The sturdily independent high tech sector had naught for the comfort of either major party in the run-up to today’s by-election in Newbury, Berkshire when the big guns from party headquarters showed up for photocalls during the build-up: Labour chose Vodafone Group Plc and tried to commiserate about the recession, only to be told that business had been going gangbusters for several months, the Tories went looking for green shoots at Micro Focus Plc, only to be told that the UK market was flat on its back, and that it was only foreign sales that were keeping the old Coboller busy.
