CBI keen on fresh crack at Heseltine
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Michael Heseltine, President of the Board of Trade, is to to produce another White Paper on competitiveness as a follow-up to the original document published last May.
The announcement, expected today, that a White Paper will be prepared will open the door to a new round of lobbying by industry groups that failed to win all the improvements to taxation and other policies they demanded last time.
Howard Davies, director-general of the CBI, said yesterday after a meeting of his governing council that although British companies had been performing very strongly in export markets since the first White Paper, there were a signs of a fall in relative competitiveness.
British unit labour costs had fallen 1.8 per cent but those in Germany had fallen by 8 per cent, so Britain's competitiveness against Germany had slipped.
The CBI has been pressing for a follow-up exercise, and Mr Davies said restatement of the competitiveness case would be useful to keep the message in front of companies and staff.
Proposals such as learning credits and modern apprenticeships would be given additional impetus if the Government returned to the subject, Mr Davies said.
The CBI is also likely to reopen its case for new tax incentives for investment, which were an important part of its competitiveness policy but failed to appear in the Budget.
However, the employers are likely to revise the details of their rejected plan, which was for 100 per cent investment allowances up to a £200,000 limit.
Sir Colin Southgate, chairman of Thorn EMI, is to become the next president of the CBI in 1996, following his nomination yesterday as deputy to Sir Bryan Nicholson.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments