Why business should engage with Labour Party policy

Why business should engage with Labour Party policy

In the latest Portland Podcast Chris outlines why the possibility of a Labour Government cannot be ignored and why business should start engaging seriously with Labour policies. The podcast also includes insights from our distinguished panel during Portland’s recent ‘Labour – a Government in Waiting?’ event. 

In the month between the local elections and the General Election, Labour’s fortunes changed dramatically. From the disappointment of returning just two Labour mayors out of a possible six, to derailing the strong and stable leadership of Theresa May in the space of five weeks, it was quite the reversal.

This has not gone unnoticed in boardrooms across the country. Whatever their views at the start of 2017, the latter half of this year sees businesses thinking seriously about how they should be engaging with Labour and its policies.

Our polling, commissioned from YouGov, reveals that three quarters of business leaders think that a Corbyn Government could come about within five years, and a third of them say they have made at least some preparation for it.

And with good reason. While the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act affords this Government some protection, in these politically volatile times, the possibility of a Labour Government cannot be ignored.

This Parliamentary session will see Labour attack the Government with renewed vigour. Jeremy Corbyn’s future is now more secure than ever, and his supporters will seek to take the momentum of the election campaign into Parliament.

With a weakened Government faced with significant challenges, Labour will be seeking to set the policy agenda both in opposition in Westminster and in local government, where it is already in power in town and city halls across the country.

Now is the time for business to start engaging seriously with Labour policies – or else risk being caught in the crossfire.

To find out more about why business should engage with Labour Party policy, download our online pamphlet here.

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