Several local businessmen are signing up to our version of the letter written damning the governments decision to tax the jobs recovery by putting up National Insurance; the full text of the letter is set out below + the original signatures: it is worth pointing out that several have been traditional government supporters in the past:
also note a further 37 names added today and not one leading businessman will say it is good idea http://conservativehome.blogs.com/thetorydiary/2010/04/another-thirty-senior-business-leaders-back-the-conservatives-on-national-insurance-.html
"The Government's proposal to increase national insurance, placing an additional tax on jobs, comes at exactly the wrong time in the economic cycle. In a personal capacity, we welcome George Osborne’s plan to stop the proposed increase in national insurance by cutting Government waste. In the last two years, businesses across the country have cut their costs without undermining the service they provide to their customers. It is time for the Government to do the same.
Few would argue that the state cannot improve. In the last few years, the private sector has improved its productivity by around 20 per cent, while productivity in the public sector has fallen by three per cent. Savings can be made by removing the blizzard of irrelevant objectives, restrictive working practices, arcane procurement rules and Whitehall interference. Mr Osborne’s announcement marks the beginning of this debate. As taxpayers we would welcome more efficiency in government.
As businessmen we know that stopping the national insurance rise will protect jobs and support the recovery.
Cutting government waste won’t endanger the recovery – but putting up national insurance will.
Signed,
Sir Anthony Bamford (Chairman, JCB) Bill Bolsover (Chief Executive, Aggregate Industries) Dominic Burke (Chief Executive, Jardine Lloyd Thompson) Ian Cheshire (Chief Executive, Kingfisher plc) Neil Clifford (Chief Executive, Kurt Geiger) Mick Davis (Chief Executive, Xstrata plc) Aidan Heavey (Chief Executive, Tullow Oil plc) Lord Harris of Peckham (Chairman and Chief Executive, Carpetright plc) Justin King (Chief Executive, J Sainsbury plc) Sir Christopher Gent (Chairman, GlaxoSmithKline plc) Ben Gordon (Chief Executive, Mothercare plc) Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou (Founder and Chairman, easyGroup) John Lovering (Chairman, Mitchells & Butlers plc) Graham Mackay (Chief Executive, SABMiller plc) Alistair McGeorge (Chief Executive, Matalan) Nicolas Moreau (Group Chief Executive, AXA UK) Stephen Murphy (Chief Executive, Virgin Group Ltd) Alan Parker (Chief Executive, Whitbread Plc) Sir Stuart Rose (Executive Chairman, Marks & Spencer plc) Paul Walsh (Chief Executive, Diageo Plc) Joseph Wan (Group Chief Executive, Harvey Nichols) Simon Wolfson (Chief Executive, Next plc) Zameer Choudrey (Chief Executive, Bestway Cash & Carry)
