Business representation in the United Kingdom

Wyn Grant

Chapter 11 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Business and Government, 2026, pp 61-66 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Business representation in the United Kingdom has often been seen as less coherent than in competitor countries. In part this lack of coherence reflected that the UK operated as a ‘company state’ in which government favoured direct relationships with large companies. The system of business representation in the UK faced a major crisis in 2023 in its leading ‘peak’ organization, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The risk for the CBI is that it has been ‘hollowed out’ as an organization and would be hampered in its ability to have an effective dialogue with a future Labour Government. The relationship between business and political parties in Britain is not structured by political donations, as has been the case in some other countries such as the United States. The relationship between business and the Conservative Party has often been more problematic than might be assumed. Business representation in the UK has become more complex and uncertain.

Keywords: Business; CBI; Conservative Party; Labour Party; Contracts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035307777
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