US Calls for Revived UK Trade Talks Senior lawmakers in Washington are pushing for a reignition of US-UK trade talks following the successfully negotiated Windsor agreement over Northern Ireland. On Thursday (2nd March) a Democratic senator introduced legislation to give the US president the authority to negotiate a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK. This proposal was co-sponsored by the second-most senior Republican in the upper chamber of Congress and ...

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Businesses in Northern Ireland (NI) and Great Britain (GB) do not like the current protocol arrangements because of issues related to customs, documentation, VAT etc. on the movement of goods. Businesses want a permanent agreement that can provide stability and certainty and that reduces paperwork and checks for goods only sold or consumed in NI. The Windsor Framework improves the situation by: Businesses in GB and NI joining the Trusted Traders’ ...

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Northern Ireland Trade Deal PM Sunak on Monday, 27th February, announced a “new chapter” in UK-EU relations after agreeing upon the ‘Windsor framework’ to change the existing Northern Ireland protocol. The details of the agreement are currently being reviewed by MPs with senior members within the party, such as former PM Theresa May MP, calling upon fellow MPs to support the Windsor framework. The leader of the opposition, Labour, also said ...

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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 and congratulate BNP Paribas, Fogel & Partners, and Vattenfall on recent achievements. BNP Paribas Bank of the Year. BNP Paribas has, by the British publication IFR, been awarded the prestigious prize from the IFR Awards. It rewards BNP Paribas ability to execute their long-term plan, achieving ...

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First Minister of Scotland Resigns The leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, resigned last week (15th February) which will trigger the party’s first leadership contest in almost 20 years. The SNP control 45 (of 59) Scottish seats in the House of Commons and are in control of the Scottish Parliament with 64 (of 129) seats. The SNP are a Scottish nationalist and social ...

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UK Economy Avoids Recession The UK narrowly avoided entering a recession in 2022 following zero growth (0%) in the fourth quarter of the year; although, the Bank of England (BoE) forecasts the UK to fall into a short and shallow recession this year. The chancellor described the economy as demonstrating an “underlying resilience” but warned that the UK is “not out of the woods” yet. It is worth noting that December ...

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In 2018 BSCC awarded Sophie Dow,  BSCC member and founder of the Salvesen Mindroom Centre in Edinburgh, our Annual Award for her organisations work to help and support children and young adults who are neurodivergent. The organisation works locally, nationally and internationally. The Salvesen Mindroom Centre continue to promote Neurodiversity and are now organising  a wide-ranging  international conference – It Takes All Kinds Of Minds (ITAKOM) 13-14 March, EICC entirely focused on Neurodiversity in ...

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FTSE100 Hits All-Time High The UK’s FTSE100 share index has beaten its 2018 peak with a 6.1% rise so far in 2023. Last year the blue-chip index was also the best-performing developed market index (in local currency terms) with an almost 1% rise- in a year in which the US’s S&P 500 declined around 20%. However, it is worth noting that the mid-cap FTSE250, which is more closely linked to the ...

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We are delighted to introduce our newest members Global Child Forum, Graz Solutions and LucyJRobertshaw. Graz Solutions specializes in fintech solutions for handling and optimizing financial data processes. Over the past 15 years, Graz has become the go-to place for fintech solutions in the Nordics, serving banks, insurance- and fund management companies. Graz’s team of developers and project managers provide clients with custom solutions. Among their many innovative solutions, they have ...

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UK Strikes On the 1st February (Wednesday) the UK will face it’s biggest day of strikes this winter as workers stage a co-ordinated walk out in sectors ranging from rail, teaching and universities. This comes in response to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), who represent the UK’s organised labour movement, protesting the government’s anti-strike legislation and current wage increase offerings. At present, the government are working on anti-strike legislation which would ...

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