Conservative minister Anna Soubry addresses concerns of self-employed

Small Business Minister Anna Soubry said she was “absolutely open to all suggestions and all ideas” resulting from entrepreneur Julie Deane’s independent review of self-employment at a keynote speech today, as figures showed freelancers contributed £109bn to the economy last year.

Speaking at the inaugural Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE) Policy Conference, the Conservative MP, who herself used to be self-employed, as a freelance journalist, TV presenter and later as a barrister, spoke of how the self-employed need to have a disciplined approach when it comes to paying into a pension and keeping aside a pot of savings in case of illness.

She credited Julie Deane’s review as having “identified many of these sorts of concerns, and coming up with a number of solutions”. Soubry, who highlighted the “huge contribution” the self-employed offer to the economy and the great role models they are for younger people, also said that the tax system was too complicated. “What is the point of National Insurance when paying tax? I want it to be much simpler and easier to do.”

She also said that one solution to the lack of maternity benefits for the self-employed could be allowing them to pay into a pot that could be “something they could later take away from”. The figures, released by the IPSE, found that one in seven (287,000) of all freelancers are working mothers, an increase of 70% since 2008.

Asked about the newly-created role of small business commissioner, Soubry said their primary function would be looking into how to tackle the issue of late payment, but added that they would also be responsible for creating a one-stop shop website aimed at small businesses.

Soubry, a vocal defender of the EU Remain campaign, said: “I want to vote to remain in and then stop being seen as a mardy child. Voting to stay in the EU with the good deal Cameron has got will change our relationship with the EU and create a more adult relationship with the EU.”

Released to coincide with the conference today, figures from IPSE also highlighted that more people are choosing to become freelance, with its research highlighting that there were 1.91m freelancers in 2015, a rise of 36% since 2008. In total, freelancers now account for 6% of the UK workforce.

Deane, who launched The Cambridge Satchel Company from her kitchen table, took to the stage to talk through her review, outlining that she had spoken to a “diverse” group of 900 self-employed people. “The self-employed are vital people, they’re taxi drivers, farmers, teachers … they’re a fascinating group.”

The entrepreneur said she wanted to “keep the review on the agenda and get as many recommendations adopted as we can and make sure no people thought I did it as a vanity exercise. This review can make a difference, it just needs to get heard.”

Speaking on a panel alongside Deane, Conservative MP John Glen said the government was looking seriously at the review.

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