smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

No safety net

Whereas some financial institutions may get bailed out by a...
Have your say »

RSS

CBI questions potential London mayors

Mar 26 2008

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) will today question the four main candidates for London mayor on what they plan to do to help small business.

The CBI's manifesto for business will set out seven priorities that the newly-elected mayor should do for business in the capital.

Investment in the infrastructure, an improved skills base and a positive legacy from the Olympics are some of the priorities mentioned in the report.

Director of the CBI's London region Nigel Bourne explains that London faces a lot of potential competition as a leading financial centre.

'The CBI manifesto is a direct call to all the candidates to address the priorities of the business community and deliver policies which build on our strong foundations and deliver further prosperity and productivity for the capital,' he says.

The manifesto is asking the mayoral candidates to deliver 'green policies', ensure an attractive business environment, consider the planning needs of a growing city and consult business leaders to formulate policy favourable to enterprise.

Candidates attending the hustings event include current mayor who is running on behalf of Labour Ken Livingstone, Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick, Conservative Boris Johnson, and Green Party candidate Sian Berry.

Analysis from the Financial Times has found that candidates for the position of mayor 'are failing to address some of the most important issues for the capital's business community'.

Comments

There are currently no comments on this article

Prize Draw

Enter our prize draw!!

You've probably noticed smallbusiness.co.uk has a brand new look. You can personalise the homepage to suit your needs and there's lots of new content including video, blogs and the small business resource centre.

We're interested to know what you think about the new small business site, so we'd like you to take this opportunity to have your say. All entrants will be entered into our free prize draw to win a bottle of champagne provided by our partners at Laithwaites! Enter here

Polls

Latest News

UK businesses call for rate cut

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have called for a rate cut of half a percentage point when a decision is made later this week.

Energy-efficient loans doubled

The Carbon Trust has doubled the amount small businesses can borrow to make their company more energy efficient.

EU plan to free up small business lending

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has pledged to loan more money to small and medium-sized firms as commercial lenders tighten their criteria.

FRC: Firms should be extra cautious about fraud

Record levels of fraud in the UK means companies should ensure they have watertight internal control procedures to prevent losing out, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) warns.

MPC decision understandable, business group says

The decision made by the Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) to hold interest rates at five per cent was 'understandable', the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) comments.

SMEs in danger of funding drought, trade body says

Small and medium-sized businesses may face a funding drought as banks begin to make accessing finance more difficult, the Forum of Private Businesses (FPB) claims.

FSB: Authorities should highlight SME tax savings

The government needs to ensure small businesses are aware of the tax saving opportunities available to them, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Rate hold prediction from 9 of 9 economists

Interest rates will be kept on hold following September's monetary policy committee meeting, nine out of nine economists predict in a new poll.

CEBR says Bank of England has little power over inflation

The Bank of England cannot do much to fight inflation and policymakers are being forced to ‘sit on their hands’ rather than address the problem, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) believes.

Economists: Bad publicity helping provoke recession

Bad publicity is helping to fuel poor sentiment and pessimism among businesses and consumers, according to Capital Economics.

Unqualified accountants 'causing problems for SMEs'

Business groups are calling on parliament to make 'accountant' a legally-recognised term to prevent those without the right training putting small firms at risk through offering ineffective counsel.

Guides & Tips

Have your say: Funding for women

Financial institutions may well need a shake up when helping female entrepreneurs. SmallBusiness.co.uk speaks to some women in business about their experiences of raising finance and asks for your comments.

Moving bank accounts

Are you still getting a good deal, and just as importantly, good support from your bank? If not, it could benefit your business to switch banks. The money your business spends on banking can add up over the year – all money better off helping your business. You could pay for a business mobile phone, buy new software or even a new PC with the money saved.

Opening a Euro account

Whether or not to open a Euro account depends on your individual circumstances. It may or may not be in your best interests.

Don't Miss

Your first business loan

If your business plan and financial forecasts are sound, you may be feeling brave enough to approach a bank for funding.

Paying your employees

If you have an employee who does not have a bank account, and insists on being paid in cash, what are your options? As a first step, speak to the employee and ascertain why he cannot open a bank account.

Opening a foreign currency account

If your business has a strong hold in the overseas market, or you regularly receive and make payments in a foreign currency, then you may benefit from opening a foreign currency account. By having foreign currency, you will save money as you will not be paying conversion costs.

Store

FT Guide to Personal Tax

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Tax Guide, the FT Guide to Personal Tax is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and Jonquil Lowe, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as 100 tax-saving tips.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide, the FT Guide to Business Start Up is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc, this unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.