The Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, Dr Adam Marshall, said the Chancellor must not waste the chance to set out a clear, long-term framework for business recovery in next week's Budget. Speaking in response to the publication of a BEIS Committee report, ‘The impact of Coronavirus on businesses and workers’, Dr Marshall said Chambers had repeatedly warned businesses could ...

Results from the latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) survey, in partnership with moneycorp, found that while 44% of UK exporters to the EU plan to grow their exports to the European Union, nearly a quarter (23%) are looking to either reduce their activity in the EU or have no activity at all in the next 12 months, following the ratification of the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement.  Tw...

The UK's unemployment rose to a five year high in the three months to December, rising to 5.1% according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The statistics show 1.74 million people were unemployed in the October to December period, up 454,000 from the same quarter in 2019. Some 726,000 fewer people are currently in payrolled employment than before the start of th...

The British Chambers of Commerce has welcomed the Prime Minister’s roadmap for the reopening of businesses, events and activities in England, but said it was critical the stop-start approach to lockdowns came to an end. Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the BCC, said businesses needed clarity and honesty from the Government and called for key business support schemes to be extended as many ...

The Government has blamed the “ongoing and wide-ranging impacts of the pandemic and economic uncertainty” for its decision to delay a review on business rates. While the findings of an interim report will be published on March 23, the final review will not be completed until the autumn. Suren Thiru, the British Chambers of Commerce Head of Economics, criticised the decision and said the issu...

Results from the latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) survey on the impact of Coronavirus, show businesses have been pushed to the brink by the effect of multiple lockdowns. Among the sobering findings from the survey of more than 1,100 businesses are:Three in every five firms (61%) have seen their revenue from UK customers fall in the last three months Almost a third (31%) of busines...

Somerset Chamber CEO Stephen Henagulph has joined business leaders from across the South West to sign an open letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, outlining their support for a Great Western Freeport bid. Freeports are designated by Government and will have special economic status, operating with little or no tax in order to encourage economic activity. Companies operating with...

The Bank of England has published it's quarterly Monetary Policy Report, which sets out the economic analysis and inflation projections that the Monetary Policy Committee uses to make its interest rate decisions. COVID-19 continues to hit spending, incomes and jobs in the UK. It has put a big strain on UK businesses’ cash flow, and is threatening the livelihoods of many people. The Bank's job ...

The UK economy shrank by a record 9.9% last year as Coronavirus restrictions hit output but managed to avoid a double-dip recession, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In December, the economy grew by 1.2%, after shrinking by 2.3% in November, as some restrictions eased. Hospitality, car sales and hairdressers recovered some lost ground. Suren Thiru, B...

The Chamber network has welcomed the Government’s announcement of a new £20 million SME Brexit Support Fund to help small and medium sized businesses adjust to new customs, rules of origin, and VAT rules when trading with the EU. SMEs who trade only with the EU will be encouraged to apply for grants of up to £2,000 to pay for practical support including training and professional advice to ens...

Results from the first major business survey for 2021 by the British Chambers of Commerce on Brexit found that half (49%) of  exporters  are  facing  difficulties  in adapting to the changes in the trade of goods following the ratification of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) on January 1. 2021.   Fieldwork for the survey, which received 1,000 responses, mainly from S...

John and Jane Nagle at Hornsbury Mill, near Chard, were the lucky recipients of the last hamper to be delivered to the winner of our QES prize draw in 2020. Everyone who completed the Q4 Quarterly Economic Survey at the end of last year was automatically entered into a prize draw to win a hamper of Somerset produce. Jane said: “We would like to say a heart-felt thank you for the lovely QES ham...

Somerset is well placed to adapt to a post pandemic business climate once the economy begins to pick-up, two leading business figures – Sir Ian Cheshire, chairman of Barclays UK and Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce – told local firms last week. Speaking at an online ‘Future of Business 2021’ event hosted by Somerset Chamber of Commerce, they said whil...

Results from the British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Recruitment Outlook (QRO), in partnership with Totaljobs, found that while there was a modest improvement in the overall number of businesses attempting to recruit in Q4, sectoral disparities remain.  Fieldwork for the survey was carried out between 2 and 26 November 2020, during the second lockdown. It found that:    41% of firms ...

THE finalists have been announced in this year’s prestigious Somerset Business Awards, with companies, charities and individuals from across the county vying for the honours. Judges faced a tough time whittling down a record-breaking number of entries in this year’s awards, which are run annually by the Somerset Chamber of Commerce. The 2021 finalists come from all corners of the county, inc...