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Scotland 'resilient'

UK trade deal doubts create window for M&A activity

Jonathan Boyers
Jonathan Boyers: ‘expect to see more deals happen in the first part of the year’ Doubts over future trading relationships between Britain and the rest of the world will createRead More

Bank profits slump

Lloyds takes further PPI hit as corporate activity slows

Lloyds Banking Group
Lower corporate activity hit figures at the bank (pic: Terry Murden) Lloyds Banking Group has seen full-year profits plunge 27% from £5.9bn to £4.4bn as it took a hit fromRead More

Family firm sold

BSW Timber acquired by private equity firm Endless

BSW timber and Endless
Martin Gale (chairman, BSW), Tom Callaghan (Investment Manager, Endless) Private equity investor Endless has acquired Scotland-based BSW Timber and its associated subsidiaries. BSW is the largest integrated forestry and saw-millingRead More

Critics attack 'hostile' plan

Immigrants ‘need to speak English’ under points system

Wagamama, service, hospitality, restaurant
Restaurants are among those using immigrant labour (pic: Terry Murden) British companies will be discouraged from employing cheap labour from the EU under post-immigration plans unveiled by the government. TheRead More

Retail update

End for Beales as Asda falls and bargain hunters lift Scots stores

Beales Perth
Beales’ Perth store was among the first to close The remaining 11 Beales department stores look certain to close after failing attract offers.  It had been hoped to find a buyerRead More

Labour data

Jobless close to record low but interest rate may still be cut

Jamie Hepburn
Jamie Hepburn: ‘making Scotland’s workplaces fairer’ (pic: Terry Murden) Unemployment in Scotland over the last quarter of 2019 fell to 3.5%, close to the record low and 0.3 percentage pointsRead More

35,000 jobs to go

HSBC poised for sharp cuts after profits slump 33%

HSBC
Cuts are on the way at Europe’s biggest bank but branches will escape (pic: Terry Murden) HSBC is poised for massive cuts in jobs in a restructuring of its operationsRead More

Further call for action

Small firms use new finance to bridge late payments

Mike Cherry
Mike Cherry: ‘government must make this crisis a top priority’ Small firms are applying for new finance to manage cash flow rather than to invest in their businesses, according toRead More

Minister's decision awaited

Budget date may change, adding to Scots uncertainty

Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak: possible new date New Chancellor Rishi Sunak may delay the date of next month’s Budget in order to give himself more time to prepare, adding more uncertainty overRead More

Five year plan

Chinese offer to build ‘cheaper and quicker’ HS2

HS2 train
HS2: not due to arrive until 2040 China’s state-owned railway builder is offering to the HS2 high-speed rail line in Britain at a fraction of the cost and in justRead More