“The Voice of Business”, as the CBI styles itself, admits that there is no silver bullet ? no single measure that will put an end to the nation’s economic problems instantly. The CBI would like HM Revenue and Customs to keep up its clemency for late payers; and they would welcome an extension to the enterprise guarantee scheme. However, there is no doubt about what is at the top of the CBI and Lambert’s agenda: public borrowing.

Read more on The voice of business is crying out for a return to prudence…

Author: By Jon Smith, Press Association

He said the massive borrowing had to be tackled to avert the risk of the
country “tipping back into recession” and was threatening
investment, confidence and growth.

Read more on David Cameron targets public sector deficit…

This is not to make a judgement about the economic policies of Labour or the Conservatives, but it is a plain fact that the markets have been more inclined to dump sterling when Mr Brown’s chances of re-election have seemed higher. Yesterday’s sell-off, prompted by a further recovery in Labour’s opinion poll rating, partly reflected the markets’ fears of the uncertainties that a hung parliament might bring, but was also a continuation of the trend of recent months, which has seen sterling’s fortunes rise and fall broadly in line with those of the Tories.

Read more on David Prosser: The Tory-Labour divide is a political, not economic, one…

Author: By Andrew Grice, Political Editor

On Wednesday, Gordon Brown answered Tory claims he was ?at war? with his
Chancellor by saying he would much rather defend Mr Darling than be in David
Cameron?s position of having to defend Mr Osborne. But the survey suggests
that the shadow Chancellor is in the stronger position in the business
community as the general election approaches.

Read more on Osborne finds favour in business poll as Darling’s credibility sinks…

Author: By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor

The shadow Chancellor will also signal that the Conservatives are to put the huge scale of the national debt ? forecast to reach £178bn this financial year ? at the heart of their election campaign.

Read more on Brown is the Prime Minister of negative growth, says Osborne…

Author: By Joe Churcher, PA

The shadow chancellor said his “people’s bank bonus” would reward taxpayers
for the £850 billion ploughed by the Government into propping up crisis-hit
financial institutions.

During the financial crisis, the Government nationalised Northern Rock and
took stakes in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking Group in
return for bailing them out.

Read more on Tories to sell cut-price shares in state-owned banks…

Author: By Gavin Cordon, Press Association

In two letters to the Financial Times, they said it could be “positively
dangerous” to begin cuts – as the Tories are planning – and would risk
tipping the economy back into recession.

Read more on Economists back Alistair Darling over cuts delay…

The entrepreneur said the UK’s huge borrowing was a “serious risk” to the UK economy and action could not be put off. At the weekend 20 leading economists signed a letter to The Sunday Times calling for spending cuts to start in 2010-11, and for the structural deficit to be tackled faster.

Read more on Branson backs public spending cuts this year…

Author: By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor

Information released by the party, claimed that more than half of girls ? 54 per cent ? in the most deprived communities fell pregnant before their 18th birthday. The claim, in a document detailing the gap between the Britain’s richest and poorest areas, was breathtaking. It was also untrue: a crucial decimal point was missing from the actual figure, which is 5.4 per cent.

Read more on Conservatives get their hundreds and thousands mixed up…

Author: By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor

Information released by the party, claimed that more than half of girls ? 54 per cent ? in the most deprived communities fell pregnant before their 18th birthday. The claim, in a document detailing the gap between the Britain’s richest and poorest areas, was breathtaking. It was also untrue: a crucial decimal point was missing from the actual figure, which is 5.4 per cent.

Read more on Conservatives get their hundreds and thousands mixed up…