Business News Round Up (10/02/2026)
Greater Manchester sets out £3bn spending plans
Greater Manchester is setting out more than £3bn of spending plans, including a £360m package of measures for the next year which will see Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) invest to protect renters, support businesses, help young people, and boost skills and training. The total £3bn budget includes £482m to deliver the region’s integrated public transport system, the Bee Network, more than £900m towards policing and keeping communities safe, £313m to support the Fire and Rescue service and deliver the mayor’s priorities, £187m for our waste and recycling services, and more than £1.1bn of capital funding. In November GMCA launched a Pipeline for growth – identifying high-impact housing, employment, and regeneration projects – underpinned by its £1bn Good Growth Fund to pump-prime shovel-ready projects. The next round of projects in line for investment will be announced in March.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/north-west/greater-manchester-sets-out-3bn-spending-plans
UK economic growth on ‘shaky ground’ without cyber resilience
As the UK prepares to publish its National Cyber Action Plan, a new report from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) warns that Westminster must adopt a far more interventionist approach to cyber security to protect the economy and national infrastructure. Titled Rebooting the UK’s Cyber Strategy, the report highlights persistent weaknesses in Britain’s cyber posture and policy that cost the UK an estimated £14.7bn annually and leave critical national infrastructure exposed to increasingly sophisticated threats. High-profile incidents, such as the £1.9bn cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover, exemplify the growing financial and political risks facing the country. RUSI research fellows Jamie MacColl and Joseph Jarnecki stress that while the UK has “strong institutional foundations and internationally respected policy frameworks,” the current approach has not kept pace with the scale and impact of modern threats. They warn that voluntary guidance, fragmented accountability, and weak enforcement leave organisations dangerously exposed.
Chester bucks hospitality trend with increase in new licensed venues
Chester is the strongest performing North West city in the UK’s beleaguered hospitality sector, bucking a trend of 0.8% decline in new licensed venues in London with an increase in 2% for the historic city. In the North West Manchester saw a slight uplift of just 0.1% growth, while Liverpool declined by 0.6% according to the research from Northern Restaurant & Bar (NRB), in partnership with NIQ powered by CGA, which shows that that all five of the country’s fastest-growing hospitality cities are located in the North and Scotland. Newcastle emerges as the strongest-performing city overall, recording a +2.2% increase in licensed venues over the past year, followed by Chester (+2.0%), York (+0.9%), Glasgow (+0.2%) and Leeds (+0.2%). In contrast, London (-0.8%) and Birmingham (-2.9%) declined over the same period. Traditional pubs continue to underpin this resilience, the survey found. Northern pubs recorded +0.5% growth in like-for-like sales.
£11.2m boost to Scottish economy from Belladrum festival
The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival provided an £11.2m boost to Scotland’s economy in 2025, according to a new report. The new independent economic impact assessment of the 2025 festival, which was headlined by Paul Heaton, Supergrass and Texas, supported more than 100 related jobs in the Highlands. Belladrum generated £7.8m in net economic impact for the Highlands, while visitor spending directly linked to the festival totalled £5.6m. When this spend circulated through local businesses, suppliers and employees, the overall benefit rose to £7.8m for the Highlands and £11.2m across Scotland. The 2025 event supported the equivalent of 102 tourism-related jobs in the Highlands, rising to 147 jobs across Scotland. Almost half of the attendees travelled from outside the Highland Council area.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/scotland/11.2m-boost-to-scottish-economy-from-belladrum-festival