In recent months, the Labour Party has been making a concerted effort to win over business leaders under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer. One of their most notable initiatives was hosting a day of networking at the Oval cricket ground in London, where a representative from Skanska raised concerns about Britain’s attractiveness due to problems with big infrastructure projects. In response to this interaction, Jonathan Reynolds, the party’s shadow business secretary, promised to personally go to Stockholm to make his pitch.
The Labour Party’s efforts to engage with business leaders have been ongoing and strategic. Along with Mr Reynolds and Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, Sir Keir and the party have met with almost all of the FTSE 350 companies, the largest listed firms in Britain. These meetings have taken place over breakfast and have been humorously named “the smoked salmon offensive.” This approach is reminiscent of the “prawn cocktail offensive” that saw Sir Tony Blair establish relationships with the City before his successful election in 1997.