BUSINESS believes it will have a friend in Michael Howard as Conservative Party leader.

Since the Tories lost power in 1997, he has been a fierce critic of Government red tape and higher corporate taxes.

At last year's CBI conference, the annual gathering of employers, he memorably called for the "defenestration" of ministers who tied up double glazing firms in red tape.

He launched a scathing attack on excessive regulation, claiming that the Government had issued more than 4,500 regulations in the past year alone, "one for every 26 minutes of each working day”.

"Business is groaning under the burden of an extra £15 billion a year in extra taxes and red tape," he told delegates in Manchester.

He is a frequent visitor to firms in his constituency and business leaders say he understands their concerns.

At the moment, he has three paid directorships but pledged he would give them up if he became Tory leader.

He is a non-executive director on the boards of Eschmann Holdings, a holding company for firms that manufacture, sell and service medical equipment; Finex Plc, a business communications' firm; and consulting group Crime Reduction International.

Mr Howard is also a member of a group that advises on gas exploration and production, and chairs a Council of Economic Advisers.

He is president of Shepway Chamber of Commerce and played a key role in setting up the area's enterprise agency and education business partnership.

All three agencies came together to form Shepway Business Centre.

The centre's chief executive Peter Hobbs knows Mr Howard well. He said: "Over the years, he's been very close to a lot of businesses here. He's got a lot of support in the business community for what he's done. He's talked to them, understands them and represented them in the House of Commons."

Mr Howard was a good listener, Mr Hobbs added.

"He is surrounded in Folkestone by small businesses. Almost everyone he knows as a neighbour and constituent is part of a small business and that gives him an advantage in understanding us and representing us more effectively."

He hoped that in spite of his extra workload, Mr Howard would still be able to attend the annual chamber Christmas lunch on December 12.