The economy is flatlining. Unemployment is rising. Investors are fleeing our shores.

At times like these, businesses needs support. But instead of a shot in the arm, they get a series of knives in the back.

One of Labour’s first acts after coming to power was to hike Employer National Insurance Contributions. And now the employers that drive our economy face another blow.

This week, Labour MPs blocked constructive changes to their dreaded Unemployment Bill. Sensible mitigations were put forward by leading business groups and with cross-party support in the House of Lords.

A party governing in the national interest – or one which simply better understood business – would have accepted these well intentioned changes to temper the worst excesses of their Bill.

They would have kept probation periods in place for new........

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