The trouble in the UK is that for the small business community of 3.7 million they only represent about 10 per cent and that is fragmented amongst some 1,000 various intermediaries.

Run by elected representatives and where continued existence is determined by numbers of members, there can be a conflict of interest between the needs of the organisation and those of the individual members – as is the case with any intermediary.

The objective of every campaigning body should be to put itself out of business. And our overall objective must be to have a society whose decision making process is so slick that it removes the need for campaigning bodies.

Politicians play their role with cut and paste comments to justify their position and playing one “intermediary” off against the other. If you really get their attention watch out for the smear campaign from Premier division politicians playing cat and mouse with the well intentioned amateurs of the Vauxhall Conference.

We have representatives. We elect them every five years.

They are called MPs and at present they are being reduced to the role of post boy as they pass on ever increasing amounts of spam from single issues “intermediaries” to Ministers who use an ever increasing army of Civil Servants to issue stock replies back.

It is no way to run a country and meanwhile in another part of the forest known as Global Plc other countries are using the advantage of low cost natural resources (aka people) plus low cost infrastructure (aka Internet) to drive us, UK Ltd, out of business. And do not think this white collar restructuring will take the same time as that experienced by blue collar workers at the shipyards, coal mines, steel mills etc of the 70’s and 80’s. This is happening so fast that blink and you will wonder why we are living in a wasteland.

The political tensions created by this development will hand opportunities to the left and right as they compete to try and prevent this happening. But to stand in its way is to play Canute and to allow the extremists to win the argument is a one way ticket to irrelevance. In a world where capital can move and bring down Governments so will work move to where knowledge is cheaper.

So what to do?
First recognise that the system does not work. We need to reconnect those affected with those that are in a position to truly represent them.

Their MP’s.

I have been working for the last two years with the Genesis Initiative and the All-Party Parliamentary Small Business Group to develop an open and transparent consultation system with low barriers to entry such that any small business can connect with - and influence - their MP.

And we chose freelancers to carry out the first trial in this open consultation process. In the three weeks of the consultation process over 450 people registered on the All Party website and 256 separate bits of evidence were delivered and if you take the hour or so to scan the comments you – like the 440 MPs and Peers on the Group - cannot fail to be influenced by the eloquence of the raw, unfiltered, from the heart, comments.

To make a difference we need to make sure the MP’s are engaged, which is why I wrote to my MP telling him about the consultation. I attach my effort.

I leave it to you to decide if you want to represent yourself or out-source it to an “intermediary”.

If you decide to fax your MP asking him to attend (I used FaxyourMP see the form at the foot of this article) it would be good if you did it before the meeting which is between 1600 and 1800 Hours in the House of Commons; Committee Room 19 on June 11th. Roughly 48 hours from now.

I attach a map in case you want to come along to witness the hearing. It is open to the public and space is limited so first come, first served.

Copy of fax.
Dr Julian Lewis
MP for New Forest East
House Of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Saturday 7 June 2003

Dear Dr Julian Lewis,
I live in your constituency and wanted to brief you on an opportunity to learn more about a key part of the UK economy.

The All Party Parliamentary Small Business Group APPSBG (of which I note you are a member) has been conducting a briefing on Freelancers. This is the first time that such a briefing has taken place and it is breaking ground in the way that evidence has been collected.

Freelancers will be giving evidence in Committee Room 19 of the House of Commons on 11th June between 4pm and 6pm to members of the APPSBG. I hope you can attend to learn first hand of the threats and opportunities that face this key sector.

I was grateful for your support when we met at the House of Commons on November 3rd 1999 when I Green-carded you to ask for your support in opposing IR35 and would be most grateful for your support in this matter. If you are unable to attend due to prior engagements I would strongly recommend that you take some time to read the evidence on-line.
http://www.smallbusinessgroup.org.uk/index.pl?section=6&n=350

Like me I am sure you will be moved by such direct testimony from an undervalued and under represented part of the UK small business community. I believe and I am sure you will agree, that if we are to ensure we have a dynamic knowledge based economy it is absolutely crucial that Politicians of all parties join together to recognise the essential role freelancers play in the UK economy and to help them deal with the threats *and* the opportunities that face them.

I hope you find the briefing useful.

Kind regards
Andy White

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Andy White © Shout99.com 2003

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