Printers sign electioneering letter backing Tories

British printers are among 5,025 leaders of SMEs who have signed an open letter in support of the Conservative Party less than two weeks before the General Election.

The letter, published in the Daily Telegraph yesterday was organised by the Tories’ small business ambassador and star of The Apprentice Karren Brady.

In total, 44 business leaders from the printing and associated industries signed the letter.

The letter says that a change of leadership would be “far too risky and would undo all the good work of the last five years” following the “tough” recession through which small businesses kept going.  

However the authors believe the “Conservative-led government has been genuinely committed to making sure Britain is open for business.

“We would like to see David Cameron and George Osborne given the chance to finish what they have started."

Founder of Printed.com Nick Green said he had been asked if he would be happy to sign the letter by friends.

“When I look back over the past five years, as a general rule it’s difficult to argue that the economy in the UK hasn’t done a lot better than in other European countries,” he told PrintWeek.

“To break that momentum at this moment in time I think would be quite a high risk.

“In this particular General Election the economy should be and needs to be the main focus. You need to have a strong economy to be able to invest in services.

"The alternative coalition is so different, I think, there is the possibility of an emergency budget in 100 days, that would be seismic.”

Green said his business was in a good position with people “in a chipper mood” following a good start to the year. 

The £7.5m-turnover company employs 100 people and aims to grow turnover to £9m by the end of its current financial year on 1 March 2015. It runs its website and marketing operations in London and has a printing facility in Newcastle, and is part of the £27m turnover Tangent Communications group.

The letter follows another signed by 100 company bosses earlier this month which warned a Labour government would “threaten jobs and deter investment” in the UK.

It adds that SMEs have created 1,000 jobs a day since 2010.