Stephen is a principal economist at NatWest. He has worked in both the public and private sectors, including universities, and provided economic advice and insight to senior leaders for over 20 years.

Stephen holds advanced degrees from the University of London and has a deep interest in the economics of social, technological, and political issues. He and his team are currently trying to use the tools of big data analysis to reexamine critical economic questions.

Stephen shared an insightful update on the UK economy, covering key trends in employment and business investment. He discussed strategies for navigating the challenging outlook for public finances.

Huge thank you to C2S members NatWest for the insights and updates on the UK economy. Not a pretty picture but the message was keep on with progress, even baby steps matter!

Despite the challenges business leaders can not sit back and do nothing. We all play a part in growing the economy and together we can make a difference. Don’t focus on the negatives but look for the positives was the message from Stephen. We are making slow progress, slow but progress!

The room was packed and lots of valid and important points were made. The necessity for us all to take part in surveys to help the government better understand our challenges, the acknowledgement that labour cost are high and this is causing an insider v’s outsider situation, the impact AI is now having on communication, information and professional services, the need for stability and certainty.

An all round conversation and discussion. Thank you James Henderson Matthew Marsh NatWest and Randall & Payne LLP | B Corp Certified for hosting and the superb lunch.