What will 7 May mean for commerce?

With the election just days away we look at what this means for business: what are the main parties saying they’ll do when it comes to commerce? Many areas of commerce have been tackled, with parties agreeing on the need tackle cyber issues in order to keep the UK at the forefront of the business world. We take a look at their promises below:

Superfast broadband

All the parties are committed to rolling this out across the country, including reducing “not spots” in more rural and remotes parts of the country.

Cyber attacks

All parties have addressed the threat from cyber attacks, with the Conservatives leaning more towards criminal law solutions, while the Labour party favour reporting requirements of those that have suffered an attack.

Privacy and data protection

All parties are conscious of the threats to personal privacy in this internet age, with the Liberal Democrats particularly concerned to strengthen the powers of the Information Commissioner.

Freedom of information

There is a move towards extending this right to a degree. Labour, for example, intends to extend it to public companies that undertake public sector work.

Press and broadcast

The parties all tread carefully round the Leveson recommendations, possibly wary of antagonising the press in the run up to the election, but they all express their admiration of the BBC and their commitment to public service broadcasting.

Creative industries

All parties see the arts and other creative industries as a huge UK national asset and all emphasise the need to foster an environment in which such industries can flourish, including greater protection for intellectual property and continued tax incentives.

It will be interesting to see who comes into power and what they will tackle first.

Please contact us on 01708 229 444 for more information on how this may affect your business or visit the Company and Commercial page to find out more.

This article is only intended to provide a general summary and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken on each individual matter. This article is based on the law as at May 2015.