Chitterne, We all agree that Ryanair's way of adding layer after layer of non-optional cost, ie on line check-in and admin fees (I thought this had been banned but there we are) leaves one with the strong impression of a swindle luggage and priority seating is most definitely your choice. The rest of your post, the actual experience of the flight and boarding scrum is common to almost every other budget airline and many that aren't so it is a bit harsh to judge Ryanair by that. Much of the unpleasantness was caused by pax behaving like pax, who's "fault" is that?
You don't have to be pestered for scratch cards and stickybuns, if you don't want anything just ignore them and don't look pleadingly at the crew...
The matter of "self employed" being demonstrably illegal is a shameful neglect of governments (UK included) for ignoring the matter and not dealing with a widespread employment law and tax fraud, for that's what it is. Ryanair, as ever, tries it on and is repeatedly allowed to get away with it. Its unethical and shabby but if regulators won't regulate the
and rogues take over the market unhindered.