More rights for dads at heart of freelancers manifesto

Paternity leave and Shared Parental Leave are at the centre of a new manifesto for self employed people.

With the general election campaign in full swing IPSE, the trade body for the self employed, has set out policies it wants the parties to adopt.

IPSE, the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed, claims freelancers account for five million voters. The hashtag for their election campaign is #5millionvotes.

Paternity leave

The manifesto contains around 40 policy recommendations.

Among the five key demands are levelling up paternity leave for freelancers to match what employees get.

The also want Shared Parental Leave (SPL) extended to the self-employed. Currently self-employed workers are unable to take advantage of SPL. Campaigners claim increasing eligibility would cost little but boost family life for millions of people.

Other asks include giving the Small Business Commissioner new powers to punish late payment of invoices and a redesign of the tax system. They also want a review of incentives to help the self employed save for retirement. And they want a creative approach to the decline of the High Street; they want it to be easier to set up work hubs in empty shop premises.

Important election

Simon McVicker, IPSE Director of Policy and External Affairs, said: “This will be a hugely important election for the country. Therefore, it is vital that all political parties remember that, regardless of Brexit, there are 5 million self-employed votes out there up for grabs.

“From building a modern tax system to ending the culture of late payment and boosting the number of co-working spaces, we believe all parties should be listening to the needs of the self-employed and outlining policies that will make a difference to them.

“The self-employed could prove decisive in dozens of marginal constituencies across the UK. All parties would do well to remember this and IPSE will be working hard during the campaign to get the message out there.”

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