British businesses are right to be concerned about the rise of Reform UK and should demand far tougher scrutiny of the party’s economic plans, according to Liam Byrne, the Labour chairman of the House of Commons business and trade select committee.
In an interview with The Times, Byrne said that if Reform were to become the dominant force on the political right, companies would need to take a much closer look at its policies and credibility. He warned that the business community could not afford complacency when dealing with a party whose economic approach remains unclear.
“If Reform is set to become the predominant party of the right, then businesses absolutely are going to need to understand where they’re coming from,” Byrne said. “Particularly when the economic evidence says that populist, interventionist administrations are pretty catastrophic for the economy. The next year or two are going to be quite important for the business community in really getting their head around the reality of Reform.”
His comments come at a time when Reform UK is polling strongly and stepping up its engagement with corporate Britain, even as both Labour and the Conservatives seek to rebuild trust with investors after years of economic turbulence.
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