Wednesday newspaper round-up: Business leaders back Tories, Honda, Shell

100 senior business leaders have signed an open letter throwing their weight behind the Conservative party ahead of the elections in May, warning that a Labour government would "threaten jobs and deter investment" in the UK, writes The Telegraph.

Honda has announced a £200m investment in its factory in Swindon, capping off a record week for the UK car industry, with investment totalling over £1bn in six days, according to The Guardian.

Oil major Shell has been given the go-ahead by the US government to resume a controversial exploration campaign in the Alaskan Arctic, The Telegraph said.

Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru has said it will negotiate with Labour, the Scottish National party and the Greens to "end Tory rule" if a elections result in a hung parliament, writes the Financial Times.

Insurer Prudential has revealed that its highest-paid employee earned £15.4m last year, more than out-going boss Tidjane Thiam who received £11.8m in cash and shares, The Guardian said.

Former Bank of England policymaker Andrew Sentence has accused the central bank's governor Mark Carney of making reforms that will increase potential security risks and “disrupt accountability and communication” at the Bank, reports The Times.

Labour's Ed Miliband has said he will clamp down on zero-hours contracts, giving workers the right to a regular contract after 12 weeks the Financial Times writes.

According to The Times, chancellor George Osborne is expected to highlight a slowdown in the recovery in an update shortly before the elections, though Tory strategists do not predict it damaging the Conservative campaign, said The Times. Instead, he "would use the data to warn of the threat posed by Labour", the paper said.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has said that a Greek exit from the Eurozone "may not be a bad thing" for the single currency, with members potentially coming to better agreements about fiscal policy, according to The Telegraph.