Stuart Patrick

It is now just one month to go until the Chancellor of the Exchequer puts us out of our misery - or perhaps helps us understand the full extent of our misery

Five key asks for new UK Government to boost economic growth

In his recent speech at the Barclays campus in Glasgow, First Minister John Swinney delivered a message that strongly resonates with our Chamber members: a call for less strategy and more action from his government.

There has been no shortage of criticism levelled at Glasgow City Council for the management of the city centre

Of all the initiatives Glasgow Chamber of Commerce would like to see progress in 2024, the rebirth of Sauchiehall Street and a fuller recovery for the city’s wider city centre sit at the top of our list

Much of the progress Glasgow Chamber pursues for the city’s economy takes longer than any single year to deliver but in 2024 there will be significant milestones reached.

This year started with tension between the business community and the Scottish Government thanks to a flurry of measures like the Deposit Return Scheme and the alcohol advertising consultation that paid scant attention to business concerns

In my constant search for positive signals for the future of Glasgow’s economy, Monday was a good day. If you want to see evidence of the new science and technology rich industries emerging in our city, I recommend a tour of our research universities.

Among the changes made this week in the UK Government line-up, I noted George Freeman’s resignation as Science Minister with some regret.

Yesterday over 800 delegates gathered at the Glasgow Science Centre for an event exploring the progress Scotland is making in building an economy through innovation. The Can Do Innovation Summit is an annual opportunity to bring people together to explore current tech trends and put some of our most impressive SMEs in tech heavy industries on display.