The CBI said Chancellor Rishi Sunak was “absolutely right” to prioritise jobs in his summer statement on Wednesday. Director-general Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, pictured, said: “Flattening the daunting unemployment curve about to hit our country could not be more important. Joblessness scars lives and hits the young and most disadvantaged hardest. “The jobs plan is an important step...
Measures to address the huge economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic announced this week by Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been welcomed by Business West, the region’s largest business group. Matt Griffith, director of policy at Business West – which runs Bath Chamber of Commerce – described them as impressive but also added that the...
Chancellor Rishi Sunak presented his economic statement in the Commons on Wednesday by saying the government would do all it could to help prevent job losses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The main points were: Government will pay £1,000 to businesses for each furloughed employee they bring back and retain until January....
Business confidence has bounced back stronger in the South West than any other part of the UK, according to a new survey – but many firms remain gloomy and one in 10 expects to stay closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The monthly Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking had shown a huge...
A coronavirus business bounce-back campaign to encourage UK food and drink producers to break into overseas markets is being spearheaded by the South West’s largest business organisation. Hampers full of British artisan food and drink are being sent all over the world as part of the Business West-led campaign, which was chosen by government...
Bath’s small businesses are being offered the chance to get free help to manage their finances in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to a new programme launched by West of England Mayor Tim Bowles. The accountancy support programme is being delivered in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and...
Clean energy group Good Energy has taken effective control of Zap-Map, the popular app for the UK’s 300,000 electric vehicle (EV) drivers in which it bought a minority stake last year. Chippenham-based Good Energy snapped up a 12.9% share in Zap-Map’s parent company Next Green Car in March last year for just over £1m...
An online service promising impartial financial advice for Bath firms on funding options has been launched by Business West, the region’s largest business organisation. According to Business West, which runs Bath Chamber of Commerce, its Finance Hub will be free from confusing jargon or any hard sell, enabling businesses to decide what sort of...
More frequent train services in the Bath area are a step closer following the expansion of a major project aimed at improving rail links and easing overcrowding across the West of England. The MetroWest scheme proposed by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) – which includes Bath & North East Somerset Council –...
Business groups have cautiously backed the reduction of many coronavirus lockdown restrictions announced earlier this week by the Prime Minister. But they also warned that other measures to boost the economy were still needed to avoid widespread business failures and job losses. In a major boost to the West of England’s vital tourism and...
