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back to article CBI demands action from Osborne

Business lobby group the CBI warned Chancellor George Osborne that the Budget must focus on helping UK companies grow by improving access to finance, cutting energy costs and increasing exports. The CBI said the Chancellor should redouble efforts to increase exports. It welcomed recent moves to make export credit insurance …

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  1. Giles Jones Gold badge

    *sigh*

    So basically the CBI wants the government to weaken employee rights and get rid of some green legislation to cut energy costs?

    Hardly good for the people and the planet is it.

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    1. Geoff Campbell Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Pirate

      The CBI doesn't represent the people or the planet.

      This is another one of those "So what?" statements, really. You wouldn't expect the CBI to call for higher energy prices, or lower rates of lending, so one is wondering why they think this is news.

      GJC

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    2. Code Monkey
      Reply Icon

      And...

      More bribes. Don't forget more bribes.

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  2. Nick Ryan Silver badge
    WTF?

    FFS

    Why don't they lobby for less of the red-tape madness that is hamstringing UK businesses - especially the small ones that are the bedrock of UK business?

    That and the "if you save money for a rainy day or to expand in the future, we'll tax the buggery hell out of it. Go get a loan from a bank instead"

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  3. MrCheese
    Megaphone

    Typical

    Usually I always have time for what the CBI have to say but this just reeks, fewer rights for the victims of unfair dismissal, no air tax for the people who both use it the most and need it the least (can you say video conferencing?) and lossening of corruption and environmental laws, well sorry but if businesses can't play by the rules then they shouldn't be in the game to begin with.

    Their efforts to bend the rules to make the system more profitable rather than encouraging business to innovate, adapt and otherwise keep up smacks of what's happened in the finance sector allowing these kind of economic crises to happen in the first place

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm surprised anybody is taking much notice of this...

    Most of the significant budget decisions have been taken by now for a Budget on 23 March 2011!!!

    The CBI has a very good contacts and either knows some of the ideas they are punting have been included (and they can give themselves a public slap on the back and promote themselves as a movement of influence when they are revealed) or they can stand proud and upbraid the Government - gently, of course, - when what they have asked for is not provided.

    Isn't the Bond Market a place for the unwary to avoid at the moment? Why would the CBI want businesses to get involved in it unless it is to help Georgie Boy out?

    There is, and has been since the creation of the IoD in the 80's(?), a popularity seesaw for the CBI & IoD. They are as bad/good as each other for most purposes and I suspect this is just another skirmish.

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  5. Eponymous Cowherd

    Fuel prices

    ***"The group called for action on fuel prices - an area in which Osborne has already hinted he may show mercy."***

    By "mercy" you mean not adding another 1p to the £1.40/l we will probably be paying next month?

    When I bought my car 5 years ago it cost £35 to fill up. It now costs £53. An average fill up is around 40-45 litres. Frankly whether Osborne adds 40p - 45p to that, or not, is going to make bugger all difference to how I feel about fuel prices.

    When I shove 40 litres of fuel into my car, the actual fuel only costs around £20. The rest is tax (approx: £8.80 VAT, £23.60 fuel tax). Adding another 40p to the tax I already pay is a drop in the ocean.

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  6. cannon
    Big Brother

    we are slaves

    Steal your money, destroy our economy with the help of the 3 party corporate stooge UK government, yet they are being given £6.5 million bonuses & had corporate tax lowered to 1%. what will it take to get you protesting exactly?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12663730

    "Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond gets £6.5m bonus"

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/25/oakeshott-banking-reform

    Lord Oakeshott: make banks declare corporation tax. £113m of corporation tax in 2009 des...pite reporting profits of £11.6bn.

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    1. Les Matthew
      Reply Icon

      @cannon

      "Lord Oakeshott: make banks declare corporation tax. £113m of corporation tax in 2009 des...pite reporting profits of £11.6bn."

      Barclays 249 offshore subsidiaries exist for a reason.

      When paying your tax just remember the mantra:

      We're all in this together. :D

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Que?

    " by improving access to finance, cutting energy costs and increasing exports"

    (a) you can meet with Finance any time you wish just don't expect to get any

    (b) in hand. Have you seen the increases in cost of domestic fuel rates? We have to subsidise commercial fuel rates somehow you know.

    (c) why can't you employ better sales chappies or overseas agents?

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