Tories and IR35

[Pondlife]

Oliver Letwin (the ex shadow Chancellor) said he would abolish IR35

Any link? (or it never happened )

[realityhack]

I'm with Buffoon on this one. The man's a C**T. Nothing to do with taxes - but just about everything else.

[Troll]

Any link? (or it never happened )

http://www.out-law.com/page-1398
http://www.freelanceuk.com/news/809.shtml

[zathras]

Oliver Letwin

It took a lot of persuading to get Oliver Letwin to see sense. I still remember the meeting with the Conservative Technology Forum at which there were members of the PCG and other contractors.

He started the conversation suggesting that any contract over two years was caught and got it right in the neck for that one. He actually asked me directly if I would give a period, which I refused on the grounds that many have projects which last longer than 2 years and would have no employment rights from the client for the duration.

He could not leave the room fast enough. It might have something to do with folks just asking that their businesses be treated the same way as EDS, (then)Andersons.

IR35 was introduced for one reason and one reason only. The big consultancies had successfully got rid of the independents in the US with IRS Rule 1706. They wanted to do the same thing in the UK and New Labour was in bed with at least one (maybe more) of them. They dug up an old proposal that the Tories threw out as unworkable from 1981 and out came Ir35 MK I. We have MK II currently.

I'll let you the reader work out which current minister is an ex-director of one of the those.

As far as I know abolishment is still policy of the Tories as it is for all the other major parties except New Labour.

[expat]

I want B'Liar tried/convicted on corruption and treason charges. Then he should be hung, drawn and quartered in Parliament Square live on prime-time telly.

I'd go for that. But for Iraq and "anti-terror" legislation, and cash-for-honours (though I think they are just greedier and more brazen than the Tories on that one, not different).

Not for IR35: IR35 is not treason, it's just budgetary policy that you don't like.

[expat]

IR35 was introduced for one reason and one reason only. The big consultancies had successfully got rid of the independents in the US with IRS Rule 1706. They wanted to do the same thing in the UK and New Labour was in bed with at least one (maybe more) of them.

Spot-on! Once a director of Andersen...

It did help that Labour (what's "New"?) never liked freelancers anyway: their natural world-view has everyone being either employed or an employer.

[Buffoon]

I'd go for that. But for Iraq and "anti-terror" legislation, and cash-for-honours (though I think they are just greedier and more brazen than the Tories on that one, not different).

Not for IR35: IR35 is not treason, it's just budgetary policy that you don't like.

I never said that IR35 was treason. The treason I am on about is failing to perform the fundamental duty of any government: to protect the citizens of the country. In that they have not just failed, they have acted directly against the interests of the British people. This includes a multitude of offenses for example immigration, civil liberties, and lying to the House of Commons and the UN to take us to war.

[expat]

I never said that IR35 was treason. The treason I am on about is failing to perform the fundamental duty of any government: to protect the citizens of the country. In that they have not just failed, they have acted directly against the interests of the British people. This includes a multitude of offenses for example immigration, civil liberties, and lying to the House of Commons and the UN to take us to war.

Excuse me. The thread title mislead me

[andy]

My vote is for tories if they abolish IR35
But need to confirm if they will actually do it

[Pondlife]

http://www.out-law.com/page-1398
http://www.freelanceuk.com/news/809.shtml

Great if it's still true but the links are from Feb 2001 and Jan 2005. Do they still have the same ideas under Cameron's rule?