It is time to reinforce burgeoning ranks in army of the self-employed

A column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk

IT IS the quiet revolution that is sweeping through Scotland. More and more people are doing it in Orkney, the Borders, Galloway and Argyll. In the cities Dundee leads the way with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen following suit.

So, what’s the new revolution? The Great British Bake-off; Strictly Come Dancing?; or strictly weeding in the Beechgrove Garden? No, it’s flying solo. Figures from the Royal Bank of Scotland Regional Economic Tracker show that more people are going it alone and joining the growing army of self-employed.

The news comes as little surprise to IPSE, the UK’s largest body representing the self-employed and independent professionals, the organisation I represent.

We have watched as more men and women, young and old, have taken the plunge and become their own boss. The buzzwords we are hearing from this growing army are: freedom, flexibility, pride, confidence and self-belief.

As the days following the recession of 2008 turned into weeks, months and years many had to re-evaluate their lives and their lifestyles. Many decided that using their skills, ability and determination while being their own boss was the way forward. There are few I know who have turned back.

In Scotland, self-employment has risen to just short of 300,000 since the dark days around 2008. The 11 per cent rise in the self-employed sector in this country has seen three times as many women as men join the ranks. The trend towards self-employment has been growing since the 1990s and shows no sign of letting up.

The figures look good but what about the political storm clouds on the horizon from Brexit? On Brexit, IPSE is more a glass-half-full organisation that sees opportunity for the UK to thrive outside the EU by making it the most flexible economy in the world. To help us navigate the unknown we have drawn up a six-point plan to encourage the debate on how we make Brexit a success:

Ensure continued access to the single market and embrace global free trade. The success of freelance contractors can be seen across the world, with one in 10 IPSE members working overseas, many in the EU. This has to be mutually beneficial to the UK and EU and should be central to our new relationship.

Remove the burden of regulation on small business. Legislation such as the agency workers regulations should be reviewed and unnecessary red tape should be discarded postBrexit to improve labour market flexibility.

Build infrastructure to support growth. In Scotland the much-needed Aberdeen bypass is taking shape, the new Queensferry Bridge over the Forth looks majestic and the mammoth jigsaw that is the Raith Interchange shows a determination to improve our transport infrastructure. However we also need world-class broadband and dynamic working environments if we are to play our part as a leading global knowledge economy.

Reform taxation for a more flexible economy. Now is the time to radically reform our tax regime so that the UK’s 4.8 million selfemployed can continue to power growth in uncertain times. Both Holyrood and Westminster should encourage the sector with fairer fiscal policy that reflects their contribution to the economy as a whole.

Champion self-employed as a career choice. As we see more people moving into self-employment Holyrood must support this growing phenomenon as an attractive, longterm career choice.

Respect views across the UK. IPSE is an apolitical body but we believe Westminster should review devolved powers and ensure the economy grows strongly across the UK and fully involves devolved nations in negotiations with the EU.

IPSE engages with the main political parties in this country and from the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon down we have been encouraged by the support for the determination and vision of Scots who have become self employed.

The Brexit vote changed the political, commercial, cultural and social landscape. It created a period of uncertainty across Europe and it has global ramifications.

Since that decision the only thing we can be certain of is that nothing is certain; nothing, that is, other than the fact that the self-employed sector will continue to grow and thrive. Gary Sharp is director of IPSE. www.ipse.co.uk