Tag: research

UK kids dream big as majority aspire to start their own business

Most children in the UK have ambitions to start their own business in future and would like to learn some of the skills that are needed to do so when they’re at school.

The findings come from new research* of 1,000 children aged 9 – 11, revealing their financial habits and entrepreneurial aspirations.

The results show that over two-thirds (71%) of children want to learn about starting their own business at school, while four in five (83%) aspire to start their own business in the future.

The study, commissioned by Virgin Money, also found that children understand the value of saving, with 88% having saved money for something specific before, saving £57 on average. 

Despite the rise in digital transactions over recent years, cash remains a crucial part of children’s financial education. The research shows that almost half (47%) of children save their money in a piggy bank or money box, and 44% use cash when paying for things.  

Parents play a crucial role in financial education, with a remarkable 82% of children saying they learn how to manage their finances from their parents. The survey also found that 92% of children are engaging in conversations about money with their parents or guardians, highlighting the importance of family time in financial education. 

Children also recognise the value of investing, with around two-thirds (64%) preferring to invest to earn more in the future rather than spend it, if they were given £5.

The research by Virgin Money was undertaken to understand more about children’s views on money and entrepreneurship, as part of its Make £5 Grow programme. This programme is designed to develop financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills in 9-11 year olds across the UK, and over 200,000 pupils from over 3,000 schools have so far taken part.  

Newport Primary School, in Brough East Yorkshire, has participated in the Make £5 Grow programme since 2020. Their involvement began when a planned school trip to Northumberland was cancelled due to Covid restrictions. In response, the school organised a unique experience for the students by setting up a school camp-out and expanding it into a larger entrepreneurial project.

Since being involved in Make £5 Grow, the students have engaged in various business ideas, including car washing, homemade sweet treats, ice creams, making arts, crafts, and jewellery.

The funds raised from these ventures contribute to a Mini Festival for the students, featuring a silent disco, DJ, ice cream van, pizza trailer, stuntman performances, popcorn machines, and inflatables for the entire school to enjoy. Additionally, the money has been used to purchase scripts and music for the end-of-year school production. This project has not only provided fun and excitement but also fostered a sense of responsibility and teamwork among the students.

Amy Earl, teacher at Newport Primary School said: “The children count down the days until we start the Make £5 Grow project. They work so hard and deserve to make memories that last a lifetime while sharpening their entrepreneurial skills.

“With the incredible support of their families, who help sell these items rain or shine, the children have gained invaluable entrepreneurial skills and created lasting memories. I would always recommend, and have recommended, this project to other schools and teachers.”

Jasmin Sanghera, community manager at Virgin Money said: “Entrepreneurship is a key driver of growth in our economy, so it’s vital that we help to foster the skills needed from a young age. 

“Make £5 Grow is designed to empower children with the knowledge and confidence to pursue their business dreams, and we are thrilled to see such strong interest in learning about this from young people.” 

Children participating in Make £5 Grow are encouraged to develop innovative business ideas and generate a profit for their school, using a £5 loan per child from Virgin Money. The programme provides pupils with an insight into how the world of business and finance works.

It helps them to build key money management skills by starting a small business, with access to a Make £5 Grow Ambassador for business support and a suite of curriculum-based classroom tools, which have recently been accredited as a financial education resource by Young Enterprise.

The schools keep any profit made after repaying the initial £5 loan. 

Through this initiative, Virgin Money aims to empower the next generation to save, invest, and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, building a financially literate and economically resilient future. 

Further details are available at www.make-5-grow.co.uk

Scientists unlock new dimension in light manipulation

New era in photonic technology

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have made a groundbreaking discovery paving the way for a transformative era in photonic technology.

For decades, scientists have theorised the possibility of manipulating the optical properties of light by adding a new dimension—time. This once-elusive concept has now become a reality thanks to nanophotonics experts from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in Edinburgh.

The team’s breakthrough emerged from experiments with nanomaterials known as transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) – a special glass capable of changing how light moves through the material at incredible speeds. These compounds are widely found in solar panels and touchscreens and can be shaped as ultra-thin films measuring just 250 nanometers (0.00025 mm),smaller than the wavelength of visible light.

Led by Dr Marcello Ferrera, Associate Professor of Nanophotonics, the Heriot-Watt research team, supported by colleagues from Purdue University in the US, managed to “sculpt” the way TCOs react by radiating the material with ultra-fast pulses of light. Remarkably, the resulting temporally engineered layer was able to simultaneously control the direction and energy of individual particles of light, known as photons, a functionality which, up until now, had been unachievable.

The discovery is directly linked to the possibility of processing data at a far greater speed and volume than what is currently available. It is expected to have transformative impact in several key areas such as optical computing and AI, integrated quantum technologies, and ultra-fast physics.

“It is difficult to grasp the advances we will experience in our daily lives as a result of this breakthrough,” explains Dr Ferrera.

“By using a nonlinear material to fully exploit optical bandwidth, companies and major organisations can process so much more information. This will hold huge benefits to the likes of data centres and advancing AI technology, among others, and will underpin exciting new technologies we cannot fully understand at this time.”

Commenting further on the potential future uses arising from this research, Dr Ferrera said: “Society is thirsty for bandwidth.

“If we are aiming at making a virtual meeting a fully immersive 3D experience, this would demand enormous computational power and processing speed, which only ultra-fast all-optical components can provide. The material properties we are investigating here could increase computational speed by several orders of magnitude, enabling handling much greater volumes of information at a fraction of current energy expenditure.

“What science and technology is trying to do is emulate the human brain but by using electronic hardware. The materials we are working on are the ingredients towards this goal that can lower the energy consumption of these computational units, reducing costs and increasing processing power.”

Dr Wallace Jaffray, a postdoctoral research associate and Sven Stengel, a doctoral researcher, have been working alongside Dr Ferrera on the cutting-edge research at Heriot-Watt University.

The core of their breakthrough lies in the ability to manipulate TCOs to control the speed at which photons travel. This newfound capacity effectively adds a ‘fourth dimension’, enabling extraordinary light transformations, including amplification, the creation of quantum states, and new forms of light control.

Dr Ferrera continues: “Searching for a material that can drastically change under low-energy illumination in an ultra-fast manner has been the quest for the Holy Grail in all-optical technologies since the invention of laser.

“This new class of time-varying media is the biggest leap forward towards the perfect optically controllable material in decades enabling a large variety of novel and exciting effects that scientists all over the world are rushing to attempt. This is a new age in nonlinear optics which targets full light-control without the need of slow electric signals.”

The findings have been published in the peer reviewed journal, Nature Photonics.

Vladimir M. Shalaev, a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, who assisted in the research said: “These low-index transparent conductors have brought a real revolution within the field of integrated nonlinear optics, allowing for the effective and energy-efficient manipulation of optical signals on unprecedentedly short time scales.”

Alexandra Boltasseva, a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, added: “Our common research effort demonstrates that with these materials we can finally use the variable of time for engineering the optical properties of compounds beyond what is currently possible by using standard fabrication processes.”

Dr Ferrera was recently awarded a share of £6.5m from the UK-Canada Quantum for Science Research Collaboration to advance his research over the next two years.

Scientist from The University of Edinburgh takes research to Westminster

Benjamín Armijo Galdames, a PhD student at The University of Edinburgh, is attending Parliament to present his biosciences research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges as part of STEM for BRITAIN tomorrow (Tuesday 11 March).

Benjamín’s poster, on the valorisation of next generation plastic waste using engineering biology, will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.

Benjamín’s poster was shortlisted from several hundred applicants to appear at the event in Parliament.

On presenting his research in Parliament, Benjamín said, “I applied to STEM for BRITAIN as it is a highly prestigious and long-standing competition. I was also interested in being able to present my research to an audience that is currently involved in the creation of new regulations associated with sustainable development.

“To be able to interact with them, to understand their conception of our work and its importance is fundamental to promote the development of scientific research linked to the needs of society and our community.”

George Freeman MP, Chair of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said: “This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.

“These early career engineers, mathematicians, and scientists are the architects of our future and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”

Benjamín’s research has been entered into the biosciences session of the competition, which will end in a gold, silver, and bronze prize-giving ceremony.

Judged by leading academics, each winner will receive a cash prize with a medal for the gold recipient.

The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society, The Nutrition Society, and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with sponsorship from Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Warwick Manufacturing Group, AWE, the Society of Chemical Industry, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, the Biochemical Society, and the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

Heriot-Watt scientist receives €2 million funding to help predict the unexpected

A mathematician who specialises in quantifying uncertainty has won a €2 million funding award from the Italian government.

Lorenzo Pareschi, Chair of Applied Mathematics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, will use the funding to try to better understand and predict complex phenomena such as epidemics, traffic, the economy and even how opinions spread on social media.

Professor Pareschi said: “This research could potentially impact many sectors, including clean energy production and space exploration. But the tools we develop could also be applied to situations closer to our daily lives, like the spread of epidemics, the way opinions develop on social media and the progress of elections.”

The award is an Advanced Grant from the Italian Science Fund (FIS), which was established by Italy’s Ministry of University and Research to support research excellence in Italy.

The University of Ferrara in Italy, where Professor Pareschi is a Professor of Numerical Analysis, said the award underlines the “central role of applied mathematics in understanding and predicting the scientific and technological challenges of modern society.”

Professor Pareschi is also the only mathematics researcher in Italy to receive Advanced Grant funding from the Italian Science Fund, the University of Ferrera added.

Professor Sara Lombardo, Executive Dean of Heriot-Watt’s School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, said: “We are delighted to see Lorenzo’s work recognised with this prestigious award.

“His research is already making important contributions to science – and raising awareness of the crucial role of mathematics in making sense of the world.”

Professor Pareschi leads the research project ADAMUS, which develops advanced mathematical tools to analyse complex systems from epidemics to environmental and societal dynamics.

The project identifies interconnected dynamics in seemingly different phenomena—dynamics that often cannot be effectively studied using conventional methods. ADAMUS was created to develop new mathematical frameworks capable of describing, analysing, and predicting such phenomena with greater precision and efficiency.

Professor Pareschi explained: “We are essentially using mathematics to uncover and describe the hidden laws governing certain phenomena. This is becoming increasingly important as risks associated with emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, continue to grow.

“For example, we know that social media can influence political elections, shape public opinion, and even affect consumer behaviour. Developing predictive tools for these dynamics can also help mitigate the spread of fake news, enabling us to better understand, control, and navigate these complex phenomena.”

Professor Pareschi received his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Bologna, Italy, and subsequently held visiting professorships in the United States at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta and the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in France at the University of Orléans and University of Toulouse.

He was previously Head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Ferrara in Italy and holds awards including a 2023 Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship, which awards long-term funding to senior researchers in the UK

Since joining Heriot-Watt University in 2023, Professor Pareschi’s research has increasingly focused on problems of uncertainty quantification, optimal control, global optimisation and machine learning.

Professor Pareschi is also member of the steering committee of the Italian Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIMAI), and member of the Committee for Applications and Interdisciplinary Relations (CAIR) of the European Mathematical Society (EMS).

Bosses urged to do more to support neurodiverse staff

Report shows staff turnover reduced by proactive support

New research published today by workplace expert Acas, highlights the importance of training and proactive action to support neurodiverse staff.

Neurodiversity describes the natural differences in how people’s brains process information, and how they feel and behave. Well-known types of neurodivergence include neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

The report emphasises the importance of training and supporting managers, so they know how to treat and support their neurodivergent staff.

The research shows that creating inclusive environments and personalised adjustments can be achieved proactively, without the need for a formal diagnosis or staff disclosure.

Acas Interim Chief Executive Dan Ellis said: “It is estimated that between 15-20% of UK adults are neurodivergent. This is a potentially enormous number of workers who may not be getting the support they need.

“Our research outlines the urgent need to put support for neurodivergent people at the heart of workplace policies and training, and the huge benefits for businesses when that happens.

“Taking steps to support neurodivergent staff is often quick, easy and inexpensive, but the advantages can be widespread. We encourage employers to make sure they do everything they can to support their staff.”

The independent research was conducted by Birkbeck, University of London, for Acas. The researchers combined insights from experts working in neuroinclusion, in depth case studies and a summary of published evidence.

The research found that neuroinclusion is possible in all workplaces, whether large or small.

The research documents good practice including how to manage performance in neurodiverse teams and the benefit of small changes, such as accessible written materials.

The research found that one small business which is incorporating neuroinclusion proactively, reduced its staff turnover to 8%, against a national average of 34%.

The report found that:

·       Proactively supporting neurodivergent staff and creating inclusive work environments where neurodivergent talents are supported can benefit everyone at work.

·       Mandatory and regularly updated neurodiversity training is key to promoting inclusive workplaces.

·       Line managers are pivotal in supporting neurodivergent employees so it’s vital they have the necessary training to facilitate inclusion.

·       Being proactive in making reasonable adjustments shouldn’t require a diagnosis or formal disclosure from staff.

·       Specialised adjustments may require balancing of individual and organisational needs. Smaller businesses with limited resources may find external support from organisations like Acas useful.

Professor Almuth McDowall at Birkbeck, University of London leads a research centre dedicated to supporting neurodivergent talent. She said: “It was a privilege to learn from our participants and share good practice. It is very important that neuroinclusion is part of wider conversations about workplace equity and inclusion.

“Conversations about adjustments should focus on performance optimisation to harness neurodivergent talent. Simple and centralised processes are important to reduce the burden on managers.

“Our case studies show that good practice can reduce turnover to as low as 8%. Organisations should set themselves clear targets for neuroinclusion and monitor and publish data.”

The report also shows that some workplaces are taking an innovative approach to neuroinclusion.

Jodie Hill is Managing Partner at Thrive Law, a business that prioritises inclusion and support for its neurodivergent staff. She said:  “The benefits of introducing reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent staff at Thrive has been overwhelming, particularly for me as a neurodivergent leader.

“Having the adjustments in place not only helps me, but it helps my team, and my clients, understand my needs.

“By creating a neurodiverse workplace, we create a competitive advantage and a workplace that has cognitive differences. We support people’s strengths and create an environment where those individuals can thrive.”

A full copy of the report can be viewed online https://www.acas.org.uk/research-and-commentary/neurodiversity-at-work-research-practice-and-policy

Shelter Scotland research: Children’s experiences in temporary accommodation

New research commissioned by Shelter Scotland reveals that over ten thousand children living in temporary accommodation are at risk of severe impacts on their health, education, and social lives.

Professor Nadzeya Svirydzenka of De Montfort University and Professor Monica Lakhanpaul of University College London interviewed twenty-three children and parents from four Scottish local authorities.

The report titled “IN THEIR OWN WORDS: CHILDREN’S EXPERIENCES IN TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION” shows that children living in temporary accommodation face safety issues such as overcrowding, dampness, mould, antisocial behaviour, pest-infestations and more.

Temporary accommodation has also been found to impact the mental health of children and parents, leading to anxiety, depression, increased aggression, and disturbed sleep. Children in these situations were also found to be socially isolated and their school attendance disrupted.

This research is published following a significant increase in the number of children in temporary accommodation in Scotland. Scottish Government figures show there are 10,360 children in temporary accommodation, a 149% increase in the last ten years.

On average, single people spend 240 days in temporary accommodation, a single parent with children 355 days, and a couple with children 565 days. The number of children in bed and breakfasts has risen by 223% (290 children) between September 2023 and 2024 (Scottish Government, 2025)

In Edinburgh, the number of children in temporary accommodation has grown by 74% since 2020 to a backdrop of rapidly increasing homelessness in the capital.

Shelter Scotland’s report calls for an increased supply of family homes, more work towards homelessness prevention, addressing the poor quality of temporary accommodation, and taking a ‘children’s rights-based approach’ to the allocation of temporary accommodation.

Scottish Conservative MSP for Lothian Miles Briggs attended the launch event for this research in Edinburgh and said: ““It is completely unacceptable that so many children are left languishing in temporary accommodation for so long across Scotland. They should be living in safe, clean, and permanent houses of their own.

“The situation in Edinburgh is particularly concerning. Housing here has been in a state of emergency for years now. We cannot allow this to continue.

“This report is a shocking indictment of the SNP’s record on housing and makes important recommendations on housing, health, and education which will require cross-sector and cross-government reform and actions.”

@Miles4Lothian (Miles Briggs) will ask @scotgov for its response to the @shelterscotland‘s report ‘In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation’ at Holyrood this afternoon.

Watch from 2.05pm: https://ow.ly/QhAB50Va2RK

Shelter_Scotland_-_In_Their_Own_Words_28.02.25Download

Original report:

Shelter Scotland – In Their Own Words, Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation

Scottish Apprenticeship Week – New data from BAE Systems

NEW RESEARCH REVEALS GROWING APPEAL OF APPRENTICESHIPS AMONG NEXT GENERATION OF WORKERS IN SCOTLAND

As one of the UK’s largest apprenticeship providers, BAE Systems has investigated the latest attitudes towards career paths amongst young people to coincide with Scottish Apprenticeship Week (3 – 7 March).

The findings are part of a newly launched Apprenticeship Barometer, which surveyed 2,000 young people (16-24 year olds) to identify views on education, training and pathways to career success.

Main attractions

The survey revealed a growing interest in apprenticeships, with more than 74% of Scottish respondents willing to relocate to a different part of the UK to seize an apprenticeship opportunity and 6 in 10 preferring it as an alternative to university.

The findings highlight a significant shift toward flexibility and apprenticeships being increasingly recognised as a pathway to secure and rewarding careers, with respondents citing job security (31%), high starting salaries (25%) and hands-on training (21%) as the most appealing features.

An overwhelming 85% of respondents agreed that apprenticeships enhance social mobility, offer significant potential to support disadvantaged groups and provide alternatives to traditional higher education routes.

Barriers to access

Despite their appeal, responses suggest barriers such as limited opportunities (30%) and lack of information (41%) continue to hinder access to apprenticeships, highlighting the need for greater awareness and more accessible pathways.

Over half (53%) of the young people surveyed in Scotland said they felt uninformed about apprenticeship opportunities in their field of interest and 85% believed employers should expand apprenticeship programmes alongside graduate schemes to meet rising demand.

STEM leads the way

Industries linked to careers in science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) ranked highly in apprenticeship preferences, with over 1 in 4 (28%) of the young people surveyed expressing interest. They also ranked in the top three careers that respondents associated with the greatest job security.

Money matters

More than half (55%) of respondents identified earning while learning as the main reason for choosing an apprenticeship over university, while 25% cited avoiding student debt as a key motivator, reflecting a perceived growing financial awareness.

Richard Hamer, HR Director of Education and Skills at BAE Systems, said: “The Apprenticeship Barometer gives a real insight into the aspirations and values of the next generation of the UK workforce.

“It’s clear there’s a huge appetite for high quality vocational training that provides a clear career pathway, whilst offering financial security.

“I’d encourage anyone interested in apprenticeships to have a look at the thousands of highly valuable opportunities available across the country.”

BAE Systems is recruiting for more than 2,400 new apprentice, undergraduate and graduate roles in 2025,which will result in around 6,500 in training, making up approximately 15% of its UK workforce.

Charity spotlights long shadow of pregnancy loss

Pregnancy and baby charity Tommy’s brought its Projecting Life campaign to London yesterday, highlighting the impact of pregnancy loss and the need for more research to save babies’ lives. 

The campaign features children and their shadows in different scenarios, always with at least one more shadow than there are living children.

Millions in the UK are touched every year by pregnancy complications and baby loss.

But in a recent YouGov survey for Tommy’s, 53% of respondents said either they ‘would not know what to say’ or ‘would worry about saying the wrong thing’ to a friend, family member or colleague who had experienced a loss.2   

Only 12% were ‘very confident’ they would know what to say to someone whose pregnancy ended in loss, or who had a premature baby in need of hospital care.

Tommy’s – the UK’s leading charitable funder of pregnancy research – has developed a guide to help people begin conversations with others who have been affected.  

Dr Jyotsna Vohra, Director of Research, Programmes and Impact at Tommy’s, said: “The trauma of pregnancy loss or giving birth prematurely is too often compounded by a sense of isolation and even shame. 

“We must end the silence around these experiences, and move further and faster towards our goal of making pregnancy and birth safe for everyone. 

“Projecting Life shows very powerfully that children who are lost are never forgotten. It encourages us all to recognise that and to talk about it without fear.  Through those conversations and by raising awareness, together we can drive the change needed to save more babies’ lives.” 

Scots charities forced to draw from reserves despite funding stabilisation 

New research from SCVO outlines the state of the sector’s finances

Charities across Scotland have continued to draw on their reserves “unsustainably” despite funding from government staying relatively stable, new research shows.  

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has published its latest research, State of the Sector 2024, which shows the challenges which organisations across Scotland continue to face.  

The paper, which contains key figures and trends from the Scottish voluntary sector, shows funding from government has stayed relatively stable, while income from the public has to a large extent recovered after being hit hard by Covid. 

Unfortunately, for many voluntary organisations inflation and expenditure rises have matched and outpaced these hard-won gains. 

While most organisations were able to stay in the black, the margins are wafer-thin and there has been a steady rise in the numbers of organisations ending the year with a deficit. In 2023, 45% of charities spent more than they managed to generate. 

These narrow margins and rising deficits have seen charities continue to draw on their reserves unsustainably while they try to identify new sources of funding or have to consider reducing services – link to Reserves doc and Tracker. 

SCVO also published a review of Scottish voluntary organisations’ financial reserves, which found the value of the funds looked after by the sector fell by £1billion between 2021 and 2023. 

The average value of funds held by large charities fell by £5million, from £17m in 2021 to £12m in 2023. 

Half of medium and large charities now have less than six months expenditure in reserves and nearly 1 in 3 large charities has less than three months of expenditure in reserves. 

Ilse Mackinnon, SCVO Research Officer, said: “It’s been sobering looking at charities’ accounts this year and seeing just how tight finances are for many. People have been telling us via the Tracker and anecdotally that things are tough, but it’s another thing seeing the figures in black and white.   

“It’s great that many income streams have recovered but we also saw essentials like energy bills, rents and staff costs shoot up, sometimes to double what they were the previous year.  

“We can see the impact of that on reserves, with many charities struggling to meet costs and keep enough cash back for emergencies.” 

Impact of Brexit on Scottish Trade

New figures show possible cost of increased trade barriers

Analysis published yesterday by the Office of the Chief Economic Advisor has estimated Brexit trade barriers could impact Scotland’s economy by £4 billion.

This estimated economic cost is from the reduction in trade alone – not counting changes to productivity, investment or migration.

Business Minister Richard Lochhead said the report demonstrated the urgent need to reverse the damage of Brexit to boost living standards and revenue for the NHS.

According to the Trade Modelling Report, Scottish exports could be lower by 7.2% or £3 billion compared to continued EU membership.

The chemical and pharmaceutical sector is estimated to be one of the hardest hit by post-Brexit trade barriers, with an estimated 9.1% reduction in output, followed by the computer and electronics sector with an estimated 7.7% fall. The 4.9% output drop estimated for the agrifood sector represents a loss of £827 million.

Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “On the eve of the fifth anniversary of Brexit, these new figures highlight the urgent need to change course to boost the economy and increase public revenue for the NHS.

“This is the latest in a long line of studies highlighting how badly Brexit continues to impact Scotland and should cause the UK Government to consider its approach to economic growth.

“The Scottish Government has been clear that Scotland’s place is in the EU and the huge European single market. But we are also a voice for greater co-operation with the EU right now and we urge the new UK Government to forge a much closer relationship with our fellow Europeans.”  

Scottish Government’s Brexit Trade Modelling Report