FYLDE MP Michael Jack is fighting the battle for hundreds of high-tech self-employed workers on contracts to giants like British Aerospace and the Benefits Agency.

Scores of people from all over the country attended a meeting last Saturday at Lytham St Annes High School organised by Mr Jack for such freelance workers - often computer experts or information technology consultants - who would be made worse off by new government moves to tax them as employees.

The so-called IR35 tax proposal would penalise hard-working people - many of them used by the government itself, said Mr Jack.

"The Government wants to reclassify the employment status of self-employed people on long-term contracts because they think many of them are tax-dodgers," he said. "In my experience this is not the case.This will affect many people on the Fylde Coast in the information technology field, and many of them have contacted me. They are honourable people who want to pay their tax and national insurance.

"They take the risks of being self-employed - they're responsible for their own holiday and sick-pay, they don't have the same benefits or job-security as an employee. They add to the flexibility of large organisations because they can be laid off when they're not needed.

"If the Chancellor says he wants to help the entrepreneur, here is a group he appears to be bashing over the head."

Representatives from the Professional Contractors Group were at the meeting, and Mr Jack promised to help them by asking parliamentary questions designed to reveal IR35's shortcomings in the hope of a change-of-plan before publication of the Finance Bill in March.

Meanwhile, George Gregg of Mellor Road, Wrea Green, has set up a website for those affected by the IR35 proposals on www.georgegregg.co.uk/IR35.htm

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