The outcome of this week’s election in the UK (6 May) looks as if it will be close. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the links between human rights and business are not prominent in the manifestos of any of the main parties. But corporate responsibility and accountability clearly are issues that will have to be addressed by whichever party takes office...three constants that any winning party will need to consider...the public increasingly expects that the government should pay attention to the overseas activities of UK-registered companies...UK business needs a level playing field in terms of non-financial risks when operating in countries of poor or weak governance...The UK government was a leading actor in creating Professor John Ruggie’s mandate in 2005 and should remain so as the mandate reaches its conclusion in 2011...The UK should take a leading role in the next phase of the development of the international architecture on business and human rights. [refers to Trafigura, Vedanta, BP]