Partner Article

CBI’s thoughts on Coaltion’s first 100 days

RICHARD LAMBERT, CBI director-general, yesterday set out his assessment of the coalition government’s first 100 days.

In a letter to members, he highlighted the areas where the government had made most progress, and other areas where work still needs to be done.

Mr Lambert said the overall assessment of the government was positive, although its record at this very early stage in its life varied between different policy areas.

He said there were some areas where the government could be given a green light for delivering the right policies swiftly, others where it deserved an amber, and others where it deserved a red light as issues needed to be tackled.

Green-light areas included fiscal policy covering the budget deficit and corporation tax, as well as public-sector pensions.

Amber-light areas were innovation and skills, energy security and climate change, financial reform and international trade and red included regional development, planning and employment law concerning retirement.

“The overall judgement to date is positive. Business has a strong interest in the success of the coalition – the last thing it wants is a period of drift and political uncertainty. And it has been impressed by the speed and direction of policy-making to date,” said Mr Lambert.

“This applies in particular to the government’s determined efforts to get the public finances back into shape. June’s Budget was seen as bold and audacious, and it needed to be. Although there are many risks and uncertainties ahead, the dangers of inaction on fiscal policy seemed to most business people to be even greater, given the unsustainable policies inherited from the previous government.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .