Ishan Crawford

Scotland's fintech sector just delivered three major developments in one week, proving once again why the country punches far above its weight in financial technology. From Glasgow to Edinburgh, homegrown companies are solving real pain points for banks, accountants, and car makers with tools that cut costs, kill spreadsheets, and embed insurance smarter than ever. These launches and deals show Scottish fintech is not waiting for permission; it is building the future of money management right now. AutoRek Unveils RegToolKit: Compliance Without the Nightmare Glasgow-based AutoRek, a 30-year veteran in automated reconciliation, just dropped RegToolKit, a new platform that promises…

Kaye Adams, one of Scotland's most loved broadcasters, has publicly slammed "malicious stories" about why she suddenly left BBC Radio Scotland. The 63-year-old Loose Women star says she is "heartbroken" after false claims that she used a misogynistic slur and threw a pencil at a junior colleague went viral. In an emotional Instagram post, the presenter categorically denied both allegations and said the attacks on her character can no longer go unchallenged. What Really Happened in October Adams was abruptly taken off air in late October 2024 after an internal complaint was made against her. Sources told the Daily Record…

Scotland's local government pension funds face growing pressure to pool assets, yet one fund has already built the blueprint. Lothian Pension Fund, with £11.5 billion in assets and a remarkable 157% funding ratio, is managing money for other Scottish schemes, running sophisticated in-house strategies, and proving bigger does not always mean better. Lothian is not waiting for Holyrood to force pooling. It is already living it. Pooling Already Happening – The Lothian Way While England's eight LGPS pools battle teething problems and high transition costs, Lothian quietly manages equity and fixed income portfolios for two other Scottish funds – Scottish…

A Scottish police officer who reported being raped by a colleague had her most private phone contents handed straight to the man she accused. Intimate images, medical records, and family contacts were all passed to him and his representatives. Today the force has been fined £66,000 for the catastrophic breach. Detective Constable Lianne Gilbert, 34, says the betrayal has left her numb, violated, and struggling with motherhood four years after she first made her complaint. “I Felt Completely Violated,” Says Traumatised Detective DC Lianne Gilbert made domestic abuse allegations, including rape, against another officer in 2020. She had a five-month-old…

Glasgow refused to stay down. Less than 48 hours after a ferocious blaze gutted one of the city’s busiest corners, business owners are already planning their comeback while the public has smashed every crowdfunding record in sight. By Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe for the five devastated Union Street businesses had surged past £215,000 and was still climbing fast. The Moment Everything Changed It started just after 4pm on Sunday 9 March inside Vapes4You on Union Street. Within minutes the fire ripped through the building, reaching Sexy Coffee above and spreading to neighbouring shops and flats. Six fire engines fought the flames for…

Scotland's controversial Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill suffered a devastating setback on Tuesday 10 March 2026 as an astonishing 86% of MSPs who spoke during the first day of the Stage 3 debate opposed the legislation. In a chamber that has rarely seen such one-sided opposition on a private member's bill, 18 out of 21 MSPs who took a clear position spoke against Liam McArthur's proposal, with only three speaking in favour. The numbers represent a six-to-one rejection ratio among those who expressed a view. Opposition Swamps Holyrood Chamber Right To Life UK's rapid analysis of Tuesday's speeches…

Two British police forces that stood up in 2023 and called themselves institutionally racist have not fired a single officer for racism in the two years that followed, even after receiving 360 formal complaints about race discrimination. Exclusive data obtained by Hyphen after months of freedom of information battles shows the promises of change have so far rung hollow. Historic Admissions That Shocked the Nation In May 2023, Police Scotland’s then chief constable Sir Iain Livingstone became the first leader in Britain to publicly state his force was “institutionally racist and discriminatory”. A month later, Avon and Somerset chief constable…

Rangers legend Ally McCoist has condemned the "absolute embarrassment" that unfolded at Ibrox after Sunday's explosive Old Firm clash, branding the actions of a section of Celtic fans as "a sickness of the mind". The 63-year-old pundit, who was at the game with his children, revealed shocking new details including an 18-year-old girl being struck by a bottle and graffiti in the Broomloan Stand mocking the 66 fans who lost their lives in the 1971 Ibrox disaster. This was not football. This was pure hate spilling onto sacred ground. What Sparked the Post-Match Meltdown The powderkeg finally exploded after Celtic…

Scotland’s hospitals, schools and courts are running well below pre-pandemic standards even though public spending per person is now 26 percent higher than before Covid struck, a major new study reveals today. The Institute for Fiscal Studies warns that without fresh money many services face real-terms cuts in the next parliament, making recovery even harder. Hospitals Busier Staff, Fewer Patients Seen Hospital staffing in Scotland has jumped 14 percent since 2019, yet the number of inpatient admissions and outpatient appointments remains lower than before the pandemic. In England and Wales, both figures have bounced back above 2019 levels. Scotland treated…

Scotland just made history. Families will soon have a third choice beyond burial or flame cremation: water cremation, an eco-friendly process officially known as alkaline hydrolysis. On Monday, the Scottish Parliament passed new regulations that make Scotland the first place in the United Kingdom to allow this gentle, green alternative. This is the biggest shake-up in Scottish funeral law in over 120 years. What Exactly is Water Cremation? Water cremation, sometimes branded as resomation, uses warm water mixed with a small amount of potassium hydroxide to gently break down the body. The process takes place inside a sealed stainless-steel vessel.…