Business Growth & Development 2 October 2026
Faye Holland appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce Chair recognised with prestigious appointment to the Cambridgeshire Lieutenancy
Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that its Chair of the Board, Faye Holland, has been appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.
Economic Growth 17 September 2026
Moneycorp Currency Insights – September 2026
Welcome to the Moneycorp Currency Insights for September, as markets move into one of the most significant central bank months of the year, with policy decisions from the ECB, Federal Reserve and Bank of England all scheduled within a seven-day period. Recent moves in energy prices, inflation expectations and interest rate pricing mean that currency volatility could increase markedly over the coming weeks.
The Bank of England currently holds Bank Rate at 3.75%, the Federal Reserve remains at 3.50%-3.75%, and the ECB’s deposit rate stands at 2.25% following its June hike and July pause. Markets are increasingly focused on whether the ECB tightens again on 10 September, while the Fed’s 15-16 September meeting remains finely balanced between another hold and a more hawkish policy response should inflation prove persistent. The BoE follows shortly after on 17 September.
Uncategorised 10 September 2026
‘Made In Europe’ Threat Remains
Responding to the adoption of the EU Public Procurement Act, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“UK firms will breathe a sigh of relief, for now, that they are not targeted by the proposals contained in the EU Public Procurement Act.
International 10 September 2026
US Trade Still A UK Priority
Speaking after attending the 10th UK-US SME Dialogues in Cardiff to discuss trans-Atlantic trade and investment, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers, said:
“Trade and investment links with the US certainly feel stronger than they did a year ago. The US is the largest inward investor in the UK, our largest individual trading partner and largest purchaser of our services.
Business Growth & Development 21 August 2026
Chamber Celebrates 25 Years of Dedicated Service from Company Secretary, Michael Tolond
Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce is proud to celebrate an extraordinary milestone as Company Secretary, Michael Tolond marks 25 years of dedicated service, recognising a quarter of a century of commitment, professionalism and support to the organisation’s governance and leadership.
Michael played a key role during one of the organisation’s most significant milestones when Peterborough Chamber merged with Cambridge Chamber to form Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce. In March 2003, he was appointed Company Secretary of the newly formed organisation, providing continuity and expert governance throughout a period of significant change.
Economic Growth 19 August 2026
Businesses Continue to Feel the Inflationary Heat
“Firms continued to feel the heat from inflation last month, with CPI rising to 2.9%, further fuelling the cost of doing business crisis.
“Higher household energy bills fuelled by the Middle East crisis played a significant part in July’s CPI rise, and as the Bank of England has warned, energy is likely to push up inflation further in the coming months. Energy remains a major issue for businesses, who aren’t subject to a price cap.
Economic Growth, Skills Development 19 August 2026
Costs Crisis Hampering Hiring
Reacting to the latest labour market data from the ONS, Patrick Milnes, Head of Policy for People and Work at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Although unemployment has held steady at 4.9%, this cannot hide the wider problems bedeviling the UK’s job market.
“Business confidence is at a post-Pandemic low and the squeeze on firms’ finances shows no signs of easing.
Economic Growth, International 19 August 2026
Defence Investment – A Challenge The UK Cannot Get Wrong
The Autumn Budget will contain a political hand grenade for the new Chancellor John Healey to defuse in the shape of the Defence Investment Plan.
The initial announcement on defence spending at the end of June 2026, left several unresolved funding commitments to be decided at the budget.
The Chancellor previously resigned as Defence Secretary over a lack of funding. He will have no illusions about the size of the hole he must now plug nor why it is so important.
International 19 August 2026
Markets absorb inflation pressures as focus shifts to growth risks
Key takeaways
• UK CPI inflation rises in line with expectations as the latest energy price cap increase feeds through to household bills
• Strong US industrial production data offers little support to the dollar ahead of the latest Fed minutes
• Lane describes Euro Area growth as ‘not too bad’, but tighter policy still poses risks to the outlook
• UAE suspends trade and financial links with Iran as regional tensions escalate