How four small-business entrepreneurs will be hit

KRISTY Giblin, who runs a cake firm, says the Tories have gone against their pro-business instincts by raising National Insurance for self-employed workers like herself.

The 32-year-old, right, from Stocksfield in Northumberland, has three Pudding Parlour shops in the North East with her brother Greg, and also supplies cakes wholesale.

She said: ‘Normally, I have to admit the Conservative party are good with supporting entrepreneurs.

‘When we set up it was a good time, there were lots of grants available we got lots of support. But I feel like this particular budget is really hard on selfemployed people. With the National Insurance hike, that is a big factor. I have been selfemployed for about seven years now and if you are poorly you can’t earn, you don’t get sick pay, we don’t get any holiday pay and self-employed maternity pay is shocking.

‘We really need self-employed people, driving new businesses forward and creating employment and having people who have a bit of ambition and passion. And I think it should be encouraged but instead I feel like we are being penalised and sadly I think it will make a lot of people give up.’

She said other small businesses shared her feelings, adding: ‘One of our stores is in an indoor market in Newcastle and the mood there today was that everyone felt very hard done by – we feel like we are being penalised for trying to succeed and grow a business from nothing.’