Sophie Taylor, senior associate, looks at the top stories for the week ahead.
Nicola Sturgeon was back on the front pages yesterday ahead of the publication of her memoir, Frankly. Extracts, including tales of her arrest and feud with Alex Salmond, are alluded to in an interview (£) published in The Sunday Times. We can expect more chat where that came from as the book is launched on Thursday.
This week might be Sturgeon’s, but gossip and analysis surrounding deputy first minister Kate Forbes’ decision not to stand at next year’s election will likely continue in the coming days. She also took to The Sunday Times to give her account of why she is leaving politics (£) – reflecting on her political career and its impact on her family life.
Much of the world will be looking toward Friday when Trump and Putin meet in Alaska (£) to discuss a ‘path to peace’ in Ukraine. In Trump’s words, this might involve “some swapping of territory”, which Zelensky has been clear isn’t an option.
Meanwhile, US vice president JD Vance and British foreign secretary David Lammyheld an urgent gathering of European, American and Ukrainian officials on Saturday to discuss prospects for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
We can expect more diplomatic manoeuvring this week ahead of Friday’s meeting to try and give the discussions the best chance of achieving some positive outcomes.
Meanwhile, tomorrow marks the end of the 90-day tariff truce with China (£) - which reduced the US president’s imposed tariffs on the nation from as high as 145%. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said the administration would probably extend the negotiation period by (another) 90 days.
In brief - Scotland's economy and business
SSEN Transmission is seeking consent for a 107-mile line of super-pylons through the Scottish highlands. Over 50 consultation events and public meetings have taken place to help inform the development of the proposed overhead line - one of the biggest public consultation exercises the north of Scotland has seen.
Passengers on ScotRail trains could be charged a minimum fare (£) if they do not buy a ticket before boarding. This move aims to deter passengers from claiming they made shorter journeys than they had travelled and reduce the estimated £10 million a year lost to the Scottish Government through ticket fraud.
Teaching staff at the University of Edinburgh face pressure to reduce the number of exams taken by students (£) as part of a cost-cutting drive, as the institution looks to cut £140 million off its budget.
OpinioNation - columns of interest
Is “grifter” the political insult of 2025? Writing in The Guardian, Anoosh Chakelianraises concern over the quality of our political debate. The use of the word grifter - which doubled in written use between 2017 and 2024 according to the Oxford English Dictionary – has been used repeatedly by politicians to describe one another. She argues disagreeing politically with someone doesn’t necessarily mean they are dishonest.
“If boomers want to do something really useful for the younger generation, they should go out and party like it’s 1999” according to Gillian Bowditch. Writing in The Sunday Times, she explores the demise of the night-time economy in Scotland and, with Gen Z prioritising wellbeing over socialising, argues the older generation should step up and stay out till the early hours (£).
The week ahead - fill your diary with key events
NB: Both the UK and Scottish parliaments are currently in summer recess.
Monday
- The trial of MP Tulip Siddiq and other co-defendants begins. They are accused of corruption in relation to Siddiq’s aunt - the former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina
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Reports:
- UK CIPD quarterly Labour Market Outlook
- KPMG and REC jobs report
- Heathrow July airport passenger figures
Tuesday
- The Beijing-Washington pause on the imposition of new tariffs is set to end
- Ariane 6 rocket launch in French Guiana, carrying EUMETSAT’s Metop-SGA1 satellite, the first of the next generation of European polar-orbiting weather satellites
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Reports:
- UK August unemployment figures
- BRC July Retail Sales Monitor
- US July CPI inflation rate data
Wednesday
- Scottish Government data release: Government Expenditure and Revenues Scotland, 2024-25
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Reports:
- US June State Job Openings
- Labour Turnover Survey data
Thursday
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Scottish Government data release:
- Wealth in Scotland, 2006 – 2022
- Mid-year Population Estimates, mid-2024
- Migration Statistics, mid-2024
- A-level results day for school students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Reports:
- EU preliminary Q2 GDP estimate
- US July PPI inflation rate data
- UK preliminary June and Q2 GDP estimates, trade figures, and flash productivity statistics
- Rics Residential Market Survey
Friday
- Scottish Government data release: Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey, 2024
- Donald Trump to meet Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss a ceasefire deal for the Ukraine conflict
- V-J Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s Emperor Hirohito announcing his country’s surrender to the Allies. In the UK, King Charles has recorded an address to the nation to mark the day
- Beijing to host the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games, the first global sporting event dedicated solely to humanoid robots, which runs until Sunday
- Reports: US July import and export price indices