Cheers from outsourcers and PFI kings

KEITH CLARKE and John Napier are just two of the country's business men and women celebrating a Labour victory today.

Not just because the respective bosses of consulting engineer WS Atkins and water company Kelda were very public supporters of the party and among signatories of a Labour trumpeting letter in the Financial Times, but also because their companies and a host of their ilk are likely to do very well from a third consecutive Labour administration.

With pledges to throw money at health, education, housing and transport - and outsource more public services to the private sector - stock market investors will hope another Labour term will continue to pour money into the coffers of companies in the business of support services and construction.

Capita, best-known in London for running the congestion charge, has been among the most high-profile winners under Labour, growing tenfold since Tony Blair entered Downing Street and now employing 20,000 mostly former public sector workers.

The Private Finance Initiative is expected to reap dividends for the likes of Atkins, one of the best-performing stocks in the FTSE All-Share index over the past two years, and a host of rival firms, led by Balfour Beatty and Carillion, with order books and bidding pipelines full of hospitals, schools and roads to be built.

Amec will also be keeping a close eye on what the Government plans to do about nuclear energy while others such as Kelda will hope for more PFI work.