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Category Archives: UK Election 2010
The Government’s first 100 days, how’s it going?
It may be a little arbitrary, but 100 days is a useful milestone for measuring just how well the Lib-Con Coalition is performing so far. Before the general election the Institute of Directors published its own business manifesto outlining the three urgent issues we wanted to see dealt with first. Taking them one a time, let’s see how the government matches up.
General Election – who will deliver for business?
Tomorrow’s General Election is the first election with a reasonable chance of a change of government since 1997. A hung parliament looks the most likely prospect following the spectacular surge in Lib Dem support. But whether we see a Labour-Lib Dem coalition, a Tory-Lib Dem coalition, an outright Tory majority, or any other arrangements in the following days and weeks, the key challenges facing us as businesses will not go away. It has been a common feature of post-war British politics for a new Chancellor to arrive, announce to the Commons: “I have looked at the books; the situation is … Read More »
The IoD’s Response to the Liberal Democrats manifesto
There are aspects of the Liberal Democrat manifesto which tip their hat to the business agenda, but unfortunately these are largely undermined by a series of proposals that would inhibit business growth. Ruling out Heathrow expansion reveals a failure to recognise the link between economic growth and improved airport infrastructure. And to rule out nuclear power completely implies an over-reliance on renewable sources. This is hard to square with the objective of having secure energy supplies. There are also several employment law proposals that would make life much harder for businesses.
The IoD’s Response to the Conservative Manifesto
We very much welcome the general direction and tone of the proposals published in the Conservative manifesto today in relation to the economy and business policy. There appears to be a strong desire to shrink the state and create more space for enterprises to grow. The challenge will be to turn these aspirations into a reality. There are aspects of Conservative policy in relation to employment regulation, transport and planning that do not sit easily with what was otherwise a pro-business manifesto.
The IoD’s response to the Labour Election Manifesto
What is most striking about the Labour manifesto published today is what is missing. We simply can’t see how the deficit is going to be tackled quickly enough if the Government is only prepared to identify as little as £10 billion of spending reductions. If Labour wins the election are ministers going to reveal a much longer list of spending cuts or will we face higher taxes on top of the national insurance contribution hike? These are the big questions that businesses want the Government to answer.
Only 30 Days to Election ‘Certainty’
Today, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown visited Her Majesty the Queen and asked Parliament to be dissolved in advance of a General Election on May 6th. Though such an announcement would normally be cause for much commentary, the normal excitement and speculation associated with the calling of an election seems to have given way to a less edifying sense of relief from many. Over the last few months, a high number of IoD members have been only too clear with me of their desire to see an election called promptly. For many of them, today will deliver a sense of … Read More »