I note that a group of business people are supporting the Tory’s economic plan (Report, 1 April). I thought it of interest to relate their salaries and wealth to their views using Google and Wikipedia. I see their champion Stuart Rose’s estimated salary at M&S was £1.3m, while Duncan Bannantyne, another signatory, has a net wealth of £175m. Ron Dennis is worth £320m whilst Nigel Rudd has £50m to call upon. I don’t have any sour grapes towards these people, but not for them the food bank, the bedroom tax or the zero hours contract; not for their children the school with classes of over 30. Like the millionaire members of the Tory cabinet they are completely isolated from the daily lives of ordinary families in the UK.
No wonder they want the continuation of the present regime; its done them proud. Never mind the rest of us. However, being well known and stinking rich are fairly narrow qualifications and not ideal ones with which to determine government policy. What we need is the adoption by the Labour party of an economic and social plan which is not based on the exploitation of one group in favour of another, but one which values everyone for what they are and what they can achieve. As the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, as the welfare state is gradually demolished so that more of those who already have more than their share can get more. Enough is enough. It’s time things changed.
Viv Gale
Hartland. North Devon
• It’s hardly surprising to learn that most top business leaders would prefer a Conservative government. But what I do find shocking is to see this regarded as unequivocally good news for the Tories, and bad for Labour. Since when did we as a nation unquestioningly believe that what’s good for the corporate elite is good for all of us?
Lindsay Camp
Bristol
• I trust your reporters will leave no stone unturned investigating how many of the 100 companies whose bosses have written to the Telegraph pay their full corporation tax, are not registered offshore and are paying their employees the living wage, without zero hours contracts.
Michael Long
Wylam, Northumberland
One hundred voters, businessmen who have done well under a conservative led coalition, feel so empowered by their prosperity that they patronise the entire electorate with an orchestrated letter to selected news media recommending more of the same. • I for one shall not join them but am grateful for the list of business organisations whose leaders have such opinions of themselves that I shall feel justified in avoiding them.
Angus Thomson
Streatley, Berkshire
