Interest rates, National Insurance Contributions and, of course, tariffs were all high on the agenda at our latest roundtable event with representatives from the Bank of England.
Professor Alan Taylor, a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee, joined the meeting as part of his visit to the North West of England and was keen to hear insights from Chamber members around the table.
Delegates provided their insights into their own experience and any challenges they are currently facing, while Liverpool Chamber chief executive Paul Cherpeau also encouraged members to complete the next Quarterly Economic Survey and help to source the largest possible volume of data for the city region.
Themes covered included: rising business costs, tariffs and trade, tourism, retail sales and recruitment.
Paul Cherpeau concluded:
“These remain uncertain times for businesses, and while recent falls in interest rates and the recent trade agreement with the United States offer some hope for a brighter future, this session reflected that there are still many hurdles to overcome before firms can plan ahead in relative confidence.
“We are grateful to the Bank of England and its representatives for their continued engagement with the Chamber as an envoy for firms of all sizes in the Liverpool City Region and we look forward to helping our members continue those important conversations in the months and years ahead.”