UK Budget ‘missed opportunity’ to help freelancers claims Bectu chief Childs

UK film and TV trades union Bectu has criticised the government’s Budget on Wednesday for not going far enough to improve the lives of freelancers, calling it “yet another missed opportunity.”

Philippa Childs

Bectu’s head Philippa Childs welcomed measures including raising the tax-free mileage rates and extending paid paternity leave to self-employed workers, but criticised planned tax reforms that could see freelancers having to make payments more frequently.

“The government is pressing ahead with tax reforms that could leave the self-employed paying more tax upfront at a time when many are already struggling with insecure work and cashflow pressures,” Childs said.

“For Bectu members working in this manner, income is rarely steady. Work comes in projects, contracts end unexpectedly and late payment remains commonplace. The answer to that insecurity is not to bring forward tax demands based on assumptions about future earnings.

“The creative industries are one of the UK’s economic success stories, but that success is founded on the work of freelancers. If the government is serious about growth, it cannot support freelancers with one hand while pursuing tax policies that make it harder for them to stay in business with the other.”

Creative industries body Creative UK was less downbeat, praising the paternity leave extension, the tripling of the tax-free trading allowance, the introduction of an allowance for young entrepreneurs and increased support for female founders.

The organisation also welcomed the government’s decision to devolve more fiscal powers to UK regions via its Good Growth funding scheme.

Creative UK’s CEO Emily Cloke warned, however, that the country’s creative sector must continue to be “invested in and protected” if it is to remain competitive in the global industry.

“As the government prepares its 10-year plan and next year’s Spending Review, that means increasing access to finance for creative businesses, including through the British Business Bank; action on creative tax reliefs; fiscal frameworks that recognise creative investment; and robust IP and copyright protection as we forge a British way on AI. The UK must remain an IP-owning nation, where the value our creators generate is owned, not extracted,” she said.

“Global competitors are investing at scale. With the right backing, we can grow business investment in creative organisations from £17bn [US$22.6bn] to £31bn by 2035 and make the UK the world’s most influential creative superpower. Now is the time to build that future together, so that this truly is a budget to back talent, innovation and growth.”