JD Sports chairman Andy Higginson and Iceland boss Richard Walker are among the 120 business leaders who have given their backing to Labour as the “party of change” ahead of the general election.
Alongside the retail bosses, the letter has been signed by Pete Bowyer, director of Association of International Retail, as well former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer.
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The letter reads: “The UK has the potential to be one of the strongest economies in the world. A lack of political stability and the absence of consistent economic strategy have held it back.
“The country has been denied the skills and infrastructure it needs to flourish. We are looking for a government that will partner fiscal discipline with a long-term growth strategy, working in partnership with the private sector to drive innovation and investment to build digital and physical capital and fix our skills system. This is the only way to put us on track for sustained productivity growth.
“Labour has shown it has changed and wants to work with business to achieve the UK’s full economic potential. We should now give it the chance to change the country and lead Britain into the future
“We are in urgent need of a new outlook to break free from the stagnation of the past decade and we hope by taking this public stand we might persuade others of that need too.”
While earlier this month, Seb James, the boss of health and beauty giant Boots, also threw his support behind the Labour Party and praised Starmer’s focus on the high street and its role in the national economy.
James, who has connections to Boris Johnson and David Cameron from his time at Eton College, endorsed Labour by video at the party’s general election campaign launch.
In a video transcript video shared by the party, he mentioned the role of government in working with businesses to create employment.
He said: “Boots has 2,000 stores and pharmacies right across the country, and just over 50,000 team members.
“A stable economy provides the right platform for sustainable economic growth. And it’s that real focus on economic growth that is going to be so important in the next few years. The second thing is government and business really listening to each other and working together to grow our economy.
“We need an industrial strategy that helps us plan for the long term, helps us to anticipate changing landscapes, emerging sectors, new skills, new technologies.
Speaking on Labour’s efforts, he added: “Now I must mention something close to my heart: Keir came to one of our Boots stores earlier in the year and we talked about the importance of looking after our high streets.
“There is a Boots on almost every high street, but high streets are not just a place that people come to shop, it’s a place of work – in some small towns, the only place of work. It’s a place to meet, to connect, to get health advice from your pharmacist, it’s the heart of our towns, and a thriving high street helps to build communities.”
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