Business leaders on Thursday hoped for a clear result from the first December election for 92 years as Britons headed to vote.
A narrowing in the polls this week has raised the prospect of a hung parliament, bringing into play a series of scenarios including a Conservative and DUP minority government or a Labour-SNP coalition. With the outcome of Brexit still unclear — proving a huge burden to businesses — a definite result tomorrow is top of bosses’ wish lists.
Alex Baldock, chief executive of Dixons Carphone, said: “What we want more than anything else is certainty... the election has led to an unhelpful and uncertain consumer environment.”
The Currys PC World owner hopes that a definitive result will “take away the dampening effect” on consumers from lengthy political chaos.
Online estate agent Purplebricks’ chief executive Vic Darvey said the handbrake on the housing market could be released: “We believe there is pent-up demand from customers wanting to buy and sell. They appear to be waiting for some political certainty and we hope that comes tonight. If there is a clear result we anticipate there will be more properties coming back to market and as a result more houses sold and greater customer confidence.”
But Superdry chief Julian Dunkerton said: “As a country I’m really hopeful of no Tory majority. I want the balance of power to be held by the Lib Dems. I desperately don’t want Brexit.”
Arch-Remainer Dunkerton has donated more than £1 million to the campaign for the UK to stay in the EU, including to the People’s Vote campaign.
Simon Emeny, the boss of pubs group Fuller’s, said: “We hope that the incoming government helps us to continue to grow our business by overhauling the business rates system, ensuring a manageable level of wage inflation and creating an immigration system that allows us to recruit and invest in excellent team members from both home and abroad.”
City traders were braced for a busy night as election results come in — with the 10pm exit poll seen as key.
Sterling’s seesaw ride continued, briefly hitting eight-month highs against the dollar today before settling up 0.31c at $1.3203. The dollar weakened overnight as the US Federal Reserve held interest rates, while new European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde’s debut meeting was likely to dictate market action this afternoon.
