The NHS was born in Wales: Will a UBI be our generation’s NHS?
The first Welsh Lab was founded in Cardiff on the 1st May 2020. Since then a national Lab and 3 further county and city Labs have been founded; making incredible progress in getting UBI on the table politically and into the public conscious across the country.
They will be doing the latest takeover of the Blog with perspectives from representative across the political spectrum in Wales and from each of the Labs and their CoFounders.
Here are some of the co-founders involved:
“The NHS was born in Wales, and so can a UBI. It can be our generation’s NHS.”
Jonathan Rhys Williams - CoFounder UBI Lab Cardiff and Wales
We needed a UBI yesterday, but we must make the case for it today.
Growing up in the Rhondda Valleys, I saw all to clearly how mass unemployment – following the closure of the coalmines – can shape a generation. Wales thrived before the deindustrialisation of areas like the valleys led to significant numbers of people relying on welfare payments, and they continue to do so. Indeed, Wales relies more heavily on welfare than England or Scotland.
However, it wasn’t until I became a workplace representative and branch secretary for the GMB that I realised there were alternatives to our current welfare state – an alternative that would encourage freedom of choice and invigorate forgotten communities.
I remember a young single mum asking me to represent her because her employer wanted to increase her hours from 16 to 20 per week. She explained that the loss of tax credits, in addition to the added childcare she would have to pay would leave her worse off, despite the fact she was working more. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could someone who works more be worse off? But it was true; so I went looking for answers.
I stumbled across Malcolm Torry’s Money For Everyone, which had just been released at the time and I was hooked. Here was policy idea that would incentivise work for the member I was representing, because all of the added income she earned, she would keep. It was a no brainier, and the more I read about the policy, the more it made sense that it is a policy for the 21st century.
That light bulb moment 7 years ago is what led me here today, writing this blog as the co-founder of UBI Lab Wales and UBI Lab Cardiff.
The NHS was born in Wales, and so can a UBI. It can be our generation’s NHS.
Liam Richards - CoFounder UBI Lab Cardiff, Wales and RCT
As a resident and a Housing Strategy officer in RCT, I have seen first-hand how tough 2020 has been.
First the floods that decimated homes and businesses and just as people are putting their lives back together, they were thrust in to lockdown as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.
During the floods, people lost business and as a result lost their income and/or employment and had to wait on average 5 weeks for a Universal Credit payment. With a UBI there would be no wait, as everyone would receive a basic income regardless of employment status. It’s just there for you when you need it and when you don’t, you pay it back.
Yes, it’s that simple!
It’s progressive, it’s all inclusive, it’s non-discriminatory, it’s a 21st century solution to a 21st century problem. We should not live in a world where fuel poverty and food banks are things. We have apps that can order you a pint or unlock your car door, how can this be possible when we can’t ensure every person has the ability to eat or keep warm. A UBI is the start of the solution, a basic right and our generations NHS.
“21st century solution to a 21st century problem.“
"I hope UBI can become an equaliser in one of the most unequal societies in Europe.”
Shaun Thomas - CoFounder UBI Lab RCT
I 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. UBI is a powerful way of changing things for the better.
The furlough scheme has highlighted the intolerable ‘normal’ prior to COVID, with 6% of people wanting a return to the way things were, indicating a need for change. Consequently, UBI must form part of the COVID recovery plan to ensure a safety net for all.
We are also in a climate emergency, so moving to a greener economy is now crucial. Doing this without a UBI would be disrespectful to those already facing tough times. Additionally, we live a work-to-buy lifestyle, however a UBI could shift us away from over-consumerism and focus more on improving our mental health and quality of life.
I’m excited to be progressing the idea in RCT. As a county, we’ve been tackling flooding, COVID, and the oncoming recession. We haven’t seen significant economic renewal since the closure of the mines in the 1980s. It’s now time for a change and I hope UBI can become an equaliser in one of the most unequal societies in Europe.
Steffie Williams Roberts - CoFounder UBI Lab Gwynedd
Hello! I’m Steffie, co-founder of the Gwynedd Lab. I’m a 28 year old married mum of one and I became passionate about UBI as I moved on from university to work. As a mature graduate already married with a baby, I saw how my income would decrease if I was to work over a certain amount of hours or earn a certain amount per month. I had to look for a job that not only fit around my childcare needs and costs but would also ensure that I was financially in the same position or better at the end of the month, sadly this was not an easy task especially in Gwynedd which has an eclectic mix of urban, rural and tourist areas and moving was not an option.
I found that this is the story for many, who are on Working Tax Credits. No one should have to worry that if they work they’ll be financially worse off. This was when I learned about UBI, an income guaranteed to each adult no matter how many hours they worked or how many pennies above minimum wage they earned.
No person should have to refuse a job they would love because they’d be financially worse off taking it. We have a common sense solution to this problem that could be our generation’s NHS!
"We have a common sense solution to this problem that could be our generation’s NHS!"
“UBI would give everyone the true freedom of choice that I believe we are all entitled and deserving of as a matter of social justice.”
Lowri Walters - CoFounder UBI Lab Swansea
Just as it is a right for every UK citizen to access free healthcare, it should also be a right for every UK citizen to have enough cash to meet their basic needs. A Universal Basic Income (UBI) would do that.
It would ensure that no woman must ever depend on her partner to meet her basic needs. I practise as a Family Solicitor in Swansea. Many of my Swansea clients have been victims of domestic abuse and financial coercion and have told me that they feel unable to leave the marital home for fear of ending up on the street. This is where UBI would help. UBI would be paid to the individual and not the household. It would give women the financial freedom to leave abusive and controlling relationships.
UBI would also give invaluable freedom to others in society to make decisions in their best interests and in the best interests of their community. It would give freedom to single mothers to work part time or pay for childcare and continue to work, to take a risk and start a new business venture, to give up work to take care of relatives or undertake important voluntary work for the community, to refuse or leave a job because of exploitative wages and abusive working conditions and to engage in creative unpaid or low paid work.
UBI would give everyone the true freedom of choice that I believe we are all entitled and deserving of as a matter of social justice.
The Official Launch of the Welsh Lab was on the 5th of August 2020 at 7pm.
The online panel discussion with guest speakers: Carwyn Jones MS - Former First Minister, Jane Dodds - Leader of Welsh Lib Dems, Amelia Womack - Deputy Leader of The Green Party and Dr Sarah Gilmore - Reader in Organisation Studies - Cardiff University.
To get involved with any of the Welsh Labs* you can get in touch with them on Twitter @UBILabWales / @UBILabCardiff / @UBILabRCT / @UBILabGwynedd / @UBILabSwansea, on Facebook UBI Lab Wales* or on email - wales@ubilabnetwork.org
* Other UBI Labs are available