Almost two thirds of fast-growing business founders believe the Labor government is “anti-business”, according to a new survey by Helm, one of the UK’s largest networks of scale-up entrepreneurs.
In a survey of 400 Helm members, 63% said the government was anti-business, compared to just 23% who disagreed. Another 14% said they were unsure.
The response was even more striking when asked whether the government “rewards people for their hard work”: 95% said it does not.
The findings highlight growing anxiety among high-growth founders in the run-up to the autumn budget, amid ongoing concerns about tax rises and the direction of the government’s economic strategy.
Founders feel “betrayed and ignored”
Helm members – whose companies have an average annual turnover of £21m and collectively generate more than £8bn – expressed deep frustration with the Government’s approach to business and growth.
Helm CEO Andreas Adamides said members felt “betrayed, ignored and really disappointed.”
“These are not faceless corporations – they are founders who have risked everything to build companies, create jobs and grow the economy,” he said. “They wanted to believe that Labor understood them. Instead they read endless speculation about punishing tax rises and listened to the minister’s rhetoric dismissing their concerns. The feeling of betrayal is palpable.”
Adamides said Chancellor Rachel Reeves “still has a chance to turn things around” and called on her to deliver “a budget that supports growth, not one that punishes success.”
Investments and hiring will be frozen until the end of the budget
A previous Helm survey in October found that three-quarters of members had frozen their investment and hiring plans until after the budget due to uncertainty over possible tax measures and the overall economic climate.
Work support among the founders collapses
The survey highlights a dramatic shift in political sentiment across the scale-up community:
• 20% of respondents voted Labor at the last election
• 0% now plan to vote Labor
• Only 6% plan to vote Conservative
• 15% plan to vote for reform
• A staggering 58% remain undecided
Helm members were also skeptical about political commitments more broadly: 70% said it was acceptable for a government to break a manifesto promise.
Helm’s member base contributes more than £1 billion in taxes annually through corporation tax, employer national insurance and other business levies – meaning the founders’ views provide an important sentiment barometer for Britain’s high-growth companies.
