Blair braced for bosses' attack

POWERFUL industrialists will attack Prime Minister Tony Blair today for the growing burden of rules and taxes stifling British business.

Unilever chairman Niall FitzGerald, HSBC chairman Sir John Bond and BP chief executive Lord Browne are expected to meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street.

Known as the Multinational Chairmen's Group, this secretive cabal loosely affiliated to the Confederation of British Industry is critical of new personal pension plan limits, changes to corporate governance, increased taxes and red tape.

Their assault comes as former Vodafone boss Sir Chris Gent takes up the cudgels separately against Labour.

'Gordon Brown is an old-style socialist who believes in tax and spend,' said Gent. 'Public spending has gone up £500m or 60% since Labour came into office and business is having to pay for it.'

Gent, who has joined free market think-tank Reform, is also very worried about falling standards of education.