Jo Swinson was the most warmly received of the party leaders to appear on stage at the CBI’s annual conference, as the Liberal Democrat leader’s unwavering commitment to remaining in the EU proved popular with business delegates.
As leaders did their best to promote their policies to the business community prior to the general election on 12 December, the audience’s reaction to both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn was lukewarm at best.
The prime minister’s promise that his “oven-ready” Brexit deal would end the uncertainty over Britain’s relationship with the EU found favour with many of the business leaders gathered, but there was also despair at the move toward extremes by both main political parties.
Randle Slatter, the finance director of Clearsprings, a provider of accommodation to asylum seekers under contract from the Home Office, said he shared the view of the CBI director general, Carolyn Fairbairn, about the ideological shift to the extremes by both parties. He said the prospect of leaving the EU without a deal next December was his main worry. “We have to remain closely connected to the EU for trade. That is essential.”
Slatter said he was supporting the Liberal Democrats after having taken a long look at Labour. “Jeremy Corbyn is a decent man, it’s the people around him and the Momentum group that I find a problem,” he said.
www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/18/jo-swinson-best-reception-cbi-conference-lib-dems-pro-eu-stance
