29 November 2019

The three main parties have now published their manifestos and the SNP’s manifesto is expected shortly.  Voters up and down the country will go to the polls on Thursday 12 December.  Here’s a round-up of key policies and how they will affect salon businesses.

Wages and employment rights

Conservative

  • Increase NLW to £10.50 per hour within 5 years.
  • Reduce NLW age threshold from 25 to 23 from 2021 and to 21 by 2024.
  • Encourage flexible working.
  • Make it easier for fathers to take paternity leave.
  • Single enforcement body to crack down on abuse of employment law.
  • Set up an anti-tax evasion unit within HMRC.

Labour

  • Increase NLW to £10 per hour from age 16 in 2020.
  • Reduce the working week to 32 hours without loss of pay.
  • Extend maternity pay from 9 months to 12 months.
  • Give all workers the right to flexible working.
  • Double paternity leave to 4 weeks and increase statutory paternity pay.

Liberal Democrats

  • Independent review on how to set a Living Wage across all sectors.
  • Flexible working option for everyone from day one.
  • Higher minimum wages for people on zero-hour contracts.

SNP

  • Calling for increased NLW to over £10 per hour

 

Self-employment

Conservative

  • Commitment to the Good Work Plan and more protection for people working in the gig economy (in Queen’s Speech but not in manifesto)
  • Review how to better support the self-employed.

Labour

  • End ‘bogus self-employment’ with the burden of proof shifting to employers.
  • Create a single ‘worker’ status for everyone who is not genuinely self-employed or an employee.
  • Scrap zero-hours contracts

Liberal Democrats

  • New employment status ‘dependent contractor’ if not an employee or genuinely self-employed.
  • Review tax, National Insurance and pensions for ‘dependent contractors’.

SNP

  • Scrap zero-hours contracts

 

Small businesses

Conservative

  • £31 million package of support to help small businesses grow. 
  • Keep corporation tax at 19%.
  • Maintain current VAT thresholds (£85,000).
  • Raise National Insurance Contribution threshold to £9500.
  • Increase Employment Allowance from £3000 to £4000 for small businesses.

Labour

  • Raise the main rate of corporation tax to 26% over 3 years, with a small profits rate of 21% for businesses with turnover of less than £300k.
  • No quarterly reporting for business below the VAT threshold.
  • No increases in VAT.

Liberal Democrats

  • Start-up allowance for new businesses.
  • Simplify business taxation.
  • Review IR35 rules.

SNP

  • No planned increases in taxation on the low paid, in National Insurance or in VAT.

 

Business rates and the high street

Conservative

  • Reduce business rates for retail businesses to protect the high street and carry out a fundamental review of the business rates system.
  • Allocate a £3.6bn Towns Fund to 100 towns to improve their local economy. 

Labour

  • Review a land value tax on commercial landlords instead of business rates.
  • Stop bank branch closures and banning ATM charges.
  • Develop retail sector industrial strategy.
  • Keep restrictions on Sunday trading.

Liberal Democrats

  • Review business rates and replace with a commercial landowner’s levy.
  • Expand the Future High Streets Fund.

SNP

  • Business rates are devolved to Scotland

 

Apprenticeships and T-levels

Conservative

  • Invest £600m per year in National Skills Fund, including apprenticeships.
  • Establish a ‘right to retrain’ for adults
  • Improve the working of the apprenticeship levy.

Labour

  • Investment for colleges to deliver T levels and pre-apprenticeship trainee programmes.
  • Apprenticeship levy to be used for wider range of training and up to 50% to be transferred to non-levy paying employers.
  • Free lifelong entitlement to training at level 3.

Liberal Democrats

  • Expand high quality apprenticeships, backed by sector-led National Colleges.
  • £10,000 for adults to spend on lifelong education and training.
  • Expand the apprenticeship levy with 25% of funds going to social mobility fund.

Scottish Independence

  • Devolved issue

Brexit

Conservative

  • Deliver Brexit with the deal agreed with the EU.

Labour

  • Secure a new deal with the EU within 6 months.
  • The Party will only decide whether to campaign for its new Brexit deal or Remain in a Referendum after its election to Government.

Liberal Democrats

  • If a Lib Dem majority Government is elected, they would stop Brexit, revoke Article 50 and stay in the EU. 
  • Otherwise, they will continue to fight for a 2nd referendum with the option to stay in the EU, and campaign to keep the UK in the EU.

SNP

  • Campaign to stop Brexit, and push for Scottish Independence Referendum if Brexit goes ahead.

 

Scottish Independence

Conservative

  • Would not hold a second Scottish Independence Referendum.

Labour

  • Would hold a second Scottish Independence Referendum if the SNP wins a majority in the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2021.

Liberal Democrats

  • Would not hold a second Scottish Independence Referendum.

SNP

  • Seeking stronger mandate to call for second Scottish Independence Referendum.
  • Willing to support a Labour Government that commits to a 2nd referendum (but ruled out a coalition)

 

 

Hilary Hall, NHBF chief executive, said, “As well as what’s published in their manifestos, the parties have also made a number of policy announcements in their election campaigning so far. 

There is a clear emphasis from all four parties on raising minimum wages, increasing the rights of employees, workers and the self-employed, especially those working in the gig economy, but there are differences on policies on corporation tax and on Brexit.  We’re delighted to see that our campaigning on business rates is paying off as all parties are acknowledging that change is needed.  We will work with whichever party wins the election to make sure business rates are replaced with a system more suited to the 21st century.  We urge salons to take the time to review these policies and participate in the elections as a new government will have a direct impact on salon businesses and their long-term profitability.”