Bath business experts have been reacting to Tuesday’s Spring Statement, with most pointing to what Chancellor Philip Hammond failed to deliver rather than what he said. The city’s largest accountancy practice Bishop Fleming was particularly hard-hitting in its comments, calling it a “missed opportunity to be bold, imaginative and transformative”, especially as the...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, welcomed Chancellor Philip Hammond’s assertion in his Spring Statement that he would continue to “support British businesses” – but it insisted that his actions had to speak louder than words. The £80m pledge to help small firms take on apprentices and the opening up of the construction...
CBI chief economist Rain Newton-Smith said the Chancellor was rightly backing British business to secure the UK’s future prosperity in a new economy. “It’s great to see an upgrade in the state of our public finances and rightly sensible to set more aside for a rainy day with Brexit uncertainty still weighing on the...
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has welcomed Chancellor Philip Hammond’s plea to examine ways to help small businesses deal with the “scourge” of late payment. Chairman Mike Cherry said: “The Chancellor is absolutely right to commit the government to eliminate the scourge of late payments, which place cruel financial pressure on more than...
Key points from today’s Spring Statement: Next spending review will take place in 2019 UK economy grew by 1.7% in 2017 OBR has increased forecast for growth next year but downgraded those for 2021 and 2022 Investment programme of £44bn to raise housing supply to 300,000 a year by the mid-2020s. Extra £1.7bn to...
Chancellor Philip Hammond is being urged to tackle Bath’s housing crisis and invest in its infrastructure in his Spring Statement tomorrow. The plea has come from Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, which also runs the city’s Chamber of Commerce and the Bath Initiative. With only a year until we leave the European...
To the surprise and relief of most in the tax profession, the 2017 Autumn Budget (which took place last November) was a relatively gentle affair. And this week’s Spring Statement was not a major tax event either, writes Pearson May partner Nick Oliver FCA FIoD. One of Chancellor Philip Hammond’s objectives in moving the...
Bath Business Expo has added two more seminars to its packed schedule with just a week to go to what will be one of the largest general business exhibitions and networking opportunities in the region this year. The expo, on Friday, March 16, will build on the success of last year’s sold-out event,...
Businesses have been flocking to sign up to sponsor the Minerva’s Owls of Bath sculpture trail coming to the city this summer. Following a flurry of interest in the project, organisers have now extended the ‘early bird’ discount for sponsors until next Friday, March 16. Almost 20 sponsors are now confirmed for the 100 owls...
Chase de Vere, the national independent financial advice firm with an office in Bath, has formed a partnership with the world’s largest and most influential professional body for construction management. Chase de Vere will offer independent financial and corporate advice services to The Chartered Institute of Building’s 34,000 UK members as well as writing...
