CHANCELLOR John Healey said yesterday he is drawing up plans to help White Van Man accelerate profits.
Mr Healey said Britain’s four million self-employed have had it “tough”.
He vowed to put them at the heart of his October Budget and admitted that the nation’s grafters were hit by red tape and high costs.
Research shows one in three are in a fragile financial position.
Since becoming Chancellor, Mr Healey said he had been committed to easing costs of doing business.
Writing in The Sun, he says: “The white van drives Britain’s economy.
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“I want Brits who are self-employed or running their own businesses to make more profit . . . they’re at the forefront of my mind.”
Organisations representing the self-employed are calling for the reversal of the National Insurance hike as it has dampened demand and hit business confidence.
Grafters also want an expansion of the Employment Allowance which lets firms reduce their National Insurance liability by up to £10,500 at the moment.
To give more certainty for those who need their motors, self-employment association IPSE is calling for a “clear path” on fuel duty rather than late extensions.
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Mr Healey will be under pressure to freeze fuel duty and extend the temporary 5p cut which ends at the start of January.
Josh Toovey, from IPSE, said: “People are having to make big decisions about their businesses with almost nothing solid to plan against.
“This Budget is the Government’s chance to give the self-employed some certainty for once. At the moment it feels like they’re being left to fend for themselves.”
Andy Burnham, who will today meet business leaders in Downing Street, said the Government must be on the side of those “who take risks, start companies, create jobs and bring new ideas to life”.
I’LL FIGHT ADMIN & PRICES
By John Healey MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer
THE white van drives Britain’s economy.
Four million strong, the country’s self-employed workers add at least £366billion a year to the UK economy.
But they have had it tough.
Admin and high prices are weighing them down.
I see it and I hear it every day.
I want Brits who are self-employed or running their own businesses to make more profit, invest more and spend less time on forms.
So they’re at the forefront of my mind.
Sun readers will know that we are already taking action, not least the biggest crackdown in 25 years on late payments — a nightmare that sinks 38 small firms every day and costs the economy £11billion a year.
New laws will ensure they get paid for their hard work.
And just last week we made filing a tax return less of a time-waster.
Business owners know the challenges they face better than anyone else, so we are getting their advice directly on how to cut red tape and slash admin burdens by at least a quarter.
We are working with them now and will set out more plans soon.