Ken Clarke backtracks after tax break quip
CABINET minister Ken Clarke has backed away from comments suggesting the Conservatives may not make good on a promise to give tax breaks to married couples during the course of this Parliament.In a...
View ArticleLloyds and RBS remain mired in red
MORE pressure will be piled on Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds this week when they post further losses on the back of product mis-selling scandals. RBS is expected to report a £1 billion bottom line...
View ArticleScottish universities under fire for degree ‘inflation’
RECORD numbers of students are graduating from Scotland’s universities with first or upper class degrees, prompting calls for the 200-year-old classification system to be scrapped.Figures obtained by...
View ArticleRise in ‘false rape’ charges in Scotland
THERE has been a marked rise in the number of women charged with wasting police time after withdrawing rape allegations, campaigners claim.Rape Crisis Scotland said at least four women were currently...
View ArticleAnalysis: Tony Kelly of Justice Scotland
FOR far too long human rights were understood to be synonymous with prisoners’ rights.The criminal justice system has focused upon criminals. That has changed and the course of change is set to...
View ArticleBarr and Britvic poised to tie knot in £1.4bn deal
IRN-Bru maker AG Barr and the bigger soft drinks group Britvic are poised for an announcement this week that they have successfully struck a £1.4 billion merger deal after lengthy talks.The Scottish...
View ArticleAlex Salmond accused of bid to rig ministerial code inquiry
ALEX Salmond was last night accused of attempting to rig the inquiry into his conduct after one of his investigators said that he has been “stood down” by Scotland’s most senior civil servant.Lord...
View ArticleHead injury a hidden killer, warns mother
A MOTHER whose son committed suicide is leading a campaign to have doctors in Scotland recognise a form of depression suffered by up to a third of people who experience a head injury.Joanna Lane, a...
View ArticleRenewable energy in demand as venture capitalists seek ‘safe haven’
VENTURE capitalists are flocking to Britain’s renewable energy sector as a “safe haven” from the Eurozone debt crisis, according to figures released ahead of a major conference this week.Nineteen...
View ArticleTechnology guru pitches in with advice for entrepreneurs
SCOTTISH technology entrepreneurs need to clarify their business pitch to investors in order to capitalise on the advantages created by universities and incubators, according to a Silicon Valley...
View ArticleRape case Study: Emma’s story
EMMA was in a violent relationship for a year before she found the courage to talk to police. The 40-year-old Scot, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said: “My boyfriend was reported...
View ArticleJeff Salway: Small reprieve for mortgage prisoners
A SHORT five years ago lenders were still handing out mortgages on a no-questions-asked basis, churning out interest-only deals and “liar’s loans” like there was no tomorrow.And as far as the mortgage...
View ArticleMusic tuition battle strikes a chord on exams
MIDLOTHIAN Council plans to drop charges for instrumental music lessons for children sitting SQA exams and two other councils are reviewing their charges following the launch last month of Scotland on...
View ArticlePolice plea over escapee suspected of committing sex offence in Tayside
POLICE have issued a fresh appeal for information in the hunt for a “dangerous and predatory individual” suspected of committing a serious sex offence while on the run.Ivan Leach, also known as Lee...
View ArticleTax move ‘will cost firms £18m’
A HOST of business leaders have joined forces to condemn the Scottish Government’s plans to scrap a tax relief on property owners ahead of a final vote in parliament this week. The Scottish Parliament...
View ArticleStars fear fallout from Jimmy Savile scandal amid fears they could be implicated
DOZENS of celebrities who shot to fame in the 1960s and 1970s have enlisted the services of a public relations expert amid fears that they could be implicated in the deepening child abuse scandal...
View ArticleAppeal for witnesses to road death on B7081 in East Ayrshire
A PEDESTRIAN has been killed after being struck by a vehicle in East Ayrshire.The 55-year-old man was walking along the B7081 Irvine Road in Crosshouse at about 8.55pm on Friday when the accident...
View ArticleNext set to sparkle on the high street
FASHION and homewares chain Next is this week expected to show it is sparkling amid the high street gloom with another rise in sales.Online income is expected to show a particularly strong uplift....
View ArticleScottish independence: Michael Moore sets out stall on home rule
SCOTTISH Secretary Michael Moore yesterday said a stronger devolved Scottish Parliament was the alternative to an independent Scotland in an address to the Lib Dem conference yesterday.Moore claimed...
View ArticleMarket watch: Nish to look on bright side of Life
STANDARD Life chief executive David Nish will strive to paint a bright outlook this week amid turbulent conditions in the insurance sector.The firm is expected to report further growth in assets on...
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