Election 2001: FDs swing to Labour

As campaigning draws to a close ahead of tomorrow?s vote, finance directors in this week’s survey endorsed the Labour government. But the Conservatives were only two points behind on 37%. The Liberal Democrats scored 8%.

The swing in support from FDs from Conservative to Labour since the last election is testimony to the strong perception among them that Gordon Brown has handled the economy well since 1997.

These finding’s in this week’s Accountancy Age/Reed Personnel Big Question come after last week’s survey revealed more than half of FDs surveyed, 53%, thought Brown would make the best company finance director.

It was a ringing endorsement and made even more telling by the fact that shadow chancellor Michael Portillo scored only 14%.

‘What Gordon Brown has done in the last few years has made sense. He looks at costs closely. He also looks like an FD,’ said Sanja Chandi, FD of Diners Club International.

However, there has been concern with politics in general. A survey published on 18 May revealed that 61% of FDs thought the interests of business were being ignored in the general election campaign.

And the touted apathy and low turnout among the electorate at large does not seem to have affected FDs. An emphatic 85% revealed in a survey at the beginning of May that they would vote in the election. FDs certainly want to play their part.

Links

AccountancyAge.com’s Election 2001 Area