Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Kemi Badenoch hopes SNP and Labour both blamed for North-east energy shock
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch says the North-east is bearing the brunt of an “assault” on oil and gas jobs.
The UK opposition leader told The P&J the industry needs more support after claims about massive job losses and alarm over BP’s reported review of North Sea operations.
Ms Badenoch said: “Every time I come to Aberdeen, I hear warnings about stalled investments and missed opportunities. It is madness to sacrifice skilled jobs and our own valuable resources in this way.”
Labour MPs plot Keir Starmer putsch after election losses
Labour MPs are discussing plans to demand Sir Keir Starmer set a date for his resignation in a letter inspired by the putsch by Gordon Brown’s allies against Tony Blair in 2006.
A group of disgruntled backbenchers first elected in 2024 are canvassing support for a challenge to the prime minister after Labour’s expected drubbing in local elections on Thursday.
They intend to send an open letter to Starmer — whose allies insist he will fend off any coup — in which they will blame him for the party’s losses and request he sets out a timetable for his resignation in the wake of expected losses to Reform UK and the Green Party.
Mansion tax will cost almost £400million before a penny is collected
Labour’s mansion tax is expected to cost the Treasury more than a quarter of a billion pounds before a penny is raised.
Treasury officials estimate that stamp duty and inheritance tax receipts will slump by £230million in the three years up to its introduction as property values near the thresholds for the new tax plummet.
The process of identifying and valuing homes liable for the tax is set to cost a further £120million, meaning the total cost of introducing the tax will be at least £350million.
Read more in The Times.
British pubs closing at a rate of almost two per day in 2026
Approximately two British pubs closed a day in the first quarter of 2026, according to figures produced by the industry.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) says 161 pubs closed in the first three months of this year across England, Scotland and Wales, equating to the loss of around 2,400 jobs.
Earlier this year, the government announced business rates support for pubs after warnings from the sector that further tax changes could lead to more closures. The 15% tax relief for pubs and music venues came into effect last month.
Read the full BBC article.