Chuka Umunna MP, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, responding to a Government announcement on home-based entrepreneurs, said:

“This is too little too late from a Government now in its fifth year of office.

“Life for those seeking to start up a business has got harder under this Tory led Government with self-employed people’s incomes falling by £2,000 on average and many small businesses being clobbered by increases in business rates since David Cameron became Prime Minister. Also, the implementation of policies like Universal Credit, which create disproportionate burdens on people seeking to move off benefit to set up in business, are set to make this situation worse.

“Labour will reduce the costs of doing business for new and small businesses by cutting and then freezing their business rates from 2015 and by freezing their energy bills saving the average small business £5000 – something the Tory led Government has failed to match.”