London mayoral election 2016: Exclusive new poll shows Goldsmith leads Khan by 39 per cent among London businesses
Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith is overwhelmingly seen by London firms as being more pro-business than his Labour rival Sadiq Khan, according to a new poll seen exclusively by Morning Wire
Two-thirds of London businesses think Goldsmith is pro-business, while just 29 per cent say the same of Khan, according to the poll, conducted by ComRes for the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI).
The survey provides a big boost for Goldsmith, who has faced sharp criticism in recent weeks over his business record.
Just last week, Khan used a speech at the Resolution Foundation to slam Goldsmith, saying the Richmond Park MP “doesn’t get how to work with business”.
But ComRes surveyed more than 500 London firms in November, and figures revealed today show that 76 per cent of respondents said the Conservative Party under Prime Minister David Cameron is pro-business, with 68 per cent saying the same of Goldsmith.
On the other hand, just one in seven businesses said they think the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn is pro-business. Nearly twice as many (29 per cent) said they thought Khan was pro-business.
Khan, who has vowed to be the “most pro-business mayor London has ever had”, has so far struggled to distance himself from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the mayoral contest.
Khan was one of 35 MPs who backed Corbyn’s nomination for Labour party leader last July.
Karren Brady, a Tory peer and the government’s small business ambassador, welcomed the survey results, saying they “confirmed” that Khan is the “Jeremy Corbyn, trade union anti-business candidate.
“It’s no surprise given his support for a Labour leadership who is the most anti-business in a generation, his opposition to corporation tax cuts and his unwavering support for the tube unions whose strikes cost business millions and weaken London’s reputation as a place to invest.”
A Khan campaign spokesperson declined to comment.