News

UK GDP grew faster than expected in the second quarter, expanding by 0.3%, but a slowdown from the start of the year has highlighted challenges facing the Chancellor ahead of the autumn budget. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed that growth had cooled from a strong 0.7%

UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are holding back on investment despite possessing significant cash reserves, according to Azets. Peter Gallanagh, UK CEO at Azets, says business owners are ready to spend pent-up capital but are “paralysed by fear” due to geopolitical uncertai

FinTech Scotland has announced that law firm CMS and international payments leader Mastercard have joined the Scottish Fintech Cluster as strategic partners – enhancing the cluster’s collective strengths. The new strategic partners bring additional world-class financial and professional

Supply levels across Scotland’s residential property market rose at the fastest rate seen since 2020, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey. This follows a period of six consecutive months where this balance has been edging further up

Wbg has appointed Garry Clarke CA as its new chief financial officer to spearhead the firm’s ambitious growth strategy. Mr Clarke was most recently finance director and chief operating officer at Localist (formerly known as Enterprise Foods). The high-level appointment further bolsters Wb

An American state is to consider a bill proposing to create a register of job applicants who fail to show at interviews. Ohio's dystopian House Bill 395 would allow employers to report applicants who skip interviews without notice, NBC4 Columbus reports.

The collapse of Fife-based engineering firm Burntisland Fabrications (Bifab) has left the Scottish public purse with a shortfall of £16.4 million, with administrators confirming that none of the debt has been repaid. Bifab entered administration in December 2020 after failing to win new contra

Grantify, a UK-based funding consultancy and AI-powered technology platform that makes it easy for SMEs to win funding, has announced that it is now servicing two new Scottish funding programmes: Scottish Enterprise’s SMART: SCOTLAND grant and its Research and Development (R&D) grant. The

Law firm DWF has partnered with Edinburgh-based fintech Stellar Omada to deliver a unique social mobility initiative aimed at inspiring young people to explore career opportunities in both the legal and technology sectors.

Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has reported a 5% increase in revenue to £680 million in its most recent financial year. Profit per equity partner rose by a small 0.5% to reach £797,000 in the year ending 30 April 2025, according to the firm's unaudited financial results.

Aberdeenshire financial advisory firm Structured Financial Planning has opened a new high street office in Banchory. The expansion marks a key milestone for the North East firm, which was founded in Banff over 20 years ago. Co-owner and financial planner Neil Stewart is head of the firm's new Bancho

Fraud now accounts for an estimated 41% of all crime against individuals in England and Wales, according to the National Crime Agency, and in response, a multi-agency initiative is now being rolled out to take greater action to protect the public, following a successful pilot programme led by C

PwC has intensified its monitoring of UK employee office attendance by introducing a digital dashboard that tracks building entry swipes and WiFi connections, leading to unease among some staff. The system, which went live for supervisors in April, is designed to enforce the organisation's hybr

Chartered surveyor DM Hall has merged its Ayr and Irvine branches into a new office in Prestwick. The new workspace at Eldo House, Monkton Road, marks a significant investment in DM Hall’s long-standing commitment to serving clients across Ayrshire, offering improved accessibility, expanded ca

The director of a century-old Scottish machinery firm which went into administration last year has been banned after failing to declare more than £1.5 million in VAT.