In response to David Cameron’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference this morning, Cliff Prior, a spokesperson for The Social Economy Alliance, a new voice on the economy made up of 22 respected co-operatives and social enterprises, universities, think tanks and charities, said:
“Business is key to solving our economic and social problems. Society and the economy cannot exist without one another and the Prime Minister is right to promote the critical importance of genuine enterprise.
“What all parties must do now is explain the sort of businesses they want to see thrive in this country.
“The people are well ahead on this. A growing proportion of start-ups are social start-ups. Profit is no longer an end in itself for the UK’s best and most sustainable businesses. They are working to nurture their markets and nurture society, protect the environment, and be transparent and accountable.
“Simplistic ‘pro-business’ and ‘anti-business’ labels are useless in this century. The world has moved on. Businesses, consumers and entrepreneurs are creating a new social economy and our leaders need to wake up to this.”