Recent events have turned the spotlight on the government’s anaemic response to UK businesses’ troubles.
Barack Obama says: “Yes we can!”; Gordon Brown says: “Let’s form a committee to discuss whether we can or not and then at a later date make a decision which will underpin ongoing discussions”.
Obama’s economic pledges may be a tad unrealistic: he’s facing a gigantic budget deficit approaching half a trillion dollars and drooping economic growth, yet he wants to cut income tax for 
95 per cent of Americans and abolish capital gains tax.
But he’s making the right noises. And what an impact his words have made. In contrast, the UK government’s response to the crisis has been tentative and mediocre, leaving British business confidence flat as a pancake.
