The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has downgraded UK growth forecast on “weaker outlook for business investment and trade amid continued Brexit uncertainty and slower expected global economic growth”. For 2019, growth forecast was downgraded from 1.3% to 1.2%. For 2020, growth forecasts was downgraded from 1.5% to 1.3%. in 2021, growth is projected to pick up slightly to 1.4%.
Also, BCC noted that business investment is projected to contract by -1.0% in 2019. And that would be the weakest outturn in a decade since the financial crisis in 2009. BCC blamed that “ongoing uncertainty over the UK’s future relationship with the EU is expected to continue to weigh on investment intentions.” And, “diversion of resources to prepare for no deal and the high upfront cost of doing business in the UK is also projected to limit the extent to which investment activity will bounce back over the near term.”
