The Coronation Weekend The Coronation of The King and The Queen was conducted at Westminster Abbey on Saturday (6th May). The service incorporated longstanding traditions and pageantry with forward-looking adjustments in front of 2,300 guests. Over 100 heads of state were in attendance for Europe’s only royal family who continue to host coronations. Over 7,000 troops and 19 military bands were involved in the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. ...
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Aberdeen’s Net Zero Port The Port of Aberdeen, established in 1136, is investing £55m to become the UK’s first net zero port by 2040. Specifically, the port is targeting net zero emissions from the port’s operations and from vessels visiting the port. The initiative will work to promote low carbon alternative fuels through trials of vegetable oil fuels for port-owned vehicles. The Port of Aberdeen’s CEO described the “pivotal role in the ...
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UK Economy Above Pre-Pandemic Levels Revised figures for January now reveal that UK GDP is 0.3% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. New data also suggests an increased likelihood that growth outpaced forecasts in the first three months of 2023. Last month, the fiscal watchdog warned that Q1 of 2023 would show a 0.4% contraction but this appears to have failed to materialise. Economists labelled this an “accomplishment” but the recovery ...
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UK Retail The number of shoppers visiting stores at the weekend increased 9.7% in March compared to the previous year, according to the British Retail Consortium. However, this still remains 10.2% below pre-pandemic levels which has been attributed to the rise in online shopping and the “challenging economic environment”. The change in working patterns, with the rise in hybrid working, is partially responsible for a disproportionate increase in weekend shopping. Total UK ...
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UK Commercial Property Dealmaking Rises In the first quarter of 2023, investors pumped £6bn into UK office, retail and industrial buildings following record lows in Q4 of 2022. However, dealmaking is still equal to around half of its 10 year average- partially as a result of central London property declining in value and the cost of debt rising. 2023 has already seen several large deals such as Deutsche Bank’s Winchester House ...
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We are are always curious about the challenges and possibilities our member companies are facing within their industries. This week we are happy to share updates from Intrum and BCC. Intrum has received a B score in Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a higher score than the global average as well as among other credit management servicers. This score signifies how Intrum is setting the direction for their industry when it comes ...
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New First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf MSP on Tuesday (27th March) was elected as the new leader of the Scottish National party (SNP) and will shortly take the role of First Minister of Scotland. The 37 year-old health secretary won a final round ballot of SNP members (52.1% versus 47.9%) and was seen as a strong defender of the former First Minister of Scotland’s (Sturgeon) progressive policies on social issues. Sturgeon, ...
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We are delighted to introduce our newest members, Henkel and Läkarintyg Direkt. Henkel operates worldwide with leading innovations, brands and technologies in two business areas: Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 145 years of success. The company holds leading positions with its two business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and ...
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The Spring Budget The chancellor (Hunt) last Wednesday, 15th March, delivered his Spring Budget with major policy announcements featuring the introduction of free childcare for youngsters (under the age of three) as one of the key commitments targeted at bringing back people to work. Additionally, Hunt increased the annual tax-free pension allowance (from £40,000 to £60,000) and removed the Lifetime Allowance on pensions (which was at £1m). These new strategies, aimed ...
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UK Economy Rebounds The UK economy beat forecasts for GDP growth in January with a 0.3% expansion (ahead of 0.1% forecast) as a result of the service sector rising 0.5% due to strong performances from the education, transport and health activities sectors. PM Sunak, from Paris, described the result as “showing encouraging signs that things are better than people feared, that sentiment is improving, confidence is returning and that is partly ...
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