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• The Thatcher government provided a regular monetary allowance for entreprenuers and those starting their own business. So many artists and creatives benefited from this in the 1980's. Politicians are seriously considering reintroducing such an allowance, which would help creatives struggling to start a career, whilst trying also to get their heads around the quagmire of keeping finances for self employment.

  

  michaelcoxart , Artist , 28/02/14 , 169 AP

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• As Fleur mentions, many young people starting out in the creative industry have to complement their income with what are often minimum wage jobs. Big businesses can pay peanuts in return for smart, articulate and competent young people - I'd be interested in a tiered minimum wage system which corresponds to the wages of the highest earners within a business. Under this system, say you work for Phillip Green - you're guaranteed at least £15 an hour for folding jumpers in Topshop. (Jumpers which incidentally which retail at almost 10 times what the employee currently earns in an hour and are 100 times more costly than the wage paid to the person who made them in that hour).
  
  But until that happens I'm not convinced a raise in the minimum wage would make much difference to the individual trying to make it in the arts industry - the government is not even proposing to align it with the calculated 'living wage'. What is needed is more pressure on the government to support the arts industry as a whole in the UK.
  

  

  andrew berekdar , Filmmaker , 19/01/14 , 331 AP

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• Raise tax threshold (again) and it's government that loses revenue. Raise minimum-wage and it's businesses that must concede a little. I'm with the latter.

  

  Ben Aitken , Writer , 16/01/14 , 907 AP

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  • It's tough but I would argue we should avoid legislation if possible ... apply public pressure to larger companies to pay their employees (and their taxes) properly. Small businesses have no extra cash with which to 'concede' and they're the ones we should be supporting for long term economic growth.

    

    Fleur Macdonald , Journalist , 16/01/14 , 267 AP

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• I believe it was Socrates who said for a stable society, the wealth gap between rich and poor should be no greater than a factor of five.

  

  EddtheRed , Writer , 15/01/14 , 338 AP

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• "Vince Cable is pushing the coalition to increase the minimum wage above inflation. The idea is to get people earning more so they spend more and pay more taxes. The government would also presumably spend less money bolstering the income of those on very little through in-work benefits."
  
  This kind of says it all. When you look at a potential rise in real terms, it doesn't really help anyone other than the government. They get more in taxes, minimum wage earners pay more. Government pays less in benefits, earners make up the difference with a measly pay rise. But they still look like they're helping the young.
  
  Like you say, the tax threshold needs changing. Further still, enforce a limit on the amount of time you can work an unpaid internships and then enforce the same rate payable to those on apprenticships.

  

  Daniel Marshall , Writer , 15/01/14 , 537 AP

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