Business News Round Up (29/09/2026)
Two thirds of Scottish business leaders say policy adds pressure
Two thirds of Scottish business leaders say recent government policy has added significant pressure to their operations, according to a live poll published today by Vistage, the chief executive coaching and peer advisory organisation. The poll, taken at the Vistage Leadership Forum in Glasgow last week, found that 67 per cent of respondents reported the added pressure. Half named income generation as their single biggest challenge over the next six months. Vistage, which describes itself as the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organisation, did not say how many business leaders took part. Nine in 10 leaders, or 90 per cent, said the current business environment had negatively affected their ability to invest, hire or grow, according to the poll. Of those polled, 6 per cent said they had been forced to scale back planned growth initiatives.
https://bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/scottish-business-leaders-vistage-poll-policy-pressure
Greater Manchester climbs to third in UK investment rankings
Greater Manchester has been ranked the UK’s third most attractive location for foreign direct investment (FDI), according to new research from Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). The latest Investor Confidence Index places Greater Manchester third among 48 UK locations, behind only London and Edinburgh. The city region climbed two places over the past year, while Manchester’s city centre rose three places to sixth. Manchester’s improvement was underpinned by a 12-point increase in its Local Skills score, the largest improvement recorded across any of the Index’s three pillars. The research highlights Greater Manchester’s continued appeal to international investors at a time when competition for overseas capital remains intense and UK-wide investment activity has slowed. The city region’s performance reflects strengths across a number of areas assessed by the Index, including skills, growth potential and infrastructure.
UK attracts nearly £10bn of foreign-backed investment into High-Growth Businesses in H1 2026
New research from Barclays and Beauhurst finds that global investors are continuing to back the UK’s most ambitious businesses, with foreign-backed equity investment reaching almost £10bn in H1 2026. The report, Financing the future: How the UK can mobilise global growth capital to drive innovation, finds that deals involving foreign investors accounted for less than 10% of UK equity transactions between 2016 and H1 2026, but delivered more than half of the total value raised, equivalent to £127bn. International capital is playing a particularly important role in helping UK businesses scale. The median foreign-only deal reached £5.77m in 2025, compared with £0.49m for UK-only deals, with overseas investors more likely to support larger and later-stage businesses. The investment trends were notably dispersed across regions – Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all recorded stronger growth in foreign-backed investment than London between 2023 and 2025.
UK SMEs ready to hire if Budget eases cost pressures
UK small and medium-sized businesses are ready to invest, hire and grow if the Chancellor eases financial pressures. Research commissioned by Flagstone found that 38% of SMEs would recruit more staff if those pressures were reduced. The survey of 1,000 senior decision-makers at UK SMEs identified tax, energy and labour costs as the main constraints on expansion. It found that 43% want a lower tax burden in the Budget, while 30% want help with energy bills, 29% want employers’ National Insurance contributions reduced or frozen, and 27% want changes to business rates. Many firms said existing pressures had already changed their plans. Nearly a third, or 32%, said financial strains had forced them to reduce hiring or cut headcount, while 31% had changed or delayed growth plans and 30% had postponed strategic decisions. Energy emerged as a central concern for smaller companies.
https://itbrief.co.uk/story/uk-smes-ready-to-hire-if-budget-eases-cost-pressures