KPMG lobbies for competitiveness
Firm arranges conference meetings on competitiveness at all three party conferences
KPMG is urging political leaders and delegates at Labour, Tory and Liberal
Democrat party conferences to recognise the need for a stable economic and tax
environment to maintain and enhance London’s competitiveness.
The firm joined with London First and BAA to get the message across
in Brighton last week, and will be delivering a similar message this week in
Manchester and next week in Bournemouth, at a series of fringe events entitled
‘Keeping the UK Competitive – What Price Success?’
Chief secretary Stephen Timms has accepted an invitation to address the
Labour meeting tomorrow at the conference headquarters hotel (the Radissson
Edwardian) with London First chief executive Baroness Jo Valentine. She will
press a similar case, including the need for the Crossrail project. The LibDem
shadow Ed Davey also attended the Brighton event.
KPMG public affairs partner Neil Sherlock told delegates in Brighton there
were three key issues they needed to address to strengthen the position of
London a financial centre. Besides economic and tax stability he called for a
better transport infrastructure and ‘continual investment in the schools base’.
He said later that by tax stability he was not particularly referring to the
row over late changes cracking down on avoidance in this year’s Finance Act or
the level of taxation.
Sherlock said: ‘It is about businesses having some certainty about the tax
position – not about the amount but partly about complexity and certainly about
certainty.’
He said KPMG have been maintaining a presence at the main party conferences
in recent years.
He added: ‘We regard it as very worthwhile. We do believe it is important for
a firm of our size and scale to get our message across at party conferences.’