The Labour Party recently hosted business leaders at the Oval cricket ground in London for a day of networking. During the event, a representative from Skanska, a construction company, raised concerns about Britain’s attractiveness due to problems with big infrastructure projects. She wondered what she could tell her board in Sweden to make them re-evaluate the situation. In response, Jonathan Reynolds, the party’s shadow business secretary, promised to personally go to Stockholm to make his pitch.
This interaction highlighted the Labour Party’s strong efforts to court business leaders under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer. Sir Keir, along with Mr Reynolds and Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, have taken the initiative to meet with almost all of the FTSE 350 companies, the largest listed firms in Britain. They have organized a series of breakfast meetings, humorously named the “smoked salmon offensive,” as a strategic move to engage with the business community. This approach is reminiscent of the “prawn cocktail offensive” that saw Sir Tony Blair establish relationships with the City before his successful election in 1997.
The Labour Party’s outreach efforts have been met with mixed reactions from business leaders. While some have praised their engagement and expressed support for their policies, others have criticized their approach as too confrontational and unrealistic. Despite these challenges, Sir Keir and his team remain determined to continue their outreach efforts and build strong relationships with key stakeholders in the business community.