Leading businessman quits Tories after 40 years over anti-business approach

A leading business figure has quit the Conservative party after nearly 40 years, citing the party's alleged “f*** business” attitude.

Iain Anderson, the founder of the public relations from Cicero, said he was switching to Labour also in part because of the Conservatives' plan to stoke a culture war against vulnerable groups.

Mr Anderson, who was named the government's “LGBT business champion” in 2021, told the Financial Times the Tories were "not the party it used to be", adding: "I can't defend it."

In April he quit his government role, warning that ministers' decision not to ban conversion therapy for transgender people was "deeply damaging".

But he has now left the Tory party as well, after nearly 40 years.

Citing Boris Johnson's 2018 "f*** business" comments in the context of Brexit, Mr Anderson told the newspaper:

“I’ve tried to understand why a Conservative leader could say that and nobody in the party blinked an eyelid about it.”

The business chief also said that discussions with party insiders had led him to believe that Rihi Sunak would ramp up so-called "culture war" tactics in the run-up to the 2024 election – with LGBT people among the likely targets.

“It was made pretty clear the plan is to run a culture war to distract from fundamental economic failings,” Mr Anderson said. “It’s not something I want any part of.”

As well as cancelling plans to ban conversion therapy for transgender people, the government has also moved to block the Scottish government from reforming the process by which a person can change their legal gender.