New PM Must Give Business ‘Breathing Space’
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New PM Must Give Business ‘Breathing Space’
21st July 2026Responding to Andy Burnham’s first speech as Prime Minister in Downing Street, Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The British Chambers of Commerce would like to congratulate Andy Burnham on being appointed Prime Minister. “The Chamber Network is ready to work in partnership with his new government from today to make…
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Delivering Growth Must Be Priority Number One
21st July 2026Responding to Andy Burnham’s first speech as Leader of the Labour Party, Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The British Chambers of Commerce would like to congratulate Andy Burnham on his successful election as Leader of the Labour Party. “We stand ready to…
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New Era As UK-India Trade Deal Begins
21st July 2026Reacting to the UK-India trade deal entering into force, Steve Lynch MBE, Director of International Trade at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “It has been a tough few years for UK traders but there is a real buzz among businesses about this deal entering into force. It is…
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UK Exporters Floundering As Headwinds Build
20th July 2026reporting a decrease. In the past 20 years, export orders have only been worse during the pandemic and financial crash of 2008/9. Services exporters have been hit hardest with just 14% reporting increased orders, against 21% for manufacturers. New research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Insights Unit, involving over 2,400 exporters, shows overseas exports have fallen dramatically in the second quarter.…
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New PM will Inherit Fragile Economy
16th July 2026Responding to the latest GDP data, published by the Office for National Statistics this morning, Stuart Morrison, Research Manager at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “The latest ONS data shows a fragile economy weighed down by geopolitical tensions and domestic cost pressures. “With GDP growing by 0.7% in the three months to May, and only 0.1% in May itself,…
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Business Backs Focus On Trade and Devolution
15th July 2026Responding to the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech, Kate Shoesmith, Policy Director at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “There were clear themes in tonight’s speech by the Chancellor that businesses will hope are carried on by Andy Burnham’s new administration. “Over the last two years, the Chancellor has…
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BCC Welcomes Enhanced Swiss Trade Deal
14th July 2026Reacting to news of an upgraded free trade agreement with Switzerland, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “This is an important upgrade as Switzerland is one of the UK’s largest trading partners, especially in services. It will provide welcome certainty for thousands of companies in the…
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Skills Planning Vital To Engage Gen Z
13th July 2026A pioneering scheme for business-led skills planning in England has been given the green light for another three years by the government, today. Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) have been running for four years and have engaged thousands of people and employers in the training and education that firms desperately need. There are 39 LSIPs in England and…
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Recruitment Challenges Continue to Stall Hiring
13th July 2026Less than a quarter (23%) of firms are expecting to increase the size of their workforce over the coming months, according to the latest data from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The BCC’s Quarterly Recruitment Outlook shows most businesses (66%) are planning to keep with their existing staffing numbers, while 11% of firms are planning to…
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Business Investment Plans Hit Post-Pandemic Low
7th July 2026The proportion of firms planning to increase investment has fallen to its lowest level since the pandemic, according to the latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey. The UK’s largest independent business sentiment survey also shows confidence weakened in Q2, with fewer firms increasing sales and inflation re-emerging as…
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