Could the new Prime Minister introduce a universal basic income?
Hello UBI Lab supporters,
Welcome to August's newsletter, where as ever we have exciting updates from the UBI Lab Network and news of Basic Income's forward march around the world.
UBI Lab Network updates
Could Andy Burnham introduce a universal basic income?
In the Big Issue, our very own Sam Gregory has written an op-ed on behalf of UBI Lab about why the time is right for the UK's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to experiment with a Universal Basic Income. “At UBI Lab, we believe basic income has the potential to fundamentally rebalance economic power towards ordinary people” writes Sam.
“After the scandals and justified cynicism of the past decade, rebuilding our democracy from the ground up will be essential if Andy Burnham’s mission is to succeed. Proper income security of the kind only a basic income can offer would empower each and every one of us to participate more fully in civic life. A basic income can provide much-needed resilience in the face of increasingly frequent and severe disruption, whether from AI, climate breakdown or a global pandemic.”
Two updates from UBI Lab Manchester...
Help make sure the Greater Manchester Basic Income Pilot happens
Can you take a moment to tell the new Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig and local policy-makers how important it is to you and your community that they stick to Andy Burnham's promise to launch a Basic Income pilot in the region?
We need responses from people who live in Greater Manchester, but if you don't, you can still help! Please share this link with friends and family who live in the region, so we can get as many signatures as possible – thank you! You can also see how your responses will be recorded onto a map on the website.
Live Well Basic Income Pilot – Design Proposal for a Pilot in Greater Manchester
UBI Lab Manchester have released a new pilot design proposal created with academics at the University of Bath. This builds on the design proposal with Northumbria University in 2025, which focused on why we need a basic income pilot and what a pilot should look like. This new proposal answers questions put to us by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, such as on design components, risk management and governance. It also re-frames the pilot under the Manchester Mayor's 'Live Well' framework.
Papers written by UBI Lab members...
UBI Lab Network members Dave Beck and Remco Peters have co-written a new article in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. "While UBI cannot resolve structural power imbalances in food systems or replace targeted nutrition interventions, it may reduce financial precarity, improve dietary autonomy, and enhance the effectiveness of existing policies" write the authors. "UBI should be understood not as a standalone solution, but as a foundational intervention within integrated food, welfare, and public health strategies."
How Universal Basic Income Can Empower the Working Class
In the Journal of Working Class Studies, UBI Lab's Dave Beck has co-authored a paper on how Basic Income can empower the working class through improved wage negotiation and poverty alleviation. "Focusing on the UK, we believe that, with welfare reform and certain government constraints, UBI can make a significant contribution to improving the standard of living for the working class," write Beck and his co-authors.
Towards a UBI Society: The Use of Games in Public Engagement with UBI
In a new paper, UBI Lab Manchester members have partnered with the University of Bath to explore the power of games in communicating policies and ideas, with a special focus on our recent 'UBI Roadshows' in Greater Manchester. "Discussing Basic Income with people for the first time can be challenging, especially if they have been approached unsolicited" reads the introduction.
"Describing what it is, who would receive it and how it would be funded can sound bureaucratic and become overcomplicated, especially as there is no definitive version of the policy. Emotive narratives can be more effective than evidence-based arguments and imaginative engagement creates an embodied and collaborative experience. Participatory arts practice can be used to communicate ideas, such as Basic Income, in ways that help participants move beyond confirmation bias and consider information from different perspectives."
UBI around the world
Bert Schouwenburg has a piece in the Morning Star, 'Universal basic income and the technological revolution'
A policy profile of Universal Basic Income has been published as a contribution to The Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth, as part of the New Economies for Eradicating Poverty (NEEP) initiative.
The Brussels Times reports that the EU takes formal step on basic income bid amid AI-driven job fears
Last but not least, some very good news as Herefordshire councillors vote to back making farming more resilient
Interested in joining the UBI Lab Network? Start your journey now
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We believe that there are better ways to provide security to citizens and build more resilient economies. UBI Lab is a worldwide network of citizens, researchers, activists and campaigners exploring the potential of Universal Basic Income.
The Network resources citizens from the grassroots up to engage with civic and political society to look at the potential of a Universal Basic Income for all.
To support the Network please donate here.
Yours unconditionally,
UBI Lab Network
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