5,000 small firms back Britain's Conservatives ahead of elections

[BENGALURU] Leaders of 5,000 small companies have signed a letter endorsing the Conservative Party, saying they would like Prime Minister David Cameron and Finance Minister George Osborne to have the chance to finish what they have started, the Telegraph reported.

The letter, signed by firms from every region of the United Kingdom, say the Conservatives' commitment to low taxes has helped "to get the economy moving again," creating 1,000 jobs a day since 2010, the newspaper reported.

"A change now would be far too risky and would undo all the good work of the last 5 years," the newspaper quoted the letter as saying.

Just 10 days before the general election, the businesses praised Conservative economic plans and say that the Tories are"genuinely committed to making sure Britain is open for business," the Telegraph said.

Left-wing Labour and Cameron's centre-right Conservatives are neck-and-neck in most opinion polls ahead of the May 7 election.

In an email sent in response to the letter, Labour said the Tories have spent five years "letting down Britain's small businesses. "Government scheme after government scheme designed to boost finance for small firms has failed," Chuka Umunna, Labour's Shadow Business Secretary, said in the email. "With Labour, the tax burden on small firms will be lower than under the Tories."

REUTERS