Early Day Motion to repeal IR35

[Stolly]

Asked my Tory MP to sign....we'll see what she does.

[SillyMilly]

I've just contacted my Tory MP - Maria Miller. I reckon she'll send out the same letter.

[Incognito]

Just written to my Conservative MP. I reckon if enough people write to their Tory MP, then they're going to realise that this is a serious concern. I did put the following little gem in, feel free to amend and edit and send to your Tory or Lib Dem Mps (Labours a lost cause):

Dear MP,

I'm e-mailing you to ask that you sign the parliamentary motion brought by Lorely Burt MP before the house calling for the repeal of the controversial IR35tax rule.

Blah, blah blah, all about my company and IR35 reviews etc

IR35 is the biggest single factor that influences my voting habits at present, I will never vote Labour, but I do consider myself a floating voter between Lib Dem and Conservative. This EDM was raised by a Lib Dem MP and I am concerned to note that Lib Dem MPs outnumber Conservative MPs on this issue, particularly after the report written two years ago by Conservative MP John Redwood for the party’s leadership recommended a policy of scrapping IR35. I would hope that the Conservative party are not taking 'their eye off the ball' in regards to unfair taxation this close to the final furlong.

I would be happy to discuss the impact of this legislation further if you so wish or you may contact the Professional Contractors Group of whom I am a member and who act as my industry voice. The website can be found at www.pcg.org.uk

Yours sincerely,

Use www.writetothem.com to e-mail your MP.

[minestrone]

Got a signed letter back from Jim Murphy today. At least he made the effort.

Dear XXX

Thank you for recent[sic] email regarding Early Day Motion 1124.

As you will know an Early Day Motion is a version of a Parliamentary Petition. An EDM is an opportunity for MPs to offer an opinion on an issue. The motions are never debated or voted on, but they are an important means of MPs offering a views, which can be taken into account by Government Ministers and other Organisations.

I receive a very large number of requests to support a wide variety of Early Day Motions. As Secretary of State for Scotland and therefore a Member of the Government, by long standing parliamentary protocol no member of the Government is allowed to sign any Early Day Motion regardless of how much we may agree with the motion.

I do hope that you understand that as a consequence of this parliamentary protocol , I am not able to add my name to the Early Day Motion. However, I will take up the issues raised in the Early Day Motion in other ways in Parliament, I Shall discuss the Early Day Motion with the MPs who are sponsoring it. I shall seek to raise these matters with the relevant Government Ministers.


Your Sincerely


Rt Hon Jim Murphy.

Never actually asked him to sign it, just asked him to support it, he sort of missed the point. Still, he will be out of a job in 12 months max.

[BolshieBastard]

tories in wont repeal IR35 shocker. That's pcg up the tulipter then!

[OwlHoot]

tories in wont repeal IR35 shocker. That's pcg up the tulipter then!

Although it may sound ridiculous, I'm not sure this isn't good news if true.

If IR35 was abolished, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't leave it at that with the way the country's finances are. So it might be "out of the frying pan into the fire".

If they bought in some simple rule about dividends being subject to PAYE etc if more than a certain proportion of company income was derived directly by services of directors in person then self employed and IT contractors would be stitched up like kippers.

Also, who knows what the EU are cooking up under the guise of tax harmonization which the UK might be obliged to follow? The tax regime in many EU countries makes contracting almost impossible for locals or no more lucrative than being a permie.

Mind you, on the plus side UK contractors overseas do bring income into the country and that helps with the dire balance of payments deficit. So maybe that's some incentive for the Government to leave well alone.

[Bagpuss]

So if we want to lose IR35 we have to vote lib dem?

I've long ask for evidence the Tories would scrap it and none as been forthcoming until now....

[malvolio]

So if we want to lose IR35 we have to vote lib dem?

I've long ask for evidence the Tories would scrap it and none as been forthcoming until now....

The Tories aren't saying anything about any tax changes. Firstly they have no idea just how bad the books will be when (or if) they take over and will not commit to changes until they do know. Secondly, any policy announcements at this stage will be taken over by Gay Gordon and his pygmies and probably cocked up beyond recognition. Unofficially the Tories are still in favour of losing IR35, but you won't hear them say so on the record.

One thig is certain, we will never get any changes made to IR35 while there is a Labour government in the way.

[djob]

I see that the Conservatives seem not to be backing this motion if you read the "Conservatives refuse to back IR35 repeal move" article.

I have emailed my MP, John Redwod and his reply is ....

Thankyou for your email. I made the abolition of IR35 Conservative policy for the 2005 election, and will seek to do the same for the 2009/2010 election. I have often spoken and written in favour of its repeal

Lets hope he can convince his party that if they bring this one in then EVERY freelancer in the Country will vote for them

[The Lone Gunman]

If those letters from Tory MPs are policy then I am astounded, though Redwood seems to be saying otherwise. It will be hard for me to vote Tory if they cant support this EDM.
I suspect their retisance is due to the usual "it is not our idea so we cant support it" politcal nonsense.

IR35 is an absolute mess of a policy. Anybody can see that it is unclear, unjust and unworkable.
Even if there is a reasonable argument for the existance of such a tax there is no reason to support IR35. IR35 is not the answer and should be scrapped.

Better to scrap this mess and start again later.