British public calls on next Government to take action on big business ethics
- ComRes poll of 2,000 British adults shows crisis of trust in big business
- Three quarters of Brits want the next Government to prioritise big business ethics
- Failure to do so could break the backbone of the UK economy, says the Forum of Private Business
- Forum of Private Business launches Business Ethics Pledge ahead of the General Election
The majority of the British public believes that policy to promote ethical practices among big businesses should be prioritised by the next Government, and is calling for the next Government to commit to penalising corporates that act unfairly towards small businesses, a new poll shows.
The ComRes poll, commissioned by the Forum of Private Business, the small business membership organisation, showed that over three quarters (78%) of adults in Britain agree that big businesses are more likely to prioritise profits over high ethical standards, while 74% of adults agree that the majority of big businesses have no concern for small business owners in the UK.
The poll of over 2,000 British adults revealed that the majority of British adults (76%) agree that the next Government should penalise big businesses that act unfairly towards small businesses.
Around three quarters (72%) of British adults think that the next Government should make it a priority to promote ethical practices among big businesses.
Four fifths (81%) of adults in Great Britain agree that small businesses need more help to get their voices heard in Parliament. And only one in seven (14%) believe that the ethics of big business are broadly the same as their own personal moral standards.
The poll suggests that the British public has identified an ethical deficit at the heart of big British business and is calling for the next Government to take action.
Date Published: 09/02/2015
Client: Forum of Private Business Ethics
Methodology
ComRes interviewed 2,020 GB adults online between 28th and 29th January 2015. Data were weighted to be representative of all adults in Great Britain aged 18+