John Redwood (Wokingham) (Con):
Noting the good words from the Chancellor in favour of self-employment, and noting the national insurance measures to help, are there things that the Department for Work and Pensions is doing, or can do, so that self-employment is an option for people who are currently without work but who may have a lot to offer?
Mel Stride:
My right hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the self-employed and to the national insurance changes that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced in his autumn statement. Of course, my Department does a huge amount to support the self-employed. Many of our programmes are open to self-employed people to ensure that we are there to support them with the wages that they are able to bring home in self-employment, and we will continue to do exactly that.
November 30, 2023
Just words in response, space fillers of no substance.
November 30, 2023
+1
November 30, 2023
Over and over and over again.
Get rid of red tape.
Give (ALL) people back their freedom to sell.
Reinstate markets and Boot sales.
Target high-end fraud, avoidance and evasion.
And loads of other things that more economically minded folk might think of.
But none of that will happen.
We know that now!
The fake Tory rule is nearly over and God alone knows what horrors await us.
December 3, 2023
“Get rid of red tape.” – Agreed. Here’s a few of the latest hits:
Plant Passports and the need to register to sell – a £123 barrier to entry that has shut down many small sellers while large growers get away with selling plants infected with Thripps.
Outlawing local bake sales due to labelling requirements and the demand for an industrial kitchen, rather than a note that buying from private sellers is caveat emptor, and a note that such sellers should make “best efforts”.
How about allowing end-of-driveway stalls again, instead of insisting they need a licence to put a table at the end of the driveway with an honesty box?
KYC meaning that authors and actors who use stagenames or pennames can’t get paid under those names in the UK, forcing them to use overseas companies, or putting themselves and families at risk (one survey of nearly 1,000 authors showed that over 20% had experienced direct threats in their day-to-day lives caused by this).
While some of these might be a council overreaching, most come from the central govt. and are deliberately aimed to be something large businesses can handle while individuals and small sellers cannot.
November 30, 2023
Thanks for asking the question John, but the reply is clearly from someone who does not have a clue about self employment at all, clearly they have never been self employed (probably no family member either) otherwise they would know they were talking absolute rubbish.
The system is against the self employed, that is why the numbers have reduced by about 800,000.
Perhaps they would like to list the programmes that help people to become and remain self employed !
November 30, 2023
What a waste of time with that meaningless response. Blah blah blah, and sit down.
November 30, 2023
I don’t want government help. I don’t want government support for a wage. I just want a lack of government interference to my market and consistent tax treatment year after year.
How about focussing on ensuring Amazon and Starbucks pay tax on refits based on sales in the U.K., rather than squirrelling it away offshore? Or is it easier to bully small businesses rather than take on the multinationals that are taking the government for a ride?