The UK 'needs a new agenda for business' as the election draws near

Chris Hirst is the former chief executive of Grey London and an advertising agency chief executive for Europe.

It’s how we make it rather than how we spend it that should exercise us the most.

I have thought for a long time that the UK needs a new agenda for business. Political leaders on all sides must, clearly and unambiguously, make the case that business, for all its faults, is the sole driver of our collective security, health and prosperity.

The public debate for the past five years seems to have revolved solely around how we spend it, rather than how we make it. Imagine if we ran any other part of our lives in this way.

David Cameron today said he will create two million more jobs in the next Parliament, but so far the critical role of business as generator of virtually all this island’s wealth (particularly since the vertiginous oil-price fall) has been almost totally ignored by both politicians and the electorate.

Yesterday’s advert by Labour in the Financial Times at least has the merit of attempting to take a position on business, and by virtue of where they placed it, make it clear who they are talking to. Although, as an ad man myself, it seemed a fairly obvious pitfall awaited the unapproved use of independent quotes!

The bigger problem is that it simply threw into relief the Hobson’s choice that many business leaders perceive this election to be.

On one hand a party that appears to still see business as an enemy to be at best tolerated and at worst put in its place; the economy to be exploited rather than emboldened.

On the other, a party led by the nose by Ukip and its right wing towards a EU referendum. It is almost impossible to find a leader of any business big or small that believes a "Brexit" [British exit] would be anything other than very bad news.

The problem with governments of all persuasions is that they just can’t help but meddle.

Labour are today promising yet another change to rates and taxes: a reversal of the corporation tax cut to offer business rate relief for smaller businesses.

The truth is, the vast majority of business leaders sincerely do not want to force their way into political debate. But they feel equally strongly, that they do not want politics to force its way into their business.

Whoever wins the election, business would choose stability and consistency every time. It is clear that, from business’ perspective anyway, the current economic policies are working. Could they work better? Possibly. Could it be worse? Definitely.

Look at the rest of the world. This is not a left-wing or a right-wing argument, but surely a common sense argument. There are many things governments can do well, but many more they should leave well alone.

The problem is, for a career politician - after decades of climbing the slippery pole, can he or she be brave and restrained enough to leave alone the bits that aren’t broken?

Democratically-elected governments are surely one of mankind’s most under-rated and astonishing achievements. But at the same time all newly elected politicians should bear in mind the words of one of the most under-rated politicians of our time, Ronald Reagan

These are the views of Chris Hirst, an advertising agency chief executive for Europe, and do not necessarily reflect those of ITV News.