It is a little early to start the celebrations, but if, like me, you are one of the UK’s growing number of self-employed people it looks as though the moment is finally arriving when a government feels it is worth acknowledging your existence. You could do worse than turn to page 47 of this year’s Budget, where you will find six paragraphs under the heading “Supporting the self-employed.” That is the first time a whole section has been given over to a group that now makes up roughly 15 per cent of the UK’s working population. It’s a sign that a political constituency is achieving critical mass.
This cameo appearance by the self-employed in the biggest political set piece of the year marks the high point so far of a long march to relevance in a system still set up for and dominated by employers and employees.
One of the first clear signs that political attention was turning to the self-employed came on National Freelancers Day in November 2014, when the coalition government appointed David Morris as its first selfemployment ambassador. The Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale since 2010, Morris was self-employed for more than 25 years, first as a musician and later as the owner of a chain of hairdressing salons. The focus on self-employment sharpened further just after the general election, when the House of Commons Library published a briefing on key issues facing members of the new parliament including a section on “the self-employment boom.” Then, on 1st July, the government announced a review of self-employment in the UK to be carried out by Julie Deane, founder and Chief Executive of The Cambridge Satchel Company.