Top bosses sign letter supporting Conservative-led government

• 18 minutes ago
 
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More than 100 company leaders have declared support for a Conservative-led government in a letter published in the Daily Telegraph.

The signatories include the head of BP and the head of insurer Prudential.

The Conservatives say the letter is the most significant intervention by business leaders in a general election.

Labour has warned that David Cameron's pledge to hold a referendum on Britain's EU membership is "a clear and present danger" to jobs and business.

It took out a full-page advert in the FT earlier this week quoting a number of pro-EU company leaders, which it said showed the strength of feeling about Europe.

Later on Wednesday, Ed Miliband is expected to outline plans to ban zero-hour contracts, a type of contract in which minimum hours are not guaranteed, if employees are in practice working regular hours.

The Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has also said that leaving the European Union would be an act of economic "self-harm" and could put the UK recovery at risk.

However, the business leaders, who signed the letter in a personal capacity, say that the present government has supported investment and job creation.

"We believe a change in course will threaten jobs and deter investment. This would send a negative message about Britain and put the recovery at risk," they said in the letter.

As well as Bob Dudley, chief executive of BP and Tidjane Thiam from Prudential, the list includes Arcadia retail group head Sir Philip Green, and Nick Robertson, chief executive of ASOS.

It also claims to have five signatories who have previously supported New Labour: the entrepreneur Duncan Bannantyne, the hotelier Surinder Arora, chairman of Dixons Carphone and Talk Talk Sir Charles Dunstone , theatrical producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh and businessman Moni Varma.