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FROM THE LOBBY Westminster in lockdown

Politics, pandemics and pandemonium

By Alasdair Hutchison

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Policy development manager, IPSE

When asked by a journalist about what was most likely to blow a government off course, the former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan famously remarked: "Events, dear boy, events."

Rarely has that old political adage seemed so true. Think back, if you can, to the start of the year. Boris Johnson, fresh from a stunning electoral success in December, was promising a “fantastic year” ahead for Britain. The big issue seemed to be the forthcoming Brexit trade negotiations, and the PM’s domestic agenda of increased spending on the NHS, police and infrastructure. With a huge majority, Boris seemed to be master of all he surveyed.

Few could have anticipated then, as initial stories about a new virus emerged from Wuhan in China, that his best laid plans for Brexit and the country were about to be so dramatically upended. Run the clock forward just three months, and we found ourselves largely confined to our own

homes under government instruction in order outlined - some tweaks to the welfare system to slow the spread of a coronavirus that had and the new Coronavirus Business Interruption become a global pandemic. Another favourite Loans (CBILS) – would not be enough to cover Westminster cliché is that a week is a long time the dramatic losses in income that thousands in politics but the sheer speed at which these of freelancers were experiencing and would events moved was head-spinning. continue to suffer as they tried to rebuild their

While there will inevitably be a debate businesses. about the when and why of the government’s Dozens of freelancer groups, led by IPSE adoption of the ‘social distancing’ measures that and the Creative Industries Federation, combined now define our lives, what is at the forefront of to write a joint letter to the Prime Minister, Westminster’s collective mind now are not just calling for direct income protection for the selfthe implications of the coronavirus outbreak employed. This was bolstered by their petition, for health, but for the economy too. Over the which quickly garnered over 200,000 signatures. last few months, the country has taken the steps SW1 began to pay attention to the issue. Select necessary to shut down everyday life and protect Committees highlighted the economic impact public health and the NHS. However, these have on freelancers, media interest exploded, and MPs had an immediate financial impact on people's wrote dozens of letters to the Chancellor. jobs and livelihoods. F o l l o w i n g O n e o f t h e groups most affected MPs and the political this pressure, the government did go by the lockdown and social distancing is the UK’s self-employed process – for all its faults – remain responsive to further and introduced the Self-Employment I n c o m e S u p p o r t workforce. Comprising just over five million the public interest Scheme (SEISS). While this was an historic people, some 15 per package of support, cent of the working population, they contribute there are holes in it, through which too many a combined £305 billion to the UK economy. freelancers are falling. In particular, those who

A report by IPSE (the Association of are newly self-employed and do not have a Independent Professionals and the Self2018/19 tax return, as well as limited company Employed) highlighted the scale of freelancers’ directors who pay themselves largely through concern. A large majority of freelancers (81%) dividends, miss out altogether. predict that their income will decrease Few parts of society are continuing as during the next three months. Perhaps most normal – and Westminster is no exception. concerningly, two in three (66%) say they either Both Houses of Parliament temporarily closed, have no savings or their savings would only and we are now getting used to the sight of cover them for up to three months. MPs taking each other to task over Zoom and

As the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, presented videolink, rather than through PMQs or Select his first Budget on March 11th he did so at a time Committee grillings. when the full extent of the coronavirus had yet However, the crisis has shown that MPs to be realised. His Budget won plaudits on the and the political process – for all their faults day but commentators, policymakers and the – remain responsive to the public interest. general public were soon to grasp that it would While the health and economic impacts of the be inadequate to address the mounting reality coronavirus continue, that role will be more of the economic challenge. vital than ever, particularly as renewed lobbying

It became clear that the government begins for more support for those – including would have to go further in its support for the many freelancers – who have fallen through the self-employed, in particular. The measures he cracks in government support so far.

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