The general election result has continued to produce comments and expectations from across the recruitment industry. IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) has welcomed the new government and pledged to work with it to ensure it keeps its promise to review IR35 and support the self-employed. “We welcome Mr Johnson’s new government and look forward to working with it in the coming months and years to get a fair deal for freelancers – particularly on IR35,” said Chris Bryce, CEO of IPSE. “We campaigned hard against the disastrous changes to IR35, and we will be holding Chancellor Sajid Javid to his promise to review them.
“To truly support the self-employed, this government must also halt the changes, which are due in April, while a full review is carried out. Time is short: the new Conservative government must act now to protect this vital sector.”
Bryce is also concern that the new government should hold true to the manifesto pledge to conduct a full review of how government can better support freelancers in areas such as access to finance, making the tax system easier to navigate and better access to broadband.
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library commented: “Thousands of employers put their recruitment plans on hold in the run up to the general election; but now it’s out of the way, businesses must try to continue as normal. As we approach the New Year, it’s the ideal time for organisations to move past the uncertainty and push forward with their hiring efforts – especially as job hunters will be doing the same.
“Whether the Conservative party will be able to uphold its pledges around immigration, the national living wage, income tax thresholds and the recruitment and retention of NHS staff remains to be seen,” he added, “particularly as our research shows the majority of Brits didn’t think any of the political parties could live up to their promises around job creation.
“The real focus for the government needs to be on instilling confidence back into our society; as this has been somewhat absent over the past 12 months,” he concluded.
Nick Woodward, founder and CEO of ETZ Payments also commented: “Flexible working has been a major topic of conversation surrounding this election because of the increased popularity of freelancing. With this Conservative win, the first thing the new government must do is look at the implications of IR35 on the self-employed population to give them greater security in seeking more freedom in their profession. At ETZ, we will be ready to provide that support for those seeking to take advantage of their productivity through freelance work.”
Finally, Daniel Fallows, director at Gorilla Accounting, said: “The result of the general election provides much-needed clarity for the self-employed sector. Contractors and freelancers up and down the country can now get on with their business with a far clearer idea of how the regulatory environment for the self-employed will develop. However, there are still unanswered questions for the new government on this issue, and we hope that its promised review of IR35 will be a key priority.”
