lens. Welcome back to another classic matchup. The build-up has been immense and the fan interest has never been higher, taking the nation by storm: the BBC’s social media policy vs Gary Lineker’s personal v

Susan Nightingale gives businesses advice on how to build resilience when dealing with external challenges. During challenging times, access to insight and expertise is more important than ever for small businesses facing external pressures. The British Business Bank recently launched two new guides

Looking forward to next week's budget announcement, Vishal Chopra writes on what to expect from the Spring Statement in the current economic climate. With snow forecast to fall across the central belt this week, spring isn’t quite in the air. Indeed, the months since the Autumn Statement have

Chris Skidmore MP discusses the implications of the Energy Charter Treaty and why the UK should leave it to make progress towards its net zero goals and energy policy. In the Net Zero Review, published earlier this year, I called for the UK to respond to increasing global competition on net zero wit

As we mark International Womens day, Carol Flockhart discusses how more women can be supported to succeed as both entrepreneurs and business leaders. It’s International Women’s Day today. This global event celebrates women’s achievements and highlights some of the core challenges f

Jeremy Glen and Erin Findlay take a look at the state of the UK fintech sector and discuss its future potential. The UK fintech sector is the largest in Europe, second only to the United States globally. As the UK Government aims to strike a balance between innovation and the maintenance of a secure

Nick Pollard, Group Finance Director of the Link Group, writes here in his personal capacity. Is the social housing insurance market on the verge of collapsing, what will this mean and what are the solutions?

As implementation of the Deposit Returns Scheme (DRS) moves forward and the August deadline approaches, the Scottish Government must address business' concerns, bring clarity over logistical issues, and listen to the experience of industry before pushing forward, writes Laura Tainsh. The Scottish Go

Michael Reid, managing partner, Meston Reid & Co, discusses the ways to deal with an overdrawn director's loan account in the case of insolvency. As the number of formal insolvencies begins to increase and there are signs that recessionary pressures in 2023 will witness a further wave of company

With Scot­land and the rest of the UK con­tin­u­ally miss­ing house­build­ing tar­gets, Fraser Mitchell, part­ner in Shep­herd and Wed­der­burn's Prop­erty and In­fra­struc­ture team, asks: what are the road­blocks to build­ing?