Does seem a funny one to be honest, and I'm pretty cynical about 'figures' at the best of times, especially if they emanate from government sources. I'll never forget Thatcher saying just as many new businesses had started up as had closed down, so it was all just exactly the same. No mention that she equated (say) ICI closing a plant and losing 10,000 jobs with some guy setting up his own joinery business with him as the sole employee. One firm went out of business and one started up, so it was just the same. Well yeah, right.
I wonder if the figures include all the fake businesses 'owned' by people who are really employees? Except they can't go sick, or take a holiday, and there is no holiday pay anyway. All on peanuts per hour and zero hours, and they can be sacked on a whim with no comeback, cos they're businesses. Businesses my backside, they're employees who are being conned but they have no choice. It the most unfunny joke in world There must be thousands of 'start up businesses' in the delivery sector alone, with drivers wearing their non-employer's uniform and in the van they've paid for but must carry the logo of the real employer. It ought to be illegal but our government think it's great. Rant over before I get a headache...
