Ahead of the Autumn Budget, Britain’s fastest-growing businesses want clarity and stability

New research from Enterprise Britain finds that Britain's fastest-growing companies want clarity and stability from the Burnham government leading into the Autumn Budget.

A survey of 400+ bosses at high-growth firms finds:

• The overwhelming majority of businesses want stability from government (73%) rather than change (27%).
• Eight in ten (81%) say that political instability is holding back economic growth in the UK.

The polling comes as growing speculation about a potential increase in capital gains tax has raised concerns among entrepreneurs and investors. Despite this, 71% of leaders of high-growth firms remain optimistic that the Burnham government will understand the challenges facing their businesses — and act on them. This is a significant shift in sentiment, as 56% say that the Labour government has had a negative impact on their business so far.

Eva Barboni, Executive Director at Enterprise Britain, said: “Britain’s fastest-growing businesses are optimistic about Andy Burnham. But that shouldn’t be taken for granted. After a turbulent and challenging period, these companies are crying out for stability and clarity. Labour Party Conference is Andy Burnham’s opportunity to show that he has heard them.”

Notes to Editors

‍About Enterprise Britain

Enterprise Britain is a movement of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors on a mission to build a better future for the UK. We have come together to resist defeatism, reawaken ambition, help great businesses to grow, and ensure that future prosperity is shared more widely. 

Our media team can be reached at: press@enterprise-britain.com

Polling data

All figures are based on a survey conducted by Merlin Strategy of 423 leaders of some of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses. The sample was drawn from a list of companies that meet the OECD definition of a scale-up: a company that has grown by at least 20% per year over three years, in either headcount or revenue, with at least 10 employees at the start of the period. We further filtered the list to include only companies with at least 50 employees and a minimum annual revenue of £5 million. The fieldwork was carried out from 30 July to 8 August 2026.