Tory leader David Cameron has been accused of using his election campaign to plug firms which back his policy on National Insurance.
The Labour Government are planning on increasing National Insurance, but Cameron has said that if he wins the May 6th General Election to become Prime Minister then his government will ensure that no such rise takes place.
Many firms around Britain have so far come forward to support the Conservative Party's plans, and it's been noticeable that whilst travelling around the country on his campaign trail, Cameron has visited firms which have backed his National Insurance plans - including advertsing them on TV by making speeches in front of backdrops made up of the firms' logos.
So far he has visited the famous Warburtons bakery in Bolton, the Fuller's brewery in London (on both cases he made a speech live on TV with the Warburton's and Fuller's London Pride logos in the background), Jewsons builders' merchants, a B&Q home improvement superstore, and a Bestway cash and carry.
All these companies are supporting Cameron's plans on NI.
David Cameron accused of using Conservatives election campaign to plug firms which back his cynical National Insurance policy
Jason Beattie
14/04/2010
The Mirror
Have you been ad?
Jewson
B&Q
Fullers
Warburton's
Bestway
(All Pictures: Reuters and AFP/ Getty Images)
David Cameron is using his election campaign to plug firms which back his cynical National Insurance policy.
He has been pictured at firms such as Jewson, run by bosses who support his plan to halt an NI rise.
The Tory Party has always looked after its big-money backers. But it has rarely done it as blatantly as David Cameron has over the past two weeks.
Since the election battle began, the Tory leader has been seen at B&Q, Warburtons, Bestway, Fuller’s brewery and Jewsons – and has often been pictured with the relevant company’s logo clearly visible.
Nothing unusual there. Apart from the fact the chief executives of all these firms have publicly backed the Tories’ cynical attempt to win votes by promising to halt a scheduled rise in National Insurance.
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has also got in on the act by visiting the headquarters of easyJet, whose founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou also supports Mr Cameron’s NI policy.
Labour MP Stephen Pound yesterday said such an obvious payback for the bosses’ support was cynical in the extreme.
He added: “We have always said that David Cameron is a salesman but jetting off around the country promoting Tory donors and endorsers is taking things a little too far.
“It goes to show that he who pays the piper calls the tune.”
But one advertising expert said Mr Cameron’s efforts to associate himself with the firms was unlikely to sway voters.
Dave Trott of CST Advertising said: “Short of wearing a flat cap and walking around with a whippet, there is no way he could be more obvious about what he is attempting to do. There is no one on the planet that does not know all that stuff is just a cheap PR stunt.”
Mr Cameron kicked off his campaign at a B&Q store in Hayes, West London, on Thursday 1 April. The DIY firm is owned by Kingfisher whose chief executive Ian Cheshire and deputy chairman John Nelson have both backed the Tory policy to halt NI hikes.
How the three main parties are currently faring
Conservatives: 39%
Labour: 31%
Liberal Democrats: 20%
(Source: YouGov)
This poll suggests a hung parliament, with the possibily of Britain having, unusually, a coalition government (Tory/LibDem or Lab/LibDem) or even a second General Election later this year
On Tuesday 6 April Mr Osborne visited an easyJet hangar in Luton, Bedfordshire. Both Sir Stelios and chief executive Andy Harrison support Conservative tax policies
The day after, Mr Cameron held a question and answer session with staff at Bestway Cash & Carry in Cardiff before travelling to Warburtons’ bakery in Bolton for another photo opportunity.
The boss of Bestway, Zameer Choudrey, was one of the original signatories to a letter to the Daily Telegraph on March 28 endorsing the Tory NI policy. Since 2005, he has donated £138,852 to the Conservative Party through his business.
Warburtons chief executive Richard Warburton is also among the business leaders to back the Conservative plans.
This week the Tory leader chatted to staff at Fuller’s brewery in West London and was photographed against a backdrop featuring the company’s logo.
On the same day, Monday 12 April, he went to a Jewson store in Reading. Michael Turner, the chief executive of Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc and Peter Hindle the boss of Jewson both endorse the Tory tax policy.
And during his manifesto launch yesterday Mr Cameron name-checked Sainsbury’s.
The boss of the chain, Justin King, also backed calls to halt the NI rise. Mr Osborne claims he will fund the £6billion cost of halting the NI increase by reducing government waste.
But Labour says his “back of the envelope” figures do not add up.
The party has worked out the Tories would have to find £12billion efficiency savings on top of the £15billion already being planned by the Government.
It warned that the gap would have to be filled either by a VAT rise of 5% or savage public service cuts, both of which would hit pensioners and the poor hardest.
Independent expert Gerry Grimstone said: “Incoherent attempts to deliver efficiences will damage the services people rely on in times like these.”
The Conservatives yesterday said of Mr Cameron’s appearances: “It is hardly surprising since the evidence shows huge numbers of businesses are backing our National Insurance policy.”
Bestway said: “David Cameron was in the area and he decided to call in at a Bestway as he wanted somewhere he could hold a meeting.”
Warburton said: “We were asked to host a meeting. If any other party wanted to visit our bakery we’d be happy to host them.”
mirror.co.uk
The Labour Government are planning on increasing National Insurance, but Cameron has said that if he wins the May 6th General Election to become Prime Minister then his government will ensure that no such rise takes place.
Many firms around Britain have so far come forward to support the Conservative Party's plans, and it's been noticeable that whilst travelling around the country on his campaign trail, Cameron has visited firms which have backed his National Insurance plans - including advertsing them on TV by making speeches in front of backdrops made up of the firms' logos.
So far he has visited the famous Warburtons bakery in Bolton, the Fuller's brewery in London (on both cases he made a speech live on TV with the Warburton's and Fuller's London Pride logos in the background), Jewsons builders' merchants, a B&Q home improvement superstore, and a Bestway cash and carry.
All these companies are supporting Cameron's plans on NI.
David Cameron accused of using Conservatives election campaign to plug firms which back his cynical National Insurance policy
Jason Beattie
14/04/2010
The Mirror
Have you been ad?
Jewson
B&Q
Fullers
Warburton's
Bestway
(All Pictures: Reuters and AFP/ Getty Images)
David Cameron is using his election campaign to plug firms which back his cynical National Insurance policy.
He has been pictured at firms such as Jewson, run by bosses who support his plan to halt an NI rise.
The Tory Party has always looked after its big-money backers. But it has rarely done it as blatantly as David Cameron has over the past two weeks.
Since the election battle began, the Tory leader has been seen at B&Q, Warburtons, Bestway, Fuller’s brewery and Jewsons – and has often been pictured with the relevant company’s logo clearly visible.
Nothing unusual there. Apart from the fact the chief executives of all these firms have publicly backed the Tories’ cynical attempt to win votes by promising to halt a scheduled rise in National Insurance.
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has also got in on the act by visiting the headquarters of easyJet, whose founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou also supports Mr Cameron’s NI policy.
Labour MP Stephen Pound yesterday said such an obvious payback for the bosses’ support was cynical in the extreme.
He added: “We have always said that David Cameron is a salesman but jetting off around the country promoting Tory donors and endorsers is taking things a little too far.
“It goes to show that he who pays the piper calls the tune.”
But one advertising expert said Mr Cameron’s efforts to associate himself with the firms was unlikely to sway voters.
Dave Trott of CST Advertising said: “Short of wearing a flat cap and walking around with a whippet, there is no way he could be more obvious about what he is attempting to do. There is no one on the planet that does not know all that stuff is just a cheap PR stunt.”
Mr Cameron kicked off his campaign at a B&Q store in Hayes, West London, on Thursday 1 April. The DIY firm is owned by Kingfisher whose chief executive Ian Cheshire and deputy chairman John Nelson have both backed the Tory policy to halt NI hikes.
How the three main parties are currently faring
Conservatives: 39%
Labour: 31%
Liberal Democrats: 20%
(Source: YouGov)
This poll suggests a hung parliament, with the possibily of Britain having, unusually, a coalition government (Tory/LibDem or Lab/LibDem) or even a second General Election later this year
On Tuesday 6 April Mr Osborne visited an easyJet hangar in Luton, Bedfordshire. Both Sir Stelios and chief executive Andy Harrison support Conservative tax policies
The day after, Mr Cameron held a question and answer session with staff at Bestway Cash & Carry in Cardiff before travelling to Warburtons’ bakery in Bolton for another photo opportunity.
The boss of Bestway, Zameer Choudrey, was one of the original signatories to a letter to the Daily Telegraph on March 28 endorsing the Tory NI policy. Since 2005, he has donated £138,852 to the Conservative Party through his business.
Warburtons chief executive Richard Warburton is also among the business leaders to back the Conservative plans.
This week the Tory leader chatted to staff at Fuller’s brewery in West London and was photographed against a backdrop featuring the company’s logo.
On the same day, Monday 12 April, he went to a Jewson store in Reading. Michael Turner, the chief executive of Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc and Peter Hindle the boss of Jewson both endorse the Tory tax policy.
And during his manifesto launch yesterday Mr Cameron name-checked Sainsbury’s.
The boss of the chain, Justin King, also backed calls to halt the NI rise. Mr Osborne claims he will fund the £6billion cost of halting the NI increase by reducing government waste.
But Labour says his “back of the envelope” figures do not add up.
The party has worked out the Tories would have to find £12billion efficiency savings on top of the £15billion already being planned by the Government.
It warned that the gap would have to be filled either by a VAT rise of 5% or savage public service cuts, both of which would hit pensioners and the poor hardest.
Independent expert Gerry Grimstone said: “Incoherent attempts to deliver efficiences will damage the services people rely on in times like these.”
The Conservatives yesterday said of Mr Cameron’s appearances: “It is hardly surprising since the evidence shows huge numbers of businesses are backing our National Insurance policy.”
Bestway said: “David Cameron was in the area and he decided to call in at a Bestway as he wanted somewhere he could hold a meeting.”
Warburton said: “We were asked to host a meeting. If any other party wanted to visit our bakery we’d be happy to host them.”
mirror.co.uk
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