Published on Liberal Democrat Voice By NewsHound | Wed 29th October 2014 – 10:15 am

Lib Dem party president Tim Farron has been writing at the Huffington Post about the need for politicians to support the growing number of what he terms the ‘little platoons’ of entrepreneurs and small businesses:

Unlike many politicians, I think this rise in self-employment could be a good thing, at least for those who’ve made the choice. I welcome the fact that entrepreneurial individuals are trusting themselves and their skills and striking out on their own. Especially amongst older workers, an increased willingness to share acquired knowledge and experience is creating successful small business owners and consultants. …

If I were a Tory, I’d say all we need to do is slash red tape. But I’m not, so instead I’ll say that self-employed people need more constructive help with the multiple reams of paperwork. We should simplify tax returns, offer ongoing effective support, and make sure that HMRC gets all the information it needs with the minimum administrative burden on the individual. And when the chancellor presents the final budget of this Coalition government, I’d like to see the self-employed being able to hire one assistant without having to pay their National Insurance.

Arguing that we should “applaud and celebrate” the self-employed, he praises measures already implemented by Lib Dems within the Coalition – Steve Webb’s single-tier pension, Jo Swinson’s Deregulation Bill – and highlights others where progress is being made, such as the review of business rates, with the party wanting to see the option of moving to Site Value Rating within five years and, in the longer term, to Land Value Taxation.

Tim’s conclusion calls for further action to support the self-employed in the 2015 Budget:

People sometimes tell me the Lib Dems need a “target market” to win an election. They point to the Labour party, which was created by the trade unions and remains a powerful special interest group within it. Or they point to the Conservative party, which has long been dominated by the special interests of the City and big business. As a liberal, I don’t believe in governing for special interest groups. The unions have an important role; so too does the City. We should recognise and balance both their needs, but my only “target market” is the British public.

However, there is a group which neither Labour nor the Conservatives speak up for nearly enough – the entrepreneur and the small business. These ‘little platoons’ – industrious, innovative, rooted in their communities – deserve our support. I want them to be able to look to the Lib Dems and know we speak up for them, offer them the little bit of help which can make all the difference. We need to up our game and I hope that with this Budget we can show the self-employed that we grasp their concerns and we are on their side.

You can read Tim Farron’s article in full here.

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