The Kind Of Advert Money Just Cannot Buy

It's the kind of advertisement that money can't buy.

The front page of the Daily Telegraph is devoted to a letter, signed by more than 100 business leaders, backing Conservative Party policies and warning "a change in course" would "put the recovery at risk".

Remember that when Labour took out an advert in the Financial Times quoting business bosses supporting their policies on the EU, they had to pay for the privilege.

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It's a long way from the "prawn cocktail offensive" of New Labour, who expended huge efforts in wooing big business and the city.

Some of the signatories are former Labour Party supporters, including Dragons' Den star Duncan Bannatyne, theatre director Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Sir Charles Dunstone of the Carphone Warehouse.

Economic competence will be crucial to getting the keys to the door of Number 10 - so the voice of UK PLC matters.

However, I suspect that Labour will be less concerned about this letter in comparison to a similar missive in the Telegraph during the 2010 campaign.

Firstly, I understand that it was organised by the Conservative Party, with co-chairman Andrew Feldman reaching out to his contacts in his little black book. It was not organised independently by the business community, and is deeply political.

Secondly, and most importantly, Labour is happy to try to draw a contrast between the Conservatives standing up for big business and Ed Miliband on the side of the little man.

As one key ally of the leader of the Labour Party put it to me: "We want the election choice to be about whether you want a country run for the wealthy few or the less well-off many. Today's match up between the letter on their side and zero hours contracts for 1.8 million poorer workers on our side captures that pretty well."

The Telegraph letter merely highlights dividing lines that have already been drawn.

With the polls virtually neck and neck, it's still unclear which argument will win the election.