Business leaders in the UK said there was a “desperate need” to help firms invest as they welcomed Tory commitments on issues ranging from skills to filling in potholes. The party’s manifesto unveiled plans for a new National Skills Fund as the first step towards a so-called Right to Retrain. The manifesto also detailed plans to increase the Employment Allowance for small businesses, saying it was a tax cut for half a million small firms. There will also be a clampdown on late payment to small businesses. Josh Hardie, the CBI’s deputy director general, said: “The Conservatives’ manifesto pledges welcome action on the major issues that can improve living standards and opportunities across the country.

Source: Irish Examiner November 24, 2019 16:30 UTC