Thames Valley businesses give thumbs up to 2014 Budget and predict a Conservative government at next election

A survey of 300 Thames Valley business leaders at accountants James Cowper Kreston?s 2014 Budget Breakfast have given George Osborne?s Budget for doers, makers and savers a resounding thumbs up.

Three quarters of business leaders (74 per cent) told James Cowper Kreston that yesterday’s Budget was good for them personally and for their business.  Just 18 per cent said that it wasn’t a good Budget.

Almost half (44 per cent) of all business leaders in the Thames Valley predict that, following yesterday’s Budget, the Conservative Party will win an outright majority in next year’s election, with 28 per cent believing a Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition will remain in power.

Alan Poole, a recently promoted partner at James Cowper Kreston who was at the Budget Breakfast, said: “Just nine per cent of Thames Valley business leaders believe Labour have the upper hand.  Thames Valley businesses have given a ringing endorsement to the Government’s economic programme and expect it continue for a further five years.”

Pensioners – particularly beer-drinking, bingo playing pensioners – were one of the real beneficiaries from yesterday’s Budget.

Yet 43 per cent of Thames Valley business leaders believe that the Chancellor was not generous enough with his measures, against 12 per cent who believe he was too generous.

Alan said: “We asked business leaders whether, in light of the support announced yesterday, should pensioners be asked to contribute more to UK tax coffers.  Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they should, with a resounding 77 per cent saying no.

“This Budget could be seen as one of the first major steps of the 2015 election campaign by the Conservative Party to win the battle for the grey vote.”