The latest national Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) shows that business sentiment was on course to move into positive territory in Q1 2026, but the outbreak of the Iran war had a dramatic impact in the final weeks of the survey period, with confidence deteriorating sharply. While businesses reported improved annual domestic sales and exports growth and easing input price inflation compared with Q4 2025, the war introduced significant downside risks to the outlook for the coming year.

Extended support also confirmed for financial education charity Money Ready July 2026: MSCA Legacy Limited, in partnership with the Chartered Accountants’ Livery Charity (CALC), has announced its latest round of nine awards for students at Greater Manchester’s three key universities.