The head of one of Britain’s biggest business groups has accused politicians of chasing positive headlines ahead of the election rather than putting forward plans to shore up long-term economic growth.
In an open letter to the leaders of the main parties, John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce , voiced his frustration over what he saw as broken promises to the business community.
“In December, I wrote to you … with a call from business to act responsibly during the election campaign, and put the UK’s long-term success over political tactics and point-scoring,” Tuesday’s letter said.
“All the major parties responded with a clear commitment to act in the interests of the economy and growth. With only a couple of weeks left in this campaign, it is impossible to remain silent in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.”
Longworth said despite some encouraging statements in manifestos, on the campaign trail it seemed “strategic vision and evidence-led policy announcements have been left on the bus”.
“In their place we’ve had tactical headline-chasing and lazy assumptions; a reliance on populist statements, not economic common sense; and niche policy announcements, rather than a focus on the fundamentals,” he writes.
“In the final few weeks of the campaign, I urge you to bring the focus back to long-term growth.”
Longworth’s comments reflect signs of growing nervousness among business people about the situation after the election. Business surveys have highlighted concerns about the prospect of a hung parliament and policy changes once a new government is in power. Further out, business groups and economists have warned of potential damage to confidence and investment from a referendum on Britain’s European Union membership, as promised by the Conservatives.
