British Chambers of Commerce: Inflation will remain below target until well into 2016

• Annual CPI inflation in July 2015 was 0.1%, up from 0% in June 2015 • A smaller fall in clothing prices on the month, compared with a year ago, was the main contributor to the rise in inflation • Falling prices for food and beverages partially offset the rise…

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Premature interest rates increases could derail the recovery

Commentating on today’s interest rate decision announced by the Bank of England, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The MPC has shown composure and sound judgement in keeping rates unchanged. “It would have been imprudent to push through a rate rise at this moment when…

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What do you think about the European Union?

Scottish Chambers of Commerce and British Chambers of Commerce are inviting you to take part in a European Union Referendum Survey. This has been designed to make informed observations on the implications of change for business in the UK. It should take just a few minutes of your time, depending…

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British Chambers of Commerce Release Latest Business Policy Update

The British Chambers of Commerce have just released their latest Business Policy Update. The update contains information on the International Trade Conference on the 3rd November 2015, the latest estimate of economic growth in the UK economy and a Vimeo from Dr Adam Marshall, Executive Director of Policy & External Affairs on BCC’s International Trade…

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BCC: Sharp contraction in business lending is cause for concern

Commenting on the Bank of England’s figures on lending to non-financial UK businesses, Dr Adam Marshall, Executive Director of Policy and External Affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “It is concerning to see lending to businesses contract so sharply, which is a marked acceleration of the overall trend…

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Summer Budget 2015 confirms Britain is open for business, says BCC

In his initial reaction to the Chancellor’s Summer Budget, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “George Osborne has delivered a genius balance of politics and economics that provides stimulus for the economy while continuing the tough task of eliminating the deficit. Steady deficit reduction means…

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BCC: MPC should step up effort to strengthen the recovery

Commenting on today’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) interest rate decision, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said: “Keeping interest rates and quantitative easing on hold was unsurprising and the right decision by the MPC. An early interest rate increase would have been unjustified and potentially damaging at a time when…

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Scottish Business Ambitious to Increase International Trade but Major Barriers Still Exist

Scottish Chambers of Commerce has published the results of a key international trade survey, looking at the obstacles facing existing and potential Scottish exporters. By identifying the challenges facing businesses in Scotland, views on both the domestic market and the international market were gathered. A total of 372 businesses responded…

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British Chambers of Commerce UK Monthly Economic Review for August

This briefing provides an easy-to-use commentary on the key economic indicators for UK businesses. The report also provides a comparison between the economic data compiled by external organisations such as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the BCC’s own Quarterly Economic Survey and economic forecast. This month’s headlines: •…

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BCC: Positive growth continues but recovery must be nourished

GDP growth in Q2 2014 was 0.8%, the same increase as in Q1 The level of GDP in Q2 2014 was 0.2% higher than its previous peak in Q1 2008 Year-on-year increase in Q2 2014 was 3.1%, marginally higher than in Q1 The service sector led the recovery with quarterly…

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