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Cable in fresh Beecroft attack

Vince Cable has again hit out at the author of the Government's controversial review of employment law, saying the Coalition would not change the rules based on "one man's anecdotes". At the same time the Business Secretary insisted he did not want a "spat" with Adrian Beecroft, who has labelled Dr Cable a "socialist" over his opposition to watering down employee protections.


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  • 16:23 Peter Watt: Labour is missing a trick on Beecroft News

    Opinion | Labour Uncut source icon

    There is nothing like a bit of hysteria to whip up a good story. The report from venture capitalist Adrian Beecroft into possible changes in employment law was finally published this week. I say finally, as the draft report leaked to the Telegraph was dated October 2011. The reaction of much of the left has been so frenzied Labour is in danger of missing a trick. Continue to article

  • 13:56 Vince Cable: I'm in Germany for a very good reason On air

    On Air | Vince Cable MP | Business Secretary | Boulton & Co., Sky News Video Vince Cable MP

    Vince Cable said that he was appearing in Germany as part of a longstanding plan to learn from Germany's experience of the eurozone crisis. Mr Cable told Adam Boulton "I’m in Germany for a very good reason – it’s a longstanding visit, pr... Continue to article

  • 13:54 Huw Irranca-Davies: Gangmasters Licensing Authority needed more than ever Press Release

    13:54| Press Release

    Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Labour's Shadow Food and Farming Minister, responding to the outcome of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority Red Tape Challenge, said: "Labour welcomes the Government’s commitment to the Gangmasters Licensing ... Continue to article

  • 12:52 Richard Seymour blog: Are Vince Cable and Barack Obama socialists? If only | Richard Seymour News

    Blog | Comment is Free source icon

    Continue to article

  • 12:03 Baroness Kramer: Government needs to eliminate 'credit vacuum' for small businesses News

    News | Central Lobby source icon

    Since the 2008 financial crash small businesses have found it harder than ever to get credit, but it is not just that high-street banks won't lend, they can't, says Baroness Kramer. Continue to article

  • 11:30 Chuka Umunna: Government is both heartless and hopeless House of Commons

    Chuka Umunna: Government is both heartless and hopeless House of Commons Chuka Umunna: Government is both heartless and hopeless

    Labour's Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna launched a scathing attack on the Government at today's Business Questions, calling it both 'heartless' and 'hopeless'. Mr Umunna said: “This is a no-growth Government with its head in the s... Continue to article

  • 09:57 ONS: Business Investment, Q1 2012 Provisional Results News

    News | source icon

    Business investment in seasonally adjusted terms rose by £1.1 billion to £30.8 billion (3.6 per cent) when compared with the previous quarter. Business investment increased by £3.8 billion (14.2 per cent) when compared with the first quarter of 2011. Continue to article

  • 07:00 Will Dean: The 'socialist' insult that turned into a compliment News

    Opinion | The Independent source icon

    Continue to article

  • 07:00 Peter Oborne: Leave Business Secretary Vince Cable alone – he’s the moral centre of this Coalition News

    Opinion | The Daily Telegraph source icon

    The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, has stayed loyal to the Government without surrendering his identity. Continue to article

  • = Key Development Wednesday 23rd May
  • = Key Development Thursday 24th May
  • 06:59 Story (27 links): Cable in fresh Beecroft attack

    PoliticsHome Cable in fresh Beecroft attack Story View links

    Vince Cable has again hit out at the author of the Government's controversial review of employment law, saying the Coalition would not change the rules based on "one man's anecdotes". At the same time the Business Secretary insisted he did not want a "spat" with Adrian Beecroft, who has labelled Dr Cable a "socialist" over his opposition to watering down employee protections.

  • = Key Development Tuesday 22nd May
  • 19:01 Story (12 links): Loan shark amendment defeated

    PoliticsHome Loan shark amendment defeated Story View links

    Stella Creasy has suffered a blow to her campaign to tackle legal loan sharks after her amendment to the Finance Bill was defeated.

    The Labour amendment, which would have given the Financial Conduct Authority given the power to cap the cost of credit, was defeated by 266 votes to 225.

    Earlier today Ms Creasy, who has been campaigning on this issue for many months, warned in an exclusive PoliticsHome opinion piece that the Government could not “plead ignorance” about the impact of short-term loan companies.

  • 19:01 Story (12 links): Loan shark amendment defeated

    PoliticsHome Loan shark amendment defeated Story View links

    Stella Creasy has suffered a blow to her campaign to tackle legal loan sharks after her amendment to the Finance Bill was defeated.

    The Labour amendment, which would have given the Financial Conduct Authority given the power to cap the cost of credit, was defeated by 266 votes to 225.

    Earlier today Ms Creasy, who has been campaigning on this issue for many months, warned in an exclusive PoliticsHome opinion piece that the Government could not “plead ignorance” about the impact of short-term loan companies.

  • 10:06 Nick Clegg slams Beecroft PoliticsHome News

    Nick Clegg slams Beecroft PoliticsHome News

    Speaking after his speech on social mobility, Nick Clegg said he did not support the Beecroft proposals on employment law reform. "I don't support them: I never have. And for the simple reason that I've not seen any evidence yet that cre... Continue to article

  • 10:06 Nick Clegg slams Beecroft PoliticsHome News

    Nick Clegg slams Beecroft PoliticsHome News

    Speaking after his speech on social mobility, Nick Clegg said he did not support the Beecroft proposals on employment law reform. "I don't support them: I never have. And for the simple reason that I've not seen any evidence yet that cre... Continue to article

  • 07:35 Stella Creasy: Public overwhelmingly wants payday loan costs capped On air

    On Air | Stella Creasy MP | Shadow Home Office Minister | Today, BBC Radio 4 Video Stella Creasy MP

    Stella Creasy said Britons “overwhelmingly” want the costs on credit by payday loan companies to be capped. “It shows that the public overwhelmingly agree that payday lending is a problem and also that they want to see total cost caps. W... Continue to article

  • 07:35 Stella Creasy: Public overwhelmingly wants payday loan costs capped On air

    On Air | Stella Creasy MP | Shadow Home Office Minister | Today, BBC Radio 4 Video Stella Creasy MP

    Stella Creasy said Britons “overwhelmingly” want the costs on credit by payday loan companies to be capped. “It shows that the public overwhelmingly agree that payday lending is a problem and also that they want to see total cost caps. W... Continue to article

  • 07:00 Stella Creasy: End loan shark feeding frenzy PH Opinion

    07:00 | PH Opinion | PoliticsHome PH Opinion

    The squeezed middle, once the butt of semantic jokes, has become a very real and very raw subject for many. Little wonder in a country where the cost of petrol has gone up 10p a litre since the beginning of 2012, household spending power ha... Continue to article

  • 07:00 Stella Creasy: End loan shark feeding frenzy PH Opinion

    07:00 | PH Opinion | PoliticsHome PH Opinion

    The squeezed middle, once the butt of semantic jokes, has become a very real and very raw subject for many. Little wonder in a country where the cost of petrol has gone up 10p a litre since the beginning of 2012, household spending power ha... Continue to article

  • = Key Development Monday 21st May
  • 18:23 Ed Miliband: People need to be hired not fired On air

    On Air | Ed Miliband MP | Labour party leader | ITV News Video Ed Miliband MP

    Ed Miliband has said the Government needs "a plan to get people hired and not get people to be fired." "I’m very concerned by the proposals in the Beecroft report about employers being able to fire at will. We need a plan to get people h... Continue to article

  • 17:26 Beecroft report PoliticsHome News

    Beecroft report PoliticsHome News

    Read The Full Beecroft Report Here Continue to article

  • 17:18 Andrea Leadsom: Important to discuss Beecroft plans On air

    On Air | Andrea Leadsom MP | | PM, BBC Radio 4 Video Andrea Leadsom MP

    Andrea Leadsom said it was important for the Government to discuss how to remove red tape as one of the biggest burdens on businesses. "Well I think that there is a lot of evidence on both sides, but I think what we have to say to oursel... Continue to article

  • 16:20 Andrew Tyrie: Today’s Bank of England announcement is not what is needed Press Release

    16:20| Press Release

    Treasury Select Committee Commenting on the news that the Court of the Bank of England has commissioned three reviews into aspects of the Bank’s performance during the financial crisis, the Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, Andr... Continue to article

  • 13:49 Damian Collins: Small business and unemployed people will welcome Beecroft plans On air

    On Air | Damian Collins MP | | The World at One, BBC Radio 4 Video Damian Collins MP

    Damian Collins said smaller businesses and people who are out of work would welcome the Government's plans for employment law reform. "I think what businesses would want us to do, what I think a lot of people who are currently out of wor... Continue to article

  • 13:08 Lord Oakeshott: Beecroft sacking plans 'bonkers' On air

    On Air | Lord Oakeshott | Former Liberal Democrat Treasu... | The World at One, BBC Radio 4 Video Lord Oakeshott

    Lord Oakeshott said the proposals in the Beecroft report for no-fault dismissals would not go through into legislation. "All Liberal Democrats are against a sack-on-the-spot mentality and it just won't happen." He called the proposal ... Continue to article

  • 12:33 Chuka Umunna tweets: My Urgent Question forcing the BIS Sec to come to the Commons and clarify their intentions on Beecroft has been granted.Expected at 3.30pm

    Twitter | Chuka Umunna Twitter source icon

  • = Key Development Sunday 20th May
  • 07:26 Tel: David Cameron's radical plan to reform jobs red tape News

    News | The Sunday Telegraph source icon

    Continue to article

  • = Key Development Friday 18th May
  • = Key Development Thursday 17th May
  • 07:41 Vince Cable: General Motors were persuaded Britain is a good business environment On air

    On Air | Vince Cable MP | Business Secretary | Today, BBC Radio 4 Video Vince Cable MP

    Vince Cable said the Government had persuaded General Motors that Britain was a "very good business environment" to manufacture cars. "The Government's role has been to work with the union here, Unite, it's been a combined kind of Britis... Continue to article

  • 07:30 Story (1 links): Pickles calls for bigger red tape bonfire

    PoliticsHome Pickles calls for bigger red tape bonfire Story View links

    Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has called for Whitehall to "go further in slashing red tape" ahead of the publication today of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.

  • = Key Development Wednesday 16th May
  • 17:05 Lord Digby Jones: Hague decision to close UK Trade and Investment offices was wrong On air

    On Air | Lord Digby Jones | Former Minister of State for T... | Sky News Video Lord Digby Jones

    Lord Digby Jones criticised the Foreign Secretary for closing offices of British export promoter UK Trade and Investment, suggesting that doing so was a false economy. “It’s pretty rich for a Foreign Secretary to make a speech two years ... Continue to article

  • 13:46 Labour statement: Ed Balls: Bank of England quarterly report response Press Release

    13:46| Press Release | Labour Labour

    Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to the Bank of England’s quarterly inflation report, said: “The Bank of England has once again slashed its growth forecast for Britain, but despite this the Government says it will just ... Continue to article

  • 11:33 CIPD statement: CIPD appoints new Chief Executive Press Release

    11:33| Press Release | CIPD

    The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has today announced the appointment of Peter Cheese as its new Chief Executive. Peter brings extensive global business experience and expertise in the field of HR having had a long... Continue to article

  • 07:00 William Hague: Life’s got tougher. We all have to work harder (£) News

    Opinion | The Times source icon

    Competition for every job and every contract has increased. Britain can’t afford to fall behind Continue to article

  • = Key Development Tuesday 15th May
  • 17:08 PCS: A4e decision welcome but welfare schemes should be in-house Press Release

    17:08| Press Release

    PCS press release Commenting on news that A4e has been stripped of one of its government contracts, Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The decision to strip A4e of this contract is welcome, but ... Continue to article

  • 16:31 Story (13 links): Govt cancels A4e contract

    PoliticsHome Govt cancels A4e contract Story View links

    The Department for Work and Pensions has cancelled a contract with welfare-to-work provider A4e, after an investigation found "significant weaknesses" in the company's internal processes.

    The contract relates to the Mandatory Work Activity programme in the south east of England, and the company's Work Programme deals are not affected.

    A probe led by the DWP and accountants Ernst and Young found "no evidence of fraud" in any A4e contracts, but in the case of the Mandatory Work Activity contracts the team found that "documentation supporting payments was seriously inadequate".

    Margaret Hodge, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, welcomed the termination, but urged the DWP to investigate allegations of fraud in previous government contracts with the company.

    "If you know a builder down the road has done a rotten job for a neighbour of yours, even if it’s a new job working for you, you would still want to consider whether or not to give that builder a contract.”

    Eight of the company's staff have so far been arrested over allegations that they had been falsely claiming to have placed unemployed people in work.

    There was more bad news for the department this morning, with the Public Accounts Committee warning that the Work Programme could waste taxpayers' money.

    MPs concluded a failure to properly pilot the scheme meant there was a danger private contractors could be overpaid for work. The committee's report comes as a third charity, St Mungo’s, pulled out of the programme.

    Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne said:

    "The Government must now stop hiding performance information about the rest of its giant private sector contracts and publis so that Parliament can see whether public money is being well spent."

  • 16:30 Government must urgently reconsider A4e's prison education contracts Press Release

    16:30| Press Release

    Following the news that the government has terminated A4e's Mandatory Work Activity contract after it said there were 'significant weaknesses in A4e's internal controls', the University and College Union (UCU) today said the company's priso... Continue to article

  • 16:18 Plaid Cymru: Plaid welcome decision to scrap A4e welfare-to-work scheme Press Release

    16:18| Press Release

    Plaid Cyrmu Press Release Plaid Cymru’s Hywel Williams MP has welcomed the Government's decision to scrap its contract with the firm A4e which is currently the subject of a police investigation following allegations of fraud relating to ... Continue to article

  • 15:48 Labour statement: Liam Byrne says A4e contract shows shambles in DWP is spreading Press Release

    15:48| Press Release | Labour Labour

    Labour press release Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, responding to reports that the DWP has been forced to terminate A4e’s Mandatory Work Activity contract in the South East, said: “After 8 arrests at A4e the... Continue to article

  • 14:39 DWP statement on employment support Press Release

    14:39| Press Release

    Minister for Employment, Chris Grayling: The DWP's Work Programme providers are required to ensure that stringent controls are in place to guard against fraud and to adhere to high standards of compliance in the operation of our contract... Continue to article

  • 13:32 Stella Creasy tweets: It seems the Govt failure to help small businesses now plastered all over London buses ... http://t.co/XEQYWbxC

    Twitter | Stella Creasy Twitter source icon

    It seems the Govt failure to help small businesses now plastered all over London buses ... http://t.co/XEQYWbxC

  • = Key Development Monday 14th May
  • 22:41 Mark Prisk: Claims of failure in UK manufacturing represent a negative view On air

    On Air | Mark Prisk MP | Business minister | Newsnight, BBC 2 Video Mark Prisk MP

    Mark Prisk said that the Government was taking the right steps to make the UK more competitive, and that claims UK manufacturing was stalling represented "a very negative view". "I think we're convinced that first of all the eurozone cou... Continue to article

  • 21:46 Story (1 links): MPs debate supermarket regulation

    PoliticsHome MPs debate supermarket regulation Story View links

    MPs today debated new legislation to ensure suppliers are treated fairly by big retailers.

    The Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill was published in the House of Lords on Friday, and was discussed as part of the debate on the Queen's Speech in the Commons earlier.

    The Government's plans have received a mixed response from industry bodies.

    The bill will create a Groceries Code Adjudicator to address competition issues by arbitrating disputes between retailers and suppliers, investigating anonymous complaints, and taking sanctions against retailers who break the rules.

     

    The Business Secretary Vince Cable said "The case of a highly concentrated industry, buying and selling to large numbers of suppliers and customers, is a classic economic textbook case where intervention is necessary to prevent monopoly profits occurring."

  • 16:40 Kiran Stacey blog: Is “bash business” a deliberate govt strategy? News

    Blog | FT Westminster Blog source icon

    Is the government in danger of handing over its reputation for being pro-business to Labour? William Hague’s message in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph that businesses should “work harder” to promote gro... Continue to article

  • 15:48 Story (19 links): Govt defends business plan

    PoliticsHome Govt defends business plan Story View links

    Downing Street has dismissed claims that the Government is creating a "toxic" environment for British firms, insisting that ministers are doing what they "should" do to create growth.

    Business leaders will meet David Cameron at Downing Street today and will reportedly say that the atmosphere towards business in the UK is becoming "quite poisonous".

    The Prime Minister's business advisory group, which includes Sainsbury's chief Justin King, is expected to urge Mr Cameron to offer a more positive take on the role of big business in the UK economy.

    But the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman today said: "We are doing what the Government should do. That's redoubling our efforts to make sure that we create the right environment to allow businesses to grow."

    Asked whether the Government and business were at one another's throats currently, the spokesman said: "I don't think I accept that, as I was saying: what we've done over the past two years is taken a number of steps to improve the business environment, boosting infrastructure, we are cutting red tape, we're cutting corporation tax, we are reforming planning. These are all things that business have been asking for an we've been responding to that."

    But he did not endorse comments by Philip Hammond that business leaders were "whinging".The row follows Foreign Secretary William Hague saying yesterday that businesses should stop “complaining” about the state of the economy, while Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said firms had to “work harder” to deliver growth.

  • 14:40 Story (2 links): Small business warning over parental leave reforms

    PoliticsHome Small business warning over parental leave reforms Story View links

    Government plans to give parents access to flexible parental leave will "not be welcomed by most business owners," according to the Forum of Private Business.

    The not-for-profit business support group said the plans, announced in last week's Queen's Speech, will hit small firms hardest.

    Measures in the Children and Families Bill, which is expected to be laid before Parliament next year, will give parents "access to flexible parental leave, so that where they want to, mothers and fathers can share caring responsibilities in a way which best fits their needs".

  • 12:01 Lobby:No 10: Govt doing what it should on growth Lobby Briefings

    12:01 | Lobby Briefings | PoliticsHome Lobby Briefings

    Downing Street has dismissed claims that the Government is creating a "toxic" environment for British firms, insisting that ministers are doing what they "should" do to create growth. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "What t... Continue to article

  • 11:49 Norman Smith tweets: No 10 carefully avoid Hammond "whingeing" rhetoric about bosses. Govt and business face "hard work" say No 10.

    Twitter | Norman Smith Twitter source icon

    No 10 carefully avoid Hammond "whingeing" rhetoric about bosses. Govt and business face "hard work" say No 10.

  • 09:57 SNP statement: Queen's Speech 'missed opportunity' to boost economic growth Press Release

    09:57| Press Release | SNP SNP

    Speaking ahead of the Queen's speech debate on business and the economy today (Monday), SNP Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP said the UK government's legislative programme was a missed opportunity to take action to create jobs and boo... Continue to article

  • 08:44 Will Hutton: State must restrain capitalism On air

    On Air | Will Hutton | Chairman, The Work Foundation | Today, BBC Radio 4 Video Will Hutton

     Will Hutton argued that the state should intervene to restrain the worst aspects of capitalism. " The moral vision of people who have been promulgating this world that we’re in which now everyone aggress is dysfunctional is that we shou... Continue to article

  • 07:20 Lord Jones: A bit rich of this Govt to criticise business On air

    On Air | Lord Jones | Former Trade Minister | Today, BBC Radio 4 Video Lord Jones

    Digby Jones said it was “a bit rich” for William Hague to criticise business for trading too little overseas while the Government was cutting back on support for trade and investment. “Where I think he’s wrong, very wrong, is it’s pretty... Continue to article

  • = Key Development Sunday 13th May
  • 22:52 Chuka Umunna tweets: Ministers have a cheek attacking business for not investing-its the policy uncertainty they create which erodes firms' confidence to invest

    Twitter | Chuka Umunna Twitter source icon

    Ministers have a cheek attacking business for not investing-its the policy uncertainty they create which erodes firms' confidence to invest

  • 22:30 Lisa Nandy: Government has lost the plot on business On air

    On Air | Lisa Nandy MP | | Westminster Hour, BBC Radio 4 Video Lisa Nandy MP

    Lisa Nandy was reluctant to say that Francois Hollande's victory in France was a signal Labour should pursue a more radical economic course. She also said the Government had "lost the plot" in blaming businesses for slow growth. "Holland... Continue to article

  • 19:50 Harriet Harman: William Hague will have infuriated everybody On air

    On Air | Harriet Harman MP | Deputy Leader of the Labour pa... | Pienaar's Politics, BBC Radio 5 Live Video Harriet Harman MP

    Harriet Harman said William Hague's comments telling business leaders to work harder would have "infuriated everybody". "A lot of people are working very, very hard indeed and are actually slipping back in their standard of living and, s... Continue to article

  • 19:39 Sajid Javid defends Hague's comments as sensible and fair PoliticsHome News

    Sajid Javid defends Hague's comments as sensible and fair PoliticsHome News

    Conservative Sajid Javid said that WIlliam Hague's remarks were "very sensible" and "very fair", and was adamant that Government ministers were not being antagonistic towards business. Speaking to Pienaar's Politics, Mr Javid said that M... Continue to article

  • 19:05 Philip Hammond: Businesses need to take the plunge On air

    On Air | Philip Hammond MP | Defence secretary | Pienaar's Politics, BBC Radio 5Live Video Philip Hammond MP

    Philip Hammond said that the Government was clearly committed to helping business, but agreed with Foreign Secretary William Hague that businesses needed to shoulder responsibility for growth.  "I think there's a different story for diff... Continue to article

  • 18:17 Story (21 links): Hague's growth strategy - work hard

    PoliticsHome Hague's growth strategy - work hard Story View links

    William Hague has hit out at critics of the Government, telling business leaders to stop complaining and “get on with the task of delivering more of those jobs”.

    Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, the Foreign Secretary said there is "only one growth strategy: work hard".

    Labour's Michael Dugher said Mr Hague's remarks showed ministers were "burying their head in the sand" and trying to blame others for the failure of the Coalition's economic policies.

    Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna called the Foreign Secretary's comments "typical of an out of touch Government that refuses to listen and refuses to take responsibility for its own economic policy failure".

Loan shark amendment defeated

Stella Creasy has suffered a blow to her campaign to tackle legal loan sharks after her amendment to the Finance Bill was defeated.

The Labour amendment, which would have given the Financial Conduct Authority given the power to cap the cost of credit, was defeated by 266 votes to 225.

Earlier today Ms Creasy, who has been campaigning on this issue for many months, warned in an exclusive PoliticsHome opinion piece that the Government could not “plead ignorance” about the impact of short-term loan companies.

Govt cancels A4e contract

The Department for Work and Pensions has cancelled a contract with welfare-to-work provider A4e, after an investigation found "significant weaknesses" in the company's internal processes.

The contract relates to the Mandatory Work Activity programme in the south east of England, and the company's Work Programme deals are not affected.

A probe led by the DWP and accountants Ernst and Young found "no evidence of fraud" in any A4e contracts, but in the case of the Mandatory Work Activity contracts the team found that "documentation supporting payments was seriously inadequate".

Margaret Hodge, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, welcomed the termination, but urged the DWP to investigate allegations of fraud in previous government contracts with the company.

"If you know a builder down the road has done a rotten job for a neighbour of yours, even if it’s a new job working for you, you would still want to consider whether or not to give that builder a contract.”

Eight of the company's staff have so far been arrested over allegations that they had been falsely claiming to have placed unemployed people in work.

There was more bad news for the department this morning, with the Public Accounts Committee warning that the Work Programme could waste taxpayers' money.

MPs concluded a failure to properly pilot the scheme meant there was a danger private contractors could be overpaid for work. The committee's report comes as a third charity, St Mungo’s, pulled out of the programme.

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne said:

"The Government must now stop hiding performance information about the rest of its giant private sector contracts and publis so that Parliament can see whether public money is being well spent."

Pickles calls for bigger red tape bonfire

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has called for Whitehall to "go further in slashing red tape" ahead of the publication today of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.

Govt defends business plan

Downing Street has dismissed claims that the Government is creating a "toxic" environment for British firms, insisting that ministers are doing what they "should" do to create growth.

Business leaders will meet David Cameron at Downing Street today and will reportedly say that the atmosphere towards business in the UK is becoming "quite poisonous".

The Prime Minister's business advisory group, which includes Sainsbury's chief Justin King, is expected to urge Mr Cameron to offer a more positive take on the role of big business in the UK economy.

But the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman today said: "We are doing what the Government should do. That's redoubling our efforts to make sure that we create the right environment to allow businesses to grow."

Asked whether the Government and business were at one another's throats currently, the spokesman said: "I don't think I accept that, as I was saying: what we've done over the past two years is taken a number of steps to improve the business environment, boosting infrastructure, we are cutting red tape, we're cutting corporation tax, we are reforming planning. These are all things that business have been asking for an we've been responding to that."

But he did not endorse comments by Philip Hammond that business leaders were "whinging".The row follows Foreign Secretary William Hague saying yesterday that businesses should stop “complaining” about the state of the economy, while Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said firms had to “work harder” to deliver growth.

Small business warning over parental leave reforms

14/05/2012 in British Business

Small business warning over parental leave reforms

Government plans to give parents access to flexible parental leave will "not be welcomed by most business owners," according to the Forum of Private Business. The not-for-profit business s...

MPs debate supermarket regulation

14/05/2012 in British Business

MPs debate supermarket regulation

MPs today debated new legislation to ensure suppliers are treated fairly by big retailers. The Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill was published in the House of Lords on Friday, and was discuss...

Hague's growth strategy - work hard

13/05/2012 in British Business

Hague's growth strategy - work hard

William Hague has hit out at critics of the Government, telling business leaders to stop complaining and “get on with the task of delivering more of those jobs”. Speaking to the Sunday Tel...

Business leader criticises Govt

12/05/2012 in British Business

Business leader criticises Govt

John Longworth, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, has said the Government is "losing the plot" over the economy, criticising ministers for not "aiding businesses to creat...

700 riot victims waiting for compensation

11/05/2012 in British Business

700 riot victims waiting for compensation

Seven hundred victims of last summer's riots are still waiting for compensation, official figures show. Tottenham MP David Lammy, whose constituency saw heavy rioting, said the system had ...


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On air

Ed Miliband: People need to be hired not fired

21/05/2012 on ITV News

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21/05/2012

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