Terry Murden

5 days ago | dailybusinessgroup.co.uk | Terry Murden

Nigel Farage today took aim at the “net zero madness” and accused the UK and Scottish governments of overseeing the unnecessary and serious decline of the oil and gas industry. Speaking in Aberdeen, the Reform UK leader said the “super tax” of 75% imposed energy companies by the Conservative government was a “disaster” for the industry and Labour had only added to it by pushing it to 78% and stopping applications for new licences.

6 days ago | dailybusinessgroup.co.uk | Terry Murden

Heriot-Watt University is raising £35 million to build a research centre for brewing and distilling. The Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling (CSBD) will upgrade its current facilities which have gained a global reputation for teaching and development since opening in 1989.

6 days ago | dailybusinessgroup.co.uk | Terry Murden

Vodafone is investing £11 billion over the next decade, including £1.3bn in capital expenditure in the first year, after completing its merger with rival operator Three. The FTSE 100 telecoms group said the expenditure will accelerate the roll-out of the 5G network. Following the tie-up with Chinese conglomerate CK Hutchison, Vodafone will control 51% of the new business called VodafoneThree which will become Britain’s biggest mobile operator.

6 days ago | dailybusinessgroup.co.uk | Terry Murden

FirstGroup has ordered a fleet of trains for its London-Stirling route that will provide a number of Scottish stations with their first direct services to London. The company, which acquired Grand Union Wcml last year, has gained “open access” rail services for the route. Open access rail operators are set up with solely private investment and take full commercial risk and opportunity. The current track access agreement runs until 2030 and includes four return services a day (three on Sundays).

6 days ago | dailybusinessgroup.co.uk | Terry Murden

Growing opposition to immigration in Scotland has dealt a blow to First Minister John Swinney’s campaign to encourage more workers to move north of the border. New polling shows more than half of voters in favour of firmer controls on foreign labour. Tougher measures to cut immigration, announced by Sir Keir Starmer last month, are backed 51% of Scottish voters with only 28% opposed, according to the latest Norstat poll.