CBI to launch manifesto for business

The CBI will today launch its manifesto for business, setting out what it believes the priorities for government should be following the next election, whichever party secures power.

The 12-point plan includes a focus on youth unemployment, further efforts to stabilise the banking sector and, above all, the need to set out a coherent plan to tackle the state of Britain’s public finances.

Other priorities include a plan for energy security, more work on establishing a low-carbon economy and public sector pension reform, the CBI added.

The employer’s organisation also called for the next government to make its move quickly, by setting out timetables for implementing the Cbi’s priorities within 100 days of winning power.

John Cridland, the CBI’s deputy director-general, said the biggest priority for the next government would be the economy.

“Any new government will have a lot to do in its early days, but the economy must be central to its plans, especially given the state of the public finances and the global downturn,” he said.

“Our proposals make clear what the priorities should be to help put our economy on the road to sustainable growth. The major political parties really need to focus on the public finances, even though this requires tough decisions. They should make it their ambition to set out a clear, credible plan that would return the budget to balance by 2015.”