Gordon Brown's high-profile business council, which holds its first formal meeting tomorrow, has been attacked by the Conservatives for leaving capital gains tax off the agenda.
The group, made of 15 business leaders, half of which are knights or dames, has been described as a strategic sounding board for government policy and is expected to discuss climate change, globalisation and human capital, the FT reports.
The Tories, however, have seized the opportunity for criticising the government for not using the council to thrash out business concerns over the decision to abolish taper relief.
'The key test of a government relationship with business is not whether it organises grand council meetings but whether is listens to business concerns on issues like CGT,' said shadow chancellor George Osborne.
The government responded by saying: 'The purpose of the business council is to discuss long-term policies on issues that will affect the economic well-being of the economy.'
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