British prime minister Theresa May will break with her former counterparts by refusing to seek the endorsement of prominent business figures in the lead up to the general election.
May’s predecessor David Cameron and former Labour leader Tony Blair both used letters to shore up support from leading business executives in 2015 and 2010 respectively.
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Fiona Hill, the prime minister’s joint chief of staff reportedly dislikes using letters to garner support.
“Fiona hates letters,” one senior Tory source told The Times.
The Conservative party’s latest decision is a way for May to distance herself further from big business.
At the 47th World Economic Forum in Davos in January May told big companies to address issues surrounding executive pay and urged them to comply with taxation rules.
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By GlobalDataShe added that reforms were necessary because the the less wealthy members of the British public have little faith in big city firms.
“In the UK trust in business runs at just 35 percent among those in the lowest income brackets,” she said at the time.
Sir Lynton Crosby, one of the senior campaign advisers, said that if May maintains a tough stance on big city companies, she is more likely to attract former Labour voters, The Times reported.
According to Verdict‘s Brexit sentiment tracker, business confidence in the UK remains high despite warnings from ministers and economists before the vote to leave the EU.
