Poll shows majority of business leaders critical of Darling's Budget

A snap poll of UK business leaders taken after this week's budget has revealed more than two-thirds of bosses believe Chancellor Alistair Darling is not perfoming well in his role.

Some 67 per cent of a survey carried out to respondees by the Institute of Directors (IoD) said they did not believe the chancellor was doing a good job, after his final budget before the general election was revealed.

Almost half (45 per cent) of those surveyed thought the new budget would harm the economy there was widespread criticism of a perceived failure to combat the fiscal deficit.

A majority of business leaders (64 per cent) admitted they believed the deficit would worsen after answering a poll carried out in the firs 24 hours after Wednesday's budget.

IoD director general Miles Templeman commented: happen "It's the entrepreneurs and business leaders of the UK who will make economic recovery.

"But they need confidence - confidence in their businesses and confidence in the government's economic policy.

"So it's deeply worrying that instead of boosting confidence, the budget appears to have had the opposite effect."

He addwed: "There is a clear perception among business leaders that this was a bad budget because it ducked the big issue of the day, which is debt reduction.

"This reinforce our conviction that until the government produces a credible plan to tackle the deficit and begins to implement that plan, business confidence will continue to be dented."