New ‘Smoked Salmon Offensive’ from Labour: Reassuring Businesses Amid Infrastructure Challenges

In early 2021, the Labour Party hosted a day of networking for business leaders at the Oval cricket ground in London. During this event, a representative from Skanska, a construction company, expressed concerns about Britain’s attractiveness due to challenges with major infrastructure projects. She wondered what she could tell her board in Sweden to reassess the situation. In response, Jonathan Reynolds, Labour’s shadow business secretary, pledged to personally travel to Stockholm to make his case.

This interaction showcased the Labour Party’s strong efforts to engage with business leaders under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. Along with Mr Reynolds and Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, the party has made it a priority to meet with nearly all of the FTSE 350 companies, which are the largest listed firms in Britain. They organized a series of breakfast meetings as part of their “smoked salmon offensive,” an ironic name for their strategic move to connect with the business community. This approach mirrors the “prawn cocktail offensive” that helped Sir Tony Blair establish relationships with the City before his successful election in 1997.