Red tape and taxes are killing IT - Computer Weekly

Article in this week's Computer Weekly concerning the Conservative Technology Forum (CTF).

The following article appears in this week's Computer Weekly - the Conservatives may be waking up. (highlighting mine).

“Last week I was elected vice chairman of a relaunched Conservative Technology Forum (CTF), the president being Michael Fabricant, MP, who is also the shadow minister for economic affairs, and its chairman, Malcolm Harbour, MEP.

Throughout my 20 years in IT I have tried to remain apolitical, even as an advisor to the Office of the e-Envoy, but now I find myself assisting the shadow front bench in the preparation of policy and the materials needed to support technology-related debates in Parliament.

Just over a year ago, I realised that it would be nearly impossible for me to set up any of the small and successful IT businesses that I had done in the past. That favourite Microsoft word "agility" might be true of software but it no longer appears to be a commodity available to smaller IT companies.

Legislation, as my overworked friends tell me, makes running an SME a full-time burden, and the entrepreneurial flexibility that once made our IT sector a vibrant place to work has been all but suffocated by red tape - a cumulative cost to business of £20.6bn according to the British Chamber of Commerce - with IR35 alone costing the economy £465m since 2000.

...

I’ve been asked to listen to businesses, both large and small, and invite those that are interested to join the CTF and map out proposals that might, one day, become policy if there is a change in government."

Full Article

While this week's Computing continues its love affair with off-shoring by thinly disguised half page editorial on outsourcing. The article is actually written by a guy who is publishing a book extolling the 'offshore advantage'.

--

Laserjet