The new Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, Shevaun Haviland, will today (Thursday, June 17) set out the action needed to help firms and communities rebuild.   In her first speech at the BCC’s Global Annual Conference, Haviland will argue that key steps are needed to boost UK trade, unlock the blockages in the skills training system and build a greener and more sustainabl...

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Businesses will welcome this Agreement in Principle as a step forward. However, there is a long way to go before the signing and implementation of a free trade deal. It should also be pointed out that trade with Australia represents only around 1.2% of the UK’s total, so whilst a deal will have welcome benef...

The decision to delay lifting the remaining Coronavirus restrictions in England by four weeks beyond June 21 has been described as a ‘hammer blow’ by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Claire Walker, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said: “Businesses will be disappointed by this setback to the reopening in England. This delay to the removal of restrictions will come as a ham...

The Heart of the South West LEP is inviting Somerset firms to apply for the second round of funding from the ERDF Inward Investment Support Grant Scheme. The HotSW LEP ERDF Inward Investment Support Grant Scheme is a £900,000 fund designed to boost economic recovery and create new jobs in Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay. The grants of between £25k-£150k, which require match funding, are f...

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Thursday) released its latest economic forecast which predicts UK GDP growth for 2021 of 6.8%, which if realised would be the strongest outturn since official records began in 1949. If COVID restrictions continue to be released, UK GDP growth will be strongest over Q2 2021 and Q3 2021. The UK economy is then expected to return to its pre-pandemic ...

The South West’s leading business organisation has written to the Prime Minister ahead of the G7 summit to ask for leadership in helping businesses build a more sustainable future for trade that operates in harmony with our environment. More than 230 business leaders and academics joined a virtual ‘C7’ conference hosted by British Chambers of Commerce South West (BCCSW) ahead of the G7 in C...

Small businesses are increasingly confident in their ability to grow and power the economic recovery, although many still have fears about the ongoing impact of COVID restrictions. This comes according to new data published today by the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Funding Circle, the UK’s largest small business loan platform. The survey of more than 1,000 firms, almost all ...

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has released new figures showing that over two thirds (66%) of businesses surveyed were offering remote working to employees. The data, from a survey of over 900 businesses conducted in April 2021, also shows nearly three quarters of businesses expect to have at least one employee working remotely over the coming year, with the average expectation among those...

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) welcomed news of “long overdue railway reform plans” as a step in the right direction. Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said: “It’s good to see recognition of the ongoing need for private sector investment and innovation in our railways. Rail reform, now long overdue, needs to give industry the confidence to invest for the future and e...

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the UK jobs market appeared to be more resilient as job vacancies hit their highest level since the start of the pandemic, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The further easing of lockdown measures meant more employers could again recruit, which resulted in 657,000 job vacancies in February to April, up about 48,400 on t...

The British Chambers of Commerce today published new survey data which show that the vast majority of responding businesses have no plans in place to require evidence of vaccination from customers, suppliers or employees. The BCC has therefore called on the Government to set out plans as soon as possible for what operating conditions will be for businesses after the final phase of the ...

British Chambers of Commerce Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, said he was hopeful of a “robust rebound” in the second quarter after figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the UK economy shrank by 1.5% in the first quarter of 2021. This was largely due to the lengthy winter lockdown, which included school and business closures. However, there was a strong recovery in March with ...

Responding to the details of the Government’s legislative plan set out in today’s Queen’s Speech, Claire Walker, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said: “Businesses will welcome the clear direction in today’s Queen’s Speech as the Government looks to boost the economy and place all parts of the UK on an equal footing.    “As companies begin the slow process of re...

The British Chambers of Commerce South West have invited guests and experts from fellow Chambers and G7 partners to debate the challenges and opportunities which business leaders from around the world will be discussing at the G7 conference. G7 leaders will be meeting in Cornwall to discuss the implications of a 'green and blue' economy - one which focuses on energy, transport, agriculture and fo...

Responding to the announcement of the ‘green list’ for international travel, British Chambers of Commerce Co-Executive Director Hannah Essex said:  “We welcome this announcement as a first step on the road to a broader resumption of international travel over the coming months. "Many businesses will be hoping that this soon leads to a further expansion of the ‘green list’. Firms are ...