An open letter from a range of community groups has been published welcoming the growing support for UBI by several political parties.
News | 21.11.19
Community groups working to advance social justice and promote the testing of Universal Basic Income (UBI) have welcomed the growing number of political parties now expressing support for the idea:
“The current system of tax and social security is not fit for purpose. Universal Credit has been a disaster for families, increasing poverty and insecurity. Incomes for the poorest are increasingly inadequate, leading to a growing dependence on food banks and exacerbating problems of malnutrition and mental illness. Sanctions and increasingly inaccurate assessments are harming ordinary citizens.
“It’s time for a new approach.
“It is our view that it’s time to try Universal Basic Income (UBI) as an alternative to the current system. UBI means ensuring that everyone has a guaranteed and secure income. It removes sanctions, stigma and unnecessary bureaucracy from the benefit system. It’s a more respectful and positive foundation for a future system of social security.
“Over the past few decades there have been successful pilots of UBI in many other countries and there’s growing grassroots support for testing the idea and for exploring many of the practical questions that need to be resolved to make UBI work for everyone. In our view, now is the time to pilot UBI in the United Kingdom.
“We are representatives of a wide range of national and local groups who support the idea of piloting UBI. We want to acknowledge and thank the political parties who currently support this radical idea, namely:
“Whatever the results of the general election we, the undersigned, will continue to work together to build a wider community understanding of the potential benefits of basic income. We encourage everyone to find out more and to get involved in this movement for justice and freedom.”
Signed
Hermann Aubie, Aston University
Simon Barrow, Ekklesia
Jamie Cooke
Dr Jack Czauderna, retired family doctor
John Dalrymple, Radical Visions
Michael Danson, Citizen's Basic Income Network Scotland
Dr Jurgen De Wispelaere, Policy Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath
Jonny Douglas, The UBI Lab
Dr Simon Duffy, Centre for Welfare Reform
Dr Sylvia Duffy
Jim Elder-Woodward
Cleopatra Goodman, Citizen's Basic Income Network Scotland
Sam Gregory, UBI Lab Sheffield
Tobias Gruber, My Community Finance
Malcolm Henry, Fellow of the Centre for Welfare Reform
Richard High, Basic Income Brighton
Councillor Erin Hill, UBI Lab Kirklees
Mark Hooper, Basic Income Wales
Reinhard Huss, UBI Lab Leeds
Barb Jacobson, Basic Income UK
Carolyn Kagan, Steady State Manchester
Becca Kirkpatrick, Basic Income UK
Beth Knowles
Vinesh Kumar, Founder, iDirect Independent Living
Neal Lawson, Director, Compass
Marie Lewis, Care 0 to 100 Campaign
Toby Lloyd, UBI Lab North East
James Lock, Opus Independents
Andrew Moran, Citizen's Basic Income Network Scotland
Eri Mountbatten-O'Malley, Edge Hill University
Dr John O'Brien, Inclusion Press
Nicola Protopapadakis, Citizen Network
Helen Rice, Helen Rice Research
Steven Rose, Health & Social Care Consultant
Jonny Ross-Tatam, UBI Lab Leeds
Laird Ryan, Vice-Chair, Faiths 4 Change
Matt Saunders, UBI Lab Leeds
Neil Sherring
Dr Guy Standing FAcSS, Professorial Research Associate SOAS University of London
Sam Walby, Opus Independents
Carol Walker
Ross Ward
Chris Watson, Self Directed Futures
Stuart White, Oxford University
NB. If you want to add your support to this letter please contact us by email. Also, please let us know if you are a political party that supports the piloting of UBI and we’ve not realised.
