Edinburgh food hall Bonnie & Wild reveals long weekend of Burns-inspired festivities

Edinburgh food hall Bonnie & Wild is putting on a special Burns Night Ceilidh and four-day Burns Supper in celebration of Scotland’s National Bard this week.

With Haggis specials coming from most of the upmarket food hall’s kitchens, it promises to be one of the country’s biggest and most diverse Burns Supper.

A ceilidh on Burns Night itself will see hundreds of dancers enjoying traditional Scottish dances such as Dashing White Sergeant, Strip the Willow and the Gay Gordons. Guests will have the choice of a range of haggis dishes, from Haggis bonbons to Haggis pizzas.

“We’re expecting to welcome a couple of hundred dancers along for our Burns ceilidh on Thursday, for what we hope will be one of our biggest and best ceilidhs yet,” said Bonnie & Wild’s General Manager Kate Russell.

“We’ll have a bagpiper, who’ll be piping in the Haggis before the traditional address midway through our ceilidh, as well as a few other surprises. And as well as the traditional, we’ve also got the not-so traditional from across our Scottish Marketplace, with the likes of El Perro Negro offering an Ode to a Haggis burger and our Sri Lankan street food kitchen Kochchi trialling a Haggis version of their popular Kotthu dish.”

Ms Russell added: “Burns is a brilliant reason to celebrate our country’s food, drink, dance and music. A perfect occasion for family and friends to come together to celebrate our Scottish culture, which Robert Burns and Burns Night itself it so many ways epitomises.”

Traditional Haggis, Neeps and Tatties comes from National Chef Gary Maclean’s Creel Caught, while family favourite Stack & Still has both sweet and savoury pancake options for diners over the weekend, with a Haggis stack available along with a Cranachan stack for dessert lovers. Edinburgh’s east PIZZA will be offering a special Haggis topping for their sourdough pizzas.

Acclaimed gelateria Joelato have made a Whisky and Marmalade gelato and a Hot Toddy Sorbet after partnering with local distillery Daffy’s. With a nod to traditional Scottish fare, Scottish deli Soup & Caboodle will have a pot of traditional seafood soup Cullen Skink on the go, alongside Haggis pies and takeaway Haggis for those people wanting a Burns Supper at home.

Not to be left out, Bonnie & Wild’s Rarity bottle shop is recommending Arran Distillery’s Robert Burns single malt or a bonnie bottle of Loch Lomond 18yo, with Bonnie & Wild’s offering Isle of Raasay whisky as their house pour.

Ms Russell added: “Bonnie & Wild is all about showing the breadth and depth of Scottish food and drink in a beautiful setting, and with the best example of Scottish hospitality. We’re very excited to be offering this range of Burns-inspired dishes and showing off the many ways Scotland’s national dish can be cooked and enjoyed, while also encouraging everyone to take the floor on Thursday for our free White Heather Club ceilidh!”

Dentons has advised Thomson Reuters for the first time on a corporate transaction, advising on its acquisition of World Business Media Limited, a cross-platform, subscription-based provider of editorial coverage for the (re)insurance industry.

World Business Media Limited is based in London and has an editorial hub in New York. It provides content globally for those working within the (re)insurance and speciality markets.

Raees Nakhuda, Senior Counsel, Mergers & Acquisitions at Thomson Reuters, said: “We are really pleased to have worked with Dentons on this significant acquisition. Their hard work really helped us get this over the line.”

The Dentons team was led by Adam Knowles in Edinburgh supported by Rachel Gibb, Paul Flynn, Murray Newell from Corporate, Alison Weatherhead and Aggie Salt in Employment, and John Finnick and Jamie MacGregor in Tax.

Aberdeen-based CyberSafe Scotland, a social enterprise that works to protect children in Scotland and around the world from online exploitation, welcomed a visit from Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, this week.

The Minister met Annabel Turner, CyberSafe founder and barrister, who explained the training and support the social enterprise offers to schools and parents and their consultancy work with local authorities to protect children in Scotland from online harm and improve cyber safety outcomes.

Annabel established CyberSafe in 2021 with help from a £5000 grant award from Firstport, which manages the Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund. As a social enterprise, CyberSafe reinvests its profits to further its social aims.

Apart from meeting the CyberSafe team, Mr Gray also spoke to local deputy head teacher Beki Bennet, who talked about how the support and training from CyberSafe have helped her school better equip teachers and parents to recognise and protect children from online harms.

Online child abuse has increased sharply over the last few years. The safety of children online, particularly of vulnerable ones, is a growing area of concern.

In Scotland alone, there was a 511% increase in reports of online offending targeting children between 2015 and 2021. Between March 2022 and April last year, Police Scotland carried out 700 investigations, arrested 500 people, almost all of them men, and safeguarded 800 children.

And only last October, a report published by the Internet Watch Foundation found that predators can make thousands of new AI images of real child victims. In a single month, the IWF investigated 11,108 AI images which had been shared on a dark web child abuse forum. Of these, 2,978 were confirmed as images which breach UK law – meaning they depicted child sexual abuse.

Speaking after the visit, Annabel Turner said: “It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to highlight the work of Cybersafe Scotland. One of the greatest risks to children online is the gap between children and adults in the online space. Our work is dedicated to ensuring the experiences of children and young people are heard and understood and then used to drive progress.

We see this as creating real opportunities for innovation across Scotland, we are hugely grateful for the support we have received from Firstport, Just Enterprise, Business Gateway and ONE.”

Gael Drummond, Firstport Chief Executive, said: “It was a pleasure to visit CyberSafe this week. Annabel and her team are doing an incredible job of educating teachers and parents on the threats children may face online and empowering young people to make safe and informed decisions when interacting with others online.

“Annabel is an inspiring social entrepreneur. She combines her skills and experience with her passion to make a positive impact, create worthwhile jobs, and earn a living. Women represent over 60% of successful awardees to the Social Entrepreneurs Fund, underlining women’s key role in creating a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable Scotland”.

More information about CyberSafe is available on their website. Details about the funding available through the Social Entrepreneurs Fund are available on the Firstport website.

The City of Edinburgh Council has set the bold and admirable target of Edinburgh becoming “a net zero” city by 2030. On its website the Council states:

“Our 2030 target recognises the need for Edinburgh to play its part in helping to deliver on national goals to reduce emission. And that cities will need to make faster progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions if Scotland is to meet its national 2045 net zero target”.

As often with matters like this, it isn’t so much the “what” that is being sought but the “how” it is going to be achieved. Delivering “net zero” mustn’t become a numbers game where companies and institutions, having done their bit to reduce their own emissions, simply find carbon credits in some obscure market, often overseas, with greenwashing accusations difficult to refute.

If Scotland is going to become a net zero country by 2045 much of the solution may well rest with the way our land is managed and farmed. Reducing carbon emissions is not the only way to hit the target. Nature-friendly farming, restoring peatland, planting hedgerows and allowing native trees to flourish should all be part of a joined-up strategy to achieve net zero status by improving the state of our depleted biodiversity.

At the moment it is comparatively easy to establish one’s carbon footprint and offset it but in the near future that offset could easily come in the form of paying a farmer or landowner to help them manage their land in a more nature friendly way. Improved biodiversity will become as measurable as carbon from an offsetting perspective and the team at Nature Broking (who have recently joined the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce) are keen to help companies look to a long-term nature-based, carbon-reducing solution.

There are many Scottish farmers in particular who are eager to farm in a more nature friendly way but simply can’t afford to because the distribution of subsidies in a post-Brexit world remains unclear. If the corporate world was able to provide the finance for these farmers’ aspirations then those corporations would immediately be doing the right thing from an environmental perspective but also, over time, from a net zero perspective in order to achieve what the nation has demanded by 2045. In other words a “win,win” situation.

Nature Broking is a new venture which joins up companies seeking to enhance their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda with farmers who have nature friendly projects that they want to implement. All projects for interested Edinburgh-located companies would be based in Scotland and a long-term, hands-on relationship between company and farmer would be developed. Nature Broking can also offer premium UK-based carbon credits on established projects.

Edinburgh is a beacon for the nation in its net zero goals. There are so many ways of being part of the efforts to get there. Nature Broking wants to be at the heart of it all.

Nigel Roberts, Advisor to Nature Broking Ltd

Scotland’s largest independent marketing agency, The Union Group, has succeeded in winning not one, but two highly competitive pitches, to be named as ScottishPower’s lead creative agency. Responsible for Strategic Advertising, Direct, Data and Digital Marketing, this is a major integrated win for the group, with the work sitting across both The Union and Union Direct arms of the business.

The three-year contract will see The Union and Union Direct focus on promoting ScottishPower’s energy products and services to both business and consumer audiences. The appointment will cover strategic planning, data segmentation, customer journey planning, above-the-line advertising, direct and digital marketing. The partnership begins with a UK-wide integrated campaign, spotlighting ScottishPower’s green energy technology products, from EV chargers, heat pumps and solar panels to 100% green tariffs.

Made up of five components all under one roof, the breadth of services and specialist expertise offered by The Union Group, across all key marketing disciplines has played a pivotal role in new business success. Recent wins include Lost Shore Surf Resort, which will be Europe’s largest inland surfing centre and resort. Set to open in Edinburgh in the autumn of 2024, The Union helped develop the brand and is delivering the phased rollout of the resort’s new Ecommerce website.

Other wins in 2023 include the design and build for three websites for Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), a complex project bringing to life the charity’s new vision and 2030 strategy.

The Union Group works with over 50 clients including: Scottish Widows, Halifax, Spire Healthcare, PodFather, Police Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, VisitScotland, Elivia Homes, Worldwide Cancer Research, The Scottish Government, Business Stream and Cigna Healthcare.

Ian McAteer, Founder and Chairman, Union said: “Winning not only one, but two successful competitive pitches for ScottishPower is an absolute business highlight of the year. As a group, over the last 18 months we been working hard to improve our internal integration, which has helped us to reinvigorate, innovate and enhance our client services and extend our offering. This includes developing our own in-house research and consultancy services. We aim to use data, insight, strategy and creativity to engage people with our clients’ brand to turn their audiences into advocates.”

“We are thrilled to be working with ScottishPower, a major new client, and proud of the excellent standard of work, commitment and creativity our brilliant team are already demonstrating in the delivery of our first of many ScottishPower campaigns.”

Mark Bowen, Sales and Marketing Director said: “We are delighted to welcome The Union on board as ScottishPower’s lead creative agency. The significant benefits of the integrated approach from The Union and Union Direct are already clear with the delivery of our first campaign ’Let’s change to greener living’, and we look forward to continuing to work together in 2024.”

BCC Welcomes UK Supply Chain Strategy

Responding to the release of the Government’s Critical Imports and Supply Chain Strategy, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, at the British Chambers of Commerce said:

“This strategy provides a substantial and compelling picture of the reliance an open trading economy, like the UK’s, has on these imports.

“We welcome its publication and its 18 recommendations, particularly the establishment of a Critical Imports Council, offering a focus on how the strategy is being delivered.

“We believe there is a role that trade policy can play, alongside inward investment strategy and industrial policy, to increase supply chain security.

“We would encourage Government to consider using free trade agreements and other mutual recognition deals with like-minded partners to broaden the UK’s supply sources.

“In particular, we hope the UK can develop deeper relationships with key critical material countries like Chile, and successfully conclude a Critical Minerals Agreement with the US.

“The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East show the UK’s deep connectivity with the rest of the world for key medicines, communications technology and components for manufacturing.

“We believe the Strategy sets out the right approach and look forward to engaging on how it can be delivered in the interests of growth in trade and inward investment.”

 

Kevin Winters, personal tax expert, Brodies LLP

The beginning of a new year is generally met with enthusiasm by most, often in the hope of making good on their resolutions for the year ahead. It can however elicit a distinct feeling of dread in others, specifically those that submit their own tax return: the 31 January is the deadline for all taxpayers that submit their personal tax returns i.e., those registered for ‘Self Assessment’ (SA), to have it lodged with, and any tax liability paid to, His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Notwithstanding that the tax rules will already be at the forefront of the minds of those registered for SA, January 2024 has additional importance following the entry into force of new rules on the reporting of income streams of taxpayers derived from the sale of goods or services via use of digital platforms.

What are the rules on how income is taxed?

The key point to note is that there are rules and they are, in the main, contained in three distinct pieces of legislation: the Income Tax Act 2007; the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003; and the Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005. These distinct pieces of legislation set out how different kinds of income – and there are many – are to be taxed, if at all.

For the majority of UK taxpayers, their interaction with the income tax rules will be relatively simple (albeit not always welcome). Where a taxpayer is employed, their employer will deal with their tax obligations on their behalf through the ‘Pay As You Earn’ (“PAYE“) system. If a taxpayer is perhaps retired and supports themselves through a pension, their pension provider can take the relevant deductions before the pension is paid over to the taxpayer.

The situation can become more involved where a taxpayer’s financial affairs are ‘complex’ e.g., they are self-employed or perhaps they are employed and have a ‘side hustle’ i.e., they receive an income that is not from their employer. Where that happens, then the taxpayer may find themselves needing to register for SA to tell HMRC about that ‘additional income’ and pay tax on it.

How do you tell HMRC about additional income?

The rules for telling HMRC about additional income depend on whether or not a taxpayer is voluntarily disclosing additional income to HMRC, or HMRC suspects that a taxpayer earns a separate income which has not been previously disclosed. The distinction is important and is something that needs to be borne in mind (more on that to follow).

What does all of this have to do with digital platforms?

Through the internet, many individuals have discovered opportunities to convert often unwanted property or goods into cash following the birth of digital platforms like Vinted, eBay, AirBnB and others. That all sounds like good news for the ‘supplier’ – more money for them! However, the question then arises, is the money that they receive ‘taxable income’ under the rules? If so, has that been reported, and tax paid to, HMRC? It all depends on the circumstances.

Historically, the question of whether or not an individual needs to register for SA and whether or not income needs to be reported and tax paid to HMRC has been delegated to the taxpayer i.e., the taxpayer ‘self-assesses’ their tax position either alone or with the support of a professional advisor. Through digital platforms taxpayers can enjoy additional income, but they may not know to report that income to HMRC.

Against that background, and the broader objective of tackling tax evasion generally, the UK has introduced The Platform Operators (Due Diligence and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2023 which oblige digital platforms to gather information on the income that users receive from the use of their platform. From January 2025, the digital platforms will be required to supply that information to HMRC.

What ‘income’ is caught by the regulations?

The regulations are, intentionally, drafted broadly. They can cover several different kinds of income including that from selling goods the renting of properties (for short or long term), a ‘personal service’ e.g., delivering goods, providing transport (a taxi service), providing a professional service e.g., tutoring, amongst other things. It is important to note that certain ‘suppliers’ are excluded under the Regulations i.e., there will be no need for a platform to submit a report to HMRC on them. That said, the exclusions are limited.

A key point to note is that taxpayers’ reporting obligations have not changed with the introduction of the regulations. If a taxpayer is a ‘trader’ using a digital platform to sell their goods / services, then they would need to report that income along with any allowable expenses on their SA tax return. That is not likely to be the case where an individual is not carrying on a ‘trade’, and is simply selling unwanted property that was previously purchased, perhaps, for a higher price.

Remember that the regulations impose a duty on platforms to gather information on the income streams of their users, and supply that information to HMRC. HMRC officials will then use that information to cross reference the information they hold on taxpayers and be able to identify any gaps in terms of the reporting and payment of tax. Certain platforms, specifically Vinted, have made clear that they will work with users to help them comply with the new rules.

What happens if there is a gap?

If taxable income from a digital platform is reported, and tax thereon paid to, HMRC by the taxpayer under SA, and it transpires that there is a discrepancy between that income and the information that HMRC receives on a taxpayer under the Regulations, or indeed any other existing reporting regime – do not forget that already HMRC draws information from a number of sources, including other tax authorities – then HMRC will have the right to carry out a check into the taxpayer’s tax record.

However, where a taxpayer does not disclose and return taxable, trading income from digital platforms and HMRC is furnished with details thereof by a third party i.e., the digital platform, then HMRC may raise a formal investigation into the taxpayers’ affairs.

All too quickly it becomes clear that there may be a need for individuals that have perhaps not had to consider SA previously to think about whether they need to take a more active role in managing their tax affairs.  Tax rules are complicated and, as can be seen here, constantly evolving to keep pace with modern life. It is the role of lawyers and tax advisors to help taxpayers understand the practical implications of those rules to ensure that their affairs are structured appropriately, and that they observe their obligations. The best advice to anyone grappling with how these or indeed any of the tax rules apply to them is simple: if in doubt, seek advice!

 

Responding to the latest inflation figures from the ONS, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce said:  

  

“Consumer price inflation remains stubborn with a slightly higher than expected growth rate of 4% in December 2023, and no change in core inflation at 5.1%. However, producer prices continued to fall by 2.8%. 

 

“For consumers, prices continue to rise from a very high base. The current global picture means the path ahead is now more uncertain. One of the core reasons for the last two years of inflation was supply chain collapse due to Covid-19 lockdowns, and current disruption in the Red Sea has already seen a spike in leading indicators such as shipping container and insurance costs. 

    

“Our surveys show while inflation has been diminishing as a concern for businesses, it remains top of the list, particularly for sectors more exposed to economic shocks like hospitality and retail. Coupled with trade barriers with the EU and ongoing worker shortages, trading conditions remain tough. 

 

“Businesses are increasingly desperate for a clear, long-term strategy which delivers on infrastructure, trade, skills, and green innovation to grow the economy.”  

During the period September to November 2023 Scotland’s labour market remained robust in the face of significant economic challenges.  The headline figures show an estimated employment rate of 74.4%, an increase of 0.1% over the quarter.  By way of comparison, Scotland’s estimated employment rate was slightly below the UK rate of 75.8%.  Scotland’s estimated unemployment rate was 3.8%, a decrease of 0.1% over the quarter. Scotland’s unemployment rate was below the UK rate of 4.2%.  The estimated economic inactivity rate in Scotland was 22.6%, a decrease of 0.1% over the quarter.  Such marginal changes over the quarter are encouraging against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis.

As we look ahead to 2024 we can expect further industrial unrest as real terms pay continues to battle against rising prices.  Inevitably, we are likely to see more movement in the labour market as employees seek out more lucrative pay packages.  In order to retain a stable workforce employers should be prioritising the attraction and retention of core talent to help ride out the challenging economic climate.  With increased pay not always being an option for employers, who themselves are facing spiralling costs, the importance of workplace culture and employee engagement should not be underestimated.

Responding to the latest labour market data from ONS, Jane Gratton, Deputy Director Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said:  

“Today’s data confirms labour market conditions are continuing to cool, with wage growth and the number of vacancies falling once again. However, labour costs remain a huge pressure on businesses dealing with a challenging economic environment.

“Too many firms are still struggling to hire and retain staff. Our latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook, showed over three quarters of firms attempting to recruit faced difficulties.

“The skills crisis continues to cast a shadow over the labour market. To help tackle the problem, we need a more flexible apprenticeship levy, access to rapid upskilling and reskilling opportunities, and a long-term commitment to Local Skills Improvement Plans across England.

“Businesses will be looking closely at the upcoming Budget for help to plug skills gaps and get more people into work.”