First Minister John Swinney will propose Monday 15 June 2026 is designated a national bank holiday to mark Scotland’s participation in the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
This will allow individuals, businesses and other organisations in Scotland to celebrate after the men’s team play their opening game against Haiti in Boston.
The First Minister said: “Scotland qualifying for the men’s World Cup was a remarkable achievement and a landmark moment, and the reaction to the dramatic win against Denmark reminded us all what football means to the country.
“This year, we want to make the most of this huge opportunity for Scotland and ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to celebrate the team’s success.
“Not only is this an historic sporting event, it’s also a chance for Scotland to be on the world stage, to attract business development, create tourism interest within the country and to make cultural and sporting connections.
“That is why I am taking steps to ensure the Monday after our opening game should be national bank holiday, so that – no matter the outcome of the match – we can all come together to share the occasion.”
As temperatures drop and heavy snowfall is forecast across the UK, motorists are being urged to keep a “snowed-in survival kit” in their cars and vans.
Motoring experts at LeaseLoco say there are ten essential items every driver should have on hand during wintry weather.
Some, like de-icer and ice scrapers, are often found in most cars in winter, but the list also includes less obvious must-haves such as shovels and even pieces of old carpet.
Drivers are advised to carry warm clothes and high-visibility gear, plus a hazard warning triangle to stay safe if they get stuck in the dark.
A wind-up torch, phone charger, and jump-start kit are also recommended for emergencies.
Old rugs or carpet can give wheels extra grip if a car gets stuck, while a shovel and some basic provisions – water, snacks, or a hot drink – can make a long wait much more bearable.
John Wilmot, CEO and founder of car leasing deals site LeaseLoco.com said: “Breaking down is bad any time of the year, but breaking down in the snow is particularly dangerous and stressful, especially if you’re unprepared for the cold and icy conditions.
“The worst thing of all is if you’re stuck somewhere in the snow and you haven’t got what you need to stay safe or get moving.
“So we’ve put together a list of everything you might need to help drivers get prepared.
“Remember also to drive appropriately for snowy conditions. Slow down, keep a longer stopping distance, and use lower gears when necessary – especially going downhill. Braking, accelerating, and gear changes should always be smooth and gentle.”
Ten items to keep in your “snowed-in survival kit”:
Warm/high-vis clothes
Keep extra layers, gloves, hats, and a high-visibility vest in the car. They’ll protect you from the cold and make sure you’re seen if you need to step outside in poor weather or low light.
Ice scraper/de-icer
Only use specialist tools to clear ice and frost from your windscreen. Avoid makeshift alternatives that could scratch or damage the glass.
Shovel
A compact snow shovel can be a lifesaver if your car gets stuck. Use it to clear snow from around your wheels or dig a path if needed.
Carpet/rug
Small pieces of carpet, mat, or even cardboard can give your wheels extra traction if you’re struggling to move off on ice or packed snow.
Jump leads/power pack
Cold weather puts extra strain on car batteries. Jump leads let you borrow power from another vehicle, while a power pack lets you restart independently without relying on help.
Warning triangle
Keep one handy to place behind your car if you break down. It alerts other drivers and helps prevent accidents in poor visibility conditions.
Wind-up torch
Don’t rely on batteries – rechargeable or not. A wind-up torch ensures you’ll have light if you’re stuck in the dark or need to inspect the car safely.
Provisions
Pack water, snacks, and a hot drink in a thermos if you’re heading out in the snow. You never know how long you might have to wait for help if you get stuck, so stay hydrated and keep your energy levels up.
Phone charger/portable power bank
Make sure your phone stays powered so you can call for help, check weather updates, or contact friends and family.
First aid kit
Keep a basic first aid kit in the car. It allows you to treat minor injuries immediately until professional help arrives.
LeaseLoco is the UK’s biggest car lease comparison website, making it super quick and easy for drivers to filter and compare millions of deals from the UK’s leading car leasing companies to best suit their needs.
5.65 million people still need to file their Self Assessment tax return
Thousands of people celebrated the New Year by filing their Self Assessment tax return
6.36 million people head into 2026 with their tax affairs in order
Thousands of people got a head start on their 2026 resolutions by filing their Self Assessment tax return over the New Year.
With less than a month to the 31 January deadline, 54,053 customers chose to ring in the New Year by filing their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The figures, show:
342 customers beat the bells by filing their tax return in the last hour of 2025
19,789 missed their traditional New Year’s Day walk or day in front of the TV to file their tax return instead.
3,927 people filed between 11:00 and 11:59 on 31 December – the most popular time to file over the two days
More than 6.36 million taxpayers have submitted their tax return so far, which leaves almost 5.65 million who still need to complete their Self Assessment. Those who miss the deadline could face an initial late filing penalty of £100.
“New Year is a great time to start afresh. What better way than to ensure your tax affairs are in order for another year than completing your tax return. If you have yet to start, the clock is ticking, go to GOV.UK and start today.”
Customers can start their tax return, save it and re-visit it as many times as they need to before they submit it. And, once they’ve sent it, the bill doesn’t have to be paid straight away, but does need to be paid before the 31 January deadline.
The easiest way to pay is through the HMRC app. Customers can also set up notifications in the app to ensure they know when payments are due so they don’t miss a deadline.
Customers who are unable to meet the tax return deadline need to tell us before the 31 January. HMRC will treat those with reasonable excuses fairly.
The penalties for late tax returns are:
an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time
after 3 months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900
after 6 months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater
after 12 months, another 5% or £300 charge, whichever is greater
There are also additional penalties for late payments of 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months. If tax remains unpaid after the deadline, interest will also be charged on the amount owed, in addition to the penalties above.
People who complete a Self Assessment tax return to pay the High Interest Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) can opt out and choose to pay it through their tax code via the new PAYE digital service.
Eligible customers need to notify HMRC to stop Self Assessment before the filing deadline. Where a tax return has already been sent, customers can choose to stop from the following tax year. HMRC will then amend their tax code and they will be registered to pay HICBC through PAYE.
Customers do not need to include their 2025 Winter Fuel Payment, or Pension Age Winter Heating payment in Scotland, on their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year as payments received in Autumn 2025 will be recovered in the 2025 to 2026 tax return, due by 31 January 2027.
Self Assessment customers are at increased risk of being targeted by criminals and should never share their HMRC login details with anyone, including a tax agent, if they have one. HMRC scams advice is available on GOV.UK.
Experts advise against making hasty decisions about the future after festive stress
Relationships Scotland, Scotland’s leading relationship support charity, is urging couples to seek support for relationship issues, rather than opting for separation if they’ve had a challenging Christmas.
The first working Monday of the year, known as Divorce Day, is often the time when there’s a surge in people looking to leave their partner and enter into a formal separation agreement. This is often the result of the emotional pressures and expense of Christmas, which can push couples to breaking point as the New Year starts.
Stuart Valentine, Chief Executive of Relationships Scotlandsaid: “The New Year often prompts couples to reflect on their relationship, especially if the festive season has been fraught. Traditionally there is a spike in people looking to separate on what has become known as Divorce Day.
“Christmas can put a huge strain on relationships where families typically spend more time together with normal routines disrupted, creating a far higher potential for stress and arguments to erupt.
“Our advice is simple, and we urge couples not to be hasty in making decisions about the future but instead seek help to discuss the issues which are causing problems within the relationship.
“Often the advice and support from a trained counsellor can be the difference between a family staying together, or becoming another January divorce statistic.
“Where couples do decide to separate, we also have family mediators across the country who can help separating parents agree the future living arrangements for their children, ensuring both parents keep in contact with their kids after they split up where possible.”
The total number of divorces in Scotland has been relatively stable in Scotland over the last five years with 8,149 in 2024-25 compared to 8,251 in 2023-24.
Stuart Valentine added: “While Christmas will be a time of happiness for many, the pressure it brings can be too much for an already fragile relationship.
“Relationships Scotland understands the importance of positive and resilient relationships and the damage caused by relationship breakdown if not handled properly, especially for children.
“We hope couples experiencing difficulties will think about accessing support through counselling or mediation, before heading to the courts seeking divorce.”
The clock is ticking and the countdown is on. In January 2027, BT Openreach will shut down the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN), the technology behind analogue landline phones.
But with just 12 months remaining until the big switch-off, the digital experts at Workflo Solutions are warning some businesses are woefully underprepared for this landmark change.
The PSTN switch-off has been deemed necessary because the network of traditional copper lines is no longer equipped to handle the demands of today’s advanced digital world. Bandwidth limitations restrict its ability to support features such as video conferencing and data sharing – crucial tools for modern businesses – and maintaining this ageing infrastructure has become increasingly expensive and impractical.
Any equipment that currently uses the PSTN will stop working in January 2027. From phonelines to security alarms, door entry systems to CCTV, any technology that relies on the old copper lines will be affected.
And so businesses across the UK have been urged to move to a single, digital Internet Protocol (IP) network that primarily uses full-fibre connections.
Described by Workflo Solutions as the next generation of business communication, IP leverages the power and flexibility of the internet to deliver voice, data and video services over a single, high-speed fibre optic network. This shift to IP signifies a major technological leap forward in terms of speed, reliability and functionality.
Commenting ahead of the switch-off, Workflo Solutions’ managing director Michael Field said; “For sectors heavily reliant on traditional telephony, such as healthcare, telecare and security, it is essential that their critical services remain uninterrupted while alternative solutions are implemented.
“They need to act now to ensure a smooth transition to digital technologies to avoid disruption to their operations.
“Worryingly, there are still some businesses that are woefully underprepared for the switch-off. The move to IP-based networks is unavoidable, and postponing preparations might cause last-minute issues.
“So we’re urging all businesses to act now, review their current systems and begin implementing the necessary updates to ensure a seamless transition to a more advanced, efficient and versatile communication network before they get left behind.”
We are so excited to see runners signing up, doing what this community does best, coming together!
Join the fun and get yourself involved. Be part of the solution. We need you!!
Not a runner, don’t worry, you can walk it all if you like, or you can create a relay team and there will be lots of other fun activities over the weekend including a junior fun run for the small people and a more competitive version for the teens if they sign up.
An Inverclyde woman enjoyed her first smoke-free Christmas in 40 years thanks to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s free stop smoking service.
Mounting pressure from her sons and daughter, combined with the increasing cost of cigarettes, meant Patricia Weir from Port Glasgow was facing an uphill battle to justify her partially-private habit of smoking – something she’d done with close friends and at home regularly for 40 years.
However, after struggling to shake off what felt like a lingering hangover after her son’s wedding this summer, Patricia, 62, knew something was wrong and it was time to make a change.
Patricia said: “I was in the hospital five or six times this year and I came home after my son’s wedding in the summer and didn’t feel right.
“I didn’t feel great on the Monday and by the Tuesday, I still wasn’t myself. When it got to the Wednesday, I still wasn’t right, and my son took me to hospital. I discovered my kidneys weren’t functioning and I had sepsis. I knew then that it was time to stop.”
One call to NHSGGC’s stop smoking service, Quit Your Way, and Patricia was set up with free behaviour change support as well as free stop-smoking medication Varenicline through her pharmacy, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Like all smokers, Patricia had her own unique behaviours to change on her journey to going smoke free. For her, it was breaking away from the secrecy she’d built up around her smoking.
She’d only do it around certain people and in specific places, like late at night on her own.
However, with the help of Alison Workman, NHSGGC’s Quit Your Way stop smoking practitioner in Inverclyde, and Varenicline, Patricia has successfully completed her 12-week quit and is now smoke-free.
Patricia added: “There was a lot of work for me to do to change those habits. My family didn’t like it, it was affecting my health, I was embarrassed about it, and I couldn’t justify spending that money but I still had to make a choice to stop.
“I had to do that and I’m proud of that. I’m chuffed to bits with myself and I’m really grateful for Alison’s help, and the team at the pharmacy were great as well.
“I feel in more control of my life, and I genuinely now enjoy the fact that I don’t smoke.
“I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about stopping. Everybody’s different and there are all these different products to help you. I knew about Varenicline, and I knew I would be able to do it with that, so I have genuinely quit in my own way.”
Alison said: “Patricia found a way to quit that suited her and that’s why it worked. We decided Varenicline would be the right medication to curb her cravings, but the most important part was her desire to change.
“If you can make the commitment to change, we can support you to see it through. Patricia is living proof of that and is now smoke-free for Christmas after 40 years. We’re very proud of her and I’m sure her family are too.”
A TEAM of opticians in Edinburgh is celebrating after winning another coveted industry award.
Specsavers Morningside scooped the prize for Optical Assistant Team of the Year at the annual Optician Awards during a glittering ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Saturday 13 December.
The award comes a month after Specsavers Morningside, alongside its sister store Specsavers Cameron Toll, won the ‘Hearing Care Practice of the Year’ award at the inaugural Scottish Optical Awards last month.
The team, led by clinical director Michael O’Kane and retail director Joe Alubaid, were recognised for their commitment to making sure each customer feels special and maintaining a friendly atmosphere in the practice, as well as their passion for integrating new members of the team, developing staff and their work within the local community.
Michael says: ‘This is a brilliant award for a brilliant team. Our Optical Assistants are a vital part of Specsavers Morningside, serving our community with real pride.
‘Although our practice has grown significantly since opening in 2009, the team has never lost its personal touch.
‘They are an anchor within the community, knowing patients by name and consistently going above and beyond to ensure everyone feels comfortable, supported and well looked after.
‘They are fantastic examples of what Specsavers stands for, and I’m incredibly proud of them.’
Joe adds: ‘This recognition reflects the hard work and care the team puts in day after day.
“They support each other, welcome new colleagues and create an environment where people enjoy coming to work and customers enjoy coming in.
“Winning this award is well deserved and a real credit to everyone involved.”
The annual Optician Awards aim to celebrate the achievements of optics and audiology practitioners across the UK and Ireland, recognising excellence, innovation and impact within the profession.
Specsavers had twelve shortlisted entries spanning six categories in the running this year, including as finalist for the Eye Health Campaign of the Year alongside its charity partner Vision Care, which provides free eye care to homeless people across Scotland and the UK.
To learn more about the Optician Awards and view the full list, visit:
Specsavers Morningside is located at 85 Morningside Road and is open every Monday – Wednesday and every Friday from 9am – 6:30pm, every Thursday from 9:30am – 6:30pm and every Saturday from 9am – 6pm.
