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  1. Politics
1 May 2015

Politics is everyone’s business: in defence of business leaders who reveal their party allegiance

Why it's wrong to admonish the potential future CBI chief for backing the Tories.

By Richard Morris

I own and run a business. I’m also a Lib Dem. And so, in two short sentences, I apparently have ruled myself out of ever being President of the CBI.

For if the reports are true, that’s what’s likely to happen to Paul Walsh. The former CEO of Diageo and non-exec Chairman of Compass Group had been heavily tipped to become the new President of the CBI and all appeared to be proceeding smoothly. Then news broke that Walsh was one of the signatories to the letter in The Daily Telegraph from one of the 100 business leaders suggesting an incoming Labour government would threaten the recovery. And now it seems the offer of the Presidency may be withdrawn.

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