According to the Liberal Democrats Party website the Liberal Democrats Party will try to achieve the following if they gain power at the 2010 general election:

We want to cut the red tape that stops businesses from growing. We’ll protect everyone from rip-offs by introducing a new legal duty on business to trade fairly.

Set business free – We will cut red tape to enable business to get on with business. We will cut business rates for small businesses, beef up competition policy and make government contracting more transparent. As part of this process we will abolish BERR, cutting the department’s bureaucratic and wasteful functions such as business subsidies; other functions would be transferred to more appropriate departments. This will save a substantial amount of taxpayers’ money per annum which we will invest in other priorities.

Protect the rights of the consumer – We will ensure customers get a fair deal by making watchdogs more powerful and accessible. We are currently working on a review and consultation on UK consumer policy which will report next year.

A brighter future for post offices and Royal Mail – The post office network is in severe decline after decades of under-funding and neglect. Our policy would free Royal Mail to invest £2 billion for real investment and secure the future of the post office network.

Accounting for the environment – UK companies are responsible for 12-15% of emissions globally. Britain must take the lead in calling for effective, standardised and simple environmental reporting for business. We will improve environmental reporting so that large and medium sized organisations, and all government departments, are able to produce accurate one page reports. These will show emissions levels and the amount of raw materials and sustainable sourcing used. All small organisations will be assisted in achieving environmental targets.

Growing green business – We will create real incentives for businesses and individuals to go green. Through our green tax switch and changes in general demand environmentally friendly technology can become a booming market. We want to make Britain a leading exporter in technology that is both environmentally friendly and cutting edge.

Fair trade – Rich countries still operate subsidies and tariff barriers that hit the poorest countries in the world. We will seek to break down these barriers, and promote trade and investment in developing countries. Dumping of subsidised agricultural exports by developed countries wrecks local farming in Africa and other parts of the world. This scandal must stop.

I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on Liberal Democrats Business and Enterprise policies in the comments below?