A solution to help us tackle decades of economic decline in the valleys
On 21st December 1990, the miners at Maerdy Colliery went to work in the mine for one last time after losing the battle to save their livelihoods. This deindustrialisation had a stark impact across the valleys which is still being felt today. A steady source of income for miners to support themselves and their families, was gone, and the community resilience began to crumble with no significant investment to take its place.
30 years on, our communities are facing a multitude of crises, simultaneously. As I am writing this, people across RCT are living in a local lockdown due to the public health emergency of COVID-19. Earlier this year hundreds of homes and businesses were submerged in water and many had not recovered from the flooding before being asked to stay at home.
Ond beth sydd i ddod? (But what's to come?)
A look to the future doesn’t seem to offer much escape from the doom and gloom, with an impending economic recession, Brexit uncertainty and a need to adapt to the climate crisis. While the woes of the miners are a thing of the past, we haven’t seen the economic renewal we really need in the valleys to lift everyone out of poverty and offer jobs for everyone that wants one. It’s easy to see why the sole aim of many young people growing up here is to leave the declining economy of the valleys behind. Mae’r ddinas fawr yn galw (The big city is calling). However, a universal basic income offers us a pressure valve, financial security for everyone, a lever with which to lift us out of poverty and to start rebuilding our communities.
The events of the past weeks, months, years have left many wanting a change. Seeing a UBI motion pass in the Senedd earlier this week was a breath of fresh air in our politics. It’s been great to have the support of local politicians from across the political spectrum backing up our calls for a Basic Income trial in RCT and to see momentum building behind the idea. We believe this will form a crucial part of building back better when we emerge from the COVID crisis.
A UBI could be a crucial piece to the puzzle of tackling economic decline and deprivation in the valleys. It’s a simple solution fit for our times – a 21st century solution to a 21st century problem (or more accurately, the myriad of problems we face).
More about the author
Shaun Tomas - @ShaunThomas777
Ferndale, Wales
Shaun is CoFounder of the RCT Lab, was a Wales Green Party candidate in the #GE19 for #Rhondda and is the Valleys For Europe • Cymoedd Dros Ewrop Chair.
He became interested in a Universal Basic Income during a conversation with Natalie Bennet (then Green Party Leader) around overcoming the student debt crisis and access to education.