Ministers need to drive up public-sector productivity via something-for-something pay deals, and support a supply-side revolution through non-inflationary tax cuts.
The Government needs to cut taxes and do more to support domestic producers, not strangle the economy to master inflation.
The legislation has damaging structural flaws to the economy, is holding back UK businesses, and punishing the flexible workforce.
“Why do we still impose VAT on domestic fuel when domestic fuel is too expensive, and then give people bigger subsidies?”
The Business Secretary demonstrated to the Federation of Small Businesses that he will be their true friend and champion.
The Small Business Grant scheme should cover these businesses – and the furloughing plan allow sole company directors to work.
The tax benefits of being self-employed should reflect genuine value added relative to normal employment.
The Chancellor should make further provision for them. But the vast though necessary expansion of state spending will need emergency powers-type checks.
In the first piece of a mini-series, our guest author also argues the Government should look again at IR35, and make it more worthwhile to work.
Plus: Open regional Tory offices but don’t take CCHQ out of London. The coming IR35 disaster. And: where will you be on January 31?
The reform of IR35 would not just add substance to the Prime Minister’s second priority of growing the economy, it could form a key plank of the Work and Pensions Secretary’s laudable mission of getting the economically inactive back to work.