UK economic security at risk, says business group

30 Apr 2026

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned the government that the UK's economic security is at risk, and has urged it to prioritise security after ten years of geopolitical shocks.

The BCC said such shocks have 'repeatedly damaged' growth and have left businesses in the UK 'permanently bruised'. It listed the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as disrupting factors.

A new report by the BCC has outlined 'urgent steps' needed to secure vital manufacturing inputs and stop British competitiveness declining in an 'increasingly unstable' world.

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, commented: 'Over the past decade, British businesses have weathered some of the toughest economic shocks we've faced in the past 100 years. Through sheer resilience and ingenuity, they have kept trading in an increasingly unpredictable global environment.

'But it's clear that this is not enough. The UK's inadequate economic security has become a drag on growth, competitiveness and national strength; yet it is still not given the focus and urgency it demands.'