It’s fair to say recent campaigning by both Labour and the Conservatives hasn’t been universally successful. Last week’s attempts by Labour to demonstrate that the party is on the side of women descended into the bizarre sight of Harriet Harman being driven around in a pink van – with accusations of sexism and of generally being patronising not far behind. Equally, George Osborne’s targeting of the grey vote with the announcement that the pensioner bond scheme is to be extended created accusations that the Conservatives are bribing older people, to the detriment of other voters.
Whilst neither episode is particularly edifying, it is unlikely that they will do much damage – and in both cases could win votes despite the media furore. Arguably, of greater concern for both parties – and for varying reasons – is the relationship they have with business.
Labour’s problem with business is fairly straightforward – business leaders don’t seem to like the party. Perceptions that Labour ‘doesn’t understand business’ have developed with critics pointing to interventionist measures proposed by the party as evidence of a lack of understanding of how markets operate – and the detrimental impact this could have on business. The concern for the party is not simply that it is ‘anti-business’, but whether this translates into something further; namely whether the party can be trusted on the economy. Whilst individual interventions into markets (in the energy sector, for example) have proved popular with the public, a broader perception that Labour is hostile to business could well raise questions and concerns among voters about jobs and economic growth. In the lead-up to the election, this is the last thing Labour needs.
Given the problems facing Labour on the business front, it would be reasonable to assume that the Conservatives have it all to gain by championing their natural pro-business inclinations. However, even for the Tories problems remain, namely a perception that the party is too closely aligned with the wrong type of business – large-scale corporations or those not paying the tax they maybe should be. Such perceptions play into the hands of critics who claim the Conservatives only represent a certain ‘well-off’ portion of the population and that claims to be ‘in it together’ are untrue. In this light, the latest issues regarding HSBC and tax dodging allegations are a very real challenge for the Conservatives.
It is, of course, perfectly reasonable to debate whether either of the characterisations above are accurate – and both parties would point to strategies around support for small and medium-sized companies, as well as vocational training and apprenticeship programmes as evidence that they are on the side of business. What is clear, however, is that negative perceptions regarding the parties and their relations with business remain. Attempts to present a balanced pro-business and pro-growth policy platform is likely to be a key issue in the coming weeks.
This blog was first published on the Westminster Advisers website.