Fairness for the solo sector

Politicians and journalists are still ignoring the plight of the self employed and directors of small limited companies who weren’t eligible for government support at the start of lockdown.

Much has been said about extending the furlough scheme to keep jobs open and about supporting various sectors but there is silence when it comes to the solo sector. Actually, that’s not quite true as there’s been a lot of speculation that the Chancellor is looking to raise corporation tax and tax on dividends. That, of course, would mean that the very people excluded from support would be contributing to paying back the grants paid to others.

Is this wilful disregard of our sector or just ignorance? It should be noted that there are roughly as many self employed as there are people working in the public sector so that is 5 million invisible entrepreneurs. From time to time MPs will trot out that we are the backbone of the economy but surely it is now time for them to show us their backbone and start treating us equally isn’t it?

The trouble is that nearly everyone involved in the decision making process is an employee and simply has no concept of what it is like to be working on your own initiative. Government are talking about equalising taxes across sectors but this doesn’t take into account that the solo sector doesn’t have the luxury of sick pay, holiday pay etc and, by and large works incredibly long hours.

These risk takers should be rewarded not penalised as it is they that are the job creators of the future.