Commenting on the Chancellor’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “After a period where many in business have felt that their concerns have not been centre stage in Westminster, firms will be heartened by the Chancellor’s forthright support for business as the foundation of both a strong economy an...

Around 70 business people gathered to hear predictions for the British economy at this year’s Bank of England Update, held on 14 September at the Holiday Inn in Taunton. Organised by Somerset Chamber of Commerce, the annual breakfast event provides businesses with an update on the current economic situation, as well as summarising the Bank’s views on the short-to-medium term prospects for the...

One of the biggest surveys of business intentions since the EU referendum has found that nearly two-thirds of firms still aren’t preparing for Brexit – and in the event of a ‘no deal’ outcome many would cut investment and recruitment plans.  With just six months to go before the UK leaves the EU, the British Chambers of Commerce is calling for UK ministers to redouble their efforts to re...

Back for its 14th year, the organisers of the prestigious Somerset Business Awards announce the eagerly anticipated finalists for 2018.Following another outstanding year of Award entries from over 90 companies, the judges have spent weeks visiting businesses of all sizes and sectors from around the county. The finalists for each of the 14 categories have now been selected and will find out if ...

Commenting on the inflation statistics for August 2018, published today by the Office for National Statistics, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “Inflation surprisingly rose for the second successive month in August, largely wiping out the recent recovery in real wage growth and emphasising the continued squeeze on consumers. “The strong growth i...

Commenting on the Migration Advisory Committee’s report on EEA migration, Jane Gratton, Head of Business Environment and Skills at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:“From the perspective of businesses facing severe skills gaps, the MAC’s report gives with one hand and takes away with the other, and the recommendations are unlikely to meet the needs of all employers. Any sudden...

The annual Somerset Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting is being held on Wednesday 21 November. This year the AGM will be hosted at a new venue; the Cooper Associates County Ground. This will be the first AGM hosted by newly appointed CEO, Stephen Henagulph. Last year, over 60 businesses attended the event, and this year, Stephen will be following the familiar format of networking, updatin...

The deadline has been met and the entries are in. The judges now have their toughest job to date to review and shortlist the region’s finest businesses to visit for this year’s Somerset Business Awards.With entries up by an impressive 36.5% compared to last year, the judges have a difficult task of reading through a vast amount of entries and selecting the best to visit for all 14 categori...

Commenting on the labour market figures for September 2018, published today by the ONS, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “The continued drop in unemployment and strong employment levels are further evidence that the UK jobs market remains a bright spot, with firms continuing to hire despite significant economic uncertainty.  “However, the robus...

Somerset Chamber of Commerce has announced Stephen Henagulph as its new Chief Executive, with immediate effect. Stephen joins the Chamber following the departure of Dale Edwards earlier this year. Stephen will be well-known to many in the Somerset business community, having worked as Head of Business Services at Screwfix for the past five years. He brings over 25 years’ knowledge and experience...

A record £5,000 was raised for local charity Somerset Sight at this year’s Somerset Chamber of Commerce charity golf day. Held at Oake Manor Golf Club on 14 August, the Chamber’s twelfth annual golf day was a huge success, attracting over 70 business people across 18 teams. Cranmer’s Optometrists won the day, closely followed by Evosite only one point behind.  As well as playing a round ...

Dr. Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, recently wrote to the Government regarding the future relationship with the European Union.  Dr Marshall and other signatories demanded clarity from the government allowing business in the UK to plan for the likely outcome of negotiations. Theresa May's response highlights the importance of business in the policy making pro...

Almost 30% of businesses have seen an increase in the number of staff taking time off for mental health reasons, according to a survey conducted by leading business organisation British Chambers of Commerce, and Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer. One in three (33%) business leaders have also noticed an increase in the length of time that staff are taking off due to mental health issues.The su...

As students across the country receive their A Level results, Somerset Chamber of Commerce is reminding those considering their next steps that an apprenticeship can provide an equally valuable route to career success as going to university. Speaking on A Level results day, Somerset Chamber Interim CEO, Chris Langdon, said, “Our congratulations to all those celebrating their A Level results tod...

As we reported on 22nd June, the proposed rail link to Heathrow from the Great Western Main Line aims to improve connections to the UK's main airport hub from the South West, South Wales, The Midlands and South of the country.  Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce have included the scheme in their 2018 Business Manifesto, highlighting it as an opportunity to generate circa £800m in additional econo...