CSR has received a significant boost with a commitment by the UK’s
second-largest political party to develop policies that promote
responsible business practice for inclusion in its manifesto for the
next general election.
In newspaper advertisements last month, the Conservative Party
announced it would ‘not just stand up for big business but stand up to
big business.’
Hitherto the Conservatives have either ignored or shown little
enthusiasm for CSR beyond core governance issues. David Cameron, the
new leader of the party, has now said he intends to pay much more
attention to the topic in his efforts to position the Conservatives as
caring, inclusive and attractive to younger voters. In revamping the
party’s attitude to business, a newly formed economic policy group will
consider in detail how companies can be encouraged to become more
socially responsible, and will report within 18 months.
Since his election as leader in early December 2005, Cameron has raised
the subject of CSR several times in speeches and newspaper articles. He
has said he wants the Conservatives to take part in the important debate
about the standards of behaviour business should follow, even if
critics say that his commitment to ethical business practices is naive.
In a speech to the National Council for Voluntary Organizations, he
said businesses ‘can do so much to make a difference through the
products and services they create, the way they treat their employees,
the way they behave in the community, and the way they think about
their role in society’.
Cameron is due to meet the board of Business in the Community to
discuss policy options. He is also to consult with employers on his
plans for a Youth Community Action Programme of volunteering, and will
in particular focus on how companies can combat climate change.
Most observers regard Cameron’s stance as a significant one that could
lead to a political consensus on CSR for the first time in the UK,
although some wonder how far the Conservatives will go in practice.
Julia Cleverdon, chief executive of Business in the Community, said
that Cameron’s words indicated further ‘mainstreaming of responsible
business practice’. Baroness Greengross, chair of the all-party
parliamentary group on corporate responsibility, told EP: ‘It’s very
welcome that a political consensus seems to be emerging, and from what
I can tell, Mr Cameron is certainly taking this seriously.’
One CSR consultant observed: ‘It’s good for business if both major
political parties are singing from the same hymn sheet. It gives
certainty on the way ahead.’ Business groups have been largely
positive, though the British Chambers of Commerce warned against
‘playing politics with business’.
see also this month’s editorial
