UK firms ‘concerned’ about prospect of hung parliament

(04/05/10)

Nearly two-thirds of British businesses are uneasy about the prospect of a hung parliament after the General Election, according to a new study.

In a poll by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), 65% of companies said they were ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ about the impact of a hung parliament on their business.

Of the 300 firms questioned, 13% of respondents claimed that failure to establish a working parliamentary majority would be a ‘good thing,’ and 22% stated that they were ‘not concerned’.

‘Instinctively, companies prefer a clear mandate to lead and govern,’ said BCC director-general, David Frost. ‘With our economy still fragile and the public finances in a dire state, the overwhelming concern is whether a hung Parliament will provide decisive action around the UK's unsustainable deficit.’

He continued: ‘Whatever the outcome of the election, whether we have a coalition government or not, we must see a credible plan to reduce the deficit and restore confidence within 90 days.’