There are 5600 self-employed people in the Easington constituency.

Many will be desperately worried about making their rent, mortgage and other bill payments. They will have seen the retention scheme announced for employees, and are asking what help is going to be put in place for self-employed people who are being told they cannot continue their work.

The self-employed already lack all of the legal protections of redundancy and other rights already in place to help protect employees, including those they employ themselves, from a sudden lack of income. The self-employed are also the most likely section of the workforce to suffer from a disability or health condition. It would be perverse to leave the self-employed out of new support being put in place to help those whose livelihoods are most disrupted by COVID-19.