The new president of the British Chambers of Commerce has called on policymakers to move beyond long-term strategies and focus on practical action to support business-led growth, warning that confidence across the UK economy remains subdued.

Andy Haldane, who formally takes up the role on Monday, said 2026 must become “the year of delivering growth”, with government and industry working more closely to turn ambition into results.

Mr Haldane succeeds Baroness Martha Lane-Fox, who will continue to support the chamber network in an ambassadorial capacity, after being elected at the BCC’s annual general meeting in October.

As president, he will work alongside director-general Shevaun Haviland to represent businesses of all sizes and sectors at a time of weak demand, rising costs and persistent uncertainty.

A former chief economist at the Bank of England and former chief executive of the Royal Society for Arts, Mr Haldane has held a series of senior public policy roles, including membership of the Monetary Policy Committee and serving as permanent secretary for levelling up in the Cabinet Office.

He previously chaired the government’s Industrial Strategy Council and Levelling Up Advisory Council, giving him close experience of both economic policymaking and business engagement.

His appointment comes as new BCC data points to ongoing fragility among UK firms. The organisation’s latest economic survey shows that fewer than half of respondents expect turnover to rise over the next year, while more than half anticipate raising prices in the next three months.

Mr Haldane said these figures underlined the urgency of reform. “The UK’s economic warning lights continue to flash, and business confidence remains low,” he said. “Growth won’t come from slogans. It will come from backing businesses to get on and grow.”

He added that the UK suffered from “a shortage of delivery rather than ideas”, arguing that chambers played a vital role in translating policy into commercial reality. “If we’re serious about boosting productivity, investment and trade, we need fewer strategies and more spades in the ground,” he said.

His first major public engagement as president will be at the BCC’s Driving International Trade Conference in London on 26 March, where he is expected to outline priorities for supporting exporters and internationally focused firms.

Ms Haviland said Mr Haldane brought “deep economic expertise and a genuine commitment to listening to businesses”. She added that his appointment strengthened the BCC’s ability to convert insight into action at a critical moment for the UK economy.

The organisation said it would focus in the coming year on improving access to finance, boosting skills and investment, and supporting firms seeking to scale domestically and overseas.