Public spending should be cut harder and faster than the government intends after the general election, according to the CBI employers’ organisation.

The next government should balance the books by 2015-16 – two years earlier than the plan set out in this year’s Budget, said John Cridland, deputy director-general. “The emphasis must be on spending cuts and adjusting expenditure plans rather than tax increases,” the CBI said as it set out a 12-point business agenda for the first 100 days of a new government.