The founder of household appliances giant Dyson has accused the government of a “short-sighted” approach to business, warning that growth should not be seen as a “dirty word".
Billionaire businessman Sir James Dyson has called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to use the spring budget to “incentivise private innovation and demonstrate its ambition for growth”.
The intervention comes as the government pledges to halve inflation by the end of the year, as Mr Sunak and his chancellor seek to balance the books and restore credibility to the UK’s finances.
Mr Sunak has faced pressure from some backbenchers over tax rises, following the autumn statement last year.
In an article in the Telegraph, Mr Dyson wrote: “Hard work and sacrifice should be a vote winner, not an electoral liability. But growth has become a dirty word and an idea too risky to contemplate.
“We can turn things around, but only if fast-growing companies are allowed to thrive here. And we will have to act fast – it’s a global race and our competitors are hungry. The government has a role to play. Starting with the spring budget in March, it must incentivise private innovation and demonstrate its ambition for growth.”
Dyson, relocated its global headquarters to Singapore last year but currently has around 3,500 staff based in the UK, including at its Wiltshire campuses.
In the article Sir James repeated his concern over working from home policies. In December, the businessman condemned government plans to extend employees’ rights to work from home as “economically illiterate and staggeringly self-defeating”.
He wrote: “The government took control of employees from companies during the Covid-19 pandemic by ordering them to stay at home. They have yet to direct them to return. This has badly damaged the country’s work ethic.
“I believe it is not too late for Britain to shake off its Covid inertia. There are sensible policies, such as research and development tax credits, that encourage investment in the UK and the creation of high-value jobs and careers."
Mr Dyson accused the government of being "intent on moving in the opposite direction" with the introduction of regulation and "greater interference" with business.
"[The government thinks it can impose tax upon tax on companies in the belief that penalising the private sector is a free win at the ballot box. This is as short-sighted as it is stupid. In the global economy, companies will simply choose to transfer jobs and invest elsewhere.
"Our country has an illustrious history of enterprise and innovation, born of a culture which we are in the process of extinguishing. We have got through the worst of Covid, but risk wasting the recovery.”
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