Tories focus on freelancers
The Conservative Party is addressing how it can give freelancers 'security and choice' when it comes to formulating its own policy on freelancers.
Mark Prisk MP for Hertford and Stortford and member of the Shadow Treasury team has shown a particular interest in this sector, being a freelancer himself before entering Parliament. He introduced a 'Right to Be Self-Employed Bill', which although failing to make significant legislative progress, brought the issue under the spotlight. In March 2003, he held the first seminar on issues relating to freelancers where freelancers from the UKTECH network assisted with compiling the discussion document, and more recently he chaired the All Party Parliamentary Small Business Group consultation on freelancers and ran a pilot consultation trial in his own constituency.
Mark Prisk told UKTECH: "Freelancers feel they are treated like second class citizens.
"Whilst there has been some progress in recognising the benefits freelancers can bring - we now need to translate that into practical steps which can make a difference to freelancers from all industries and sectors.
"This is not restricted to one type of industry. This is about a large group of skilled people who want the right to earn their living by selling their knowledge and talents in a flexible business approach. They should be encouraged to be innovative, enterprising and to reach their full potential.
"For too long freelancers have been treated as second class citizens. As a Conservative I believe that no one should be held back, and want to find a way of giving freelancers a fair deal."
UKTECH and its network of freelancers have contributed actively to the recent open consultations and also helped to organise the first seminar on 'The Future of Freelancers' in March 2003. Many freelancers from UKTECH answered the call to contribute their thoughts and experiences directly to the 440 MPs and Peers during the All Party Group's research and report in June 2003.
Policy workshop
Mark Prisk will now be hosting a Freelancer Policy Workshop which will also include some of the creative and media representative organisations, as well as other leading members of the Conservative Party and feeding back to the Party policy teams. UKTECH has been invited to attend.
The aim of the workshop will look at the general legal and tax treatment of freelancers and the specific problems facing freelancers in the IT, creative and media sectors. UKTECH will collate the views taken from our previous consultations with freelancers (although you can still contribute below if you wish).
What it means to freelancers
Freelancers from the UKTECH have been directly involved in raising awareness of the benefits they can bring and the threats and opportunities they face. It is acknowledged that before there can be change or support for initiatives or for groups of people, there has first to be an understanding of the issues.
The work to date, together with the personal involvement of Mark Prisk MP as an ex-freelancer - and the current interest of the All Party Group - is now beginning to make a difference.
This consultation with interested parties through a policy workshop is the first step on the road to the formulation of Party policy, which forms the basis of manifesto commitments, which ultimately forms the basis of Government policy.
Freelancers who have contributed to the consultations on UKTECH to date have played a part in getting this subject firmly on the agenda of one of the major political parties.