Sign our letter to The Prime Minister calling on him to put in place a Universal Basic Income to protect everyone in the UK when the next crisis hits.

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285 politicians, campaigners, academics and civil society leaders have signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to put in place a Universal Basic Income to protect UK households from future crises. The letter has been signed by elected representatives at all levels of government and from all four nations. It includes representatives from Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens, Alliance, Plaid Cymru and the SNP, as well as academics from many disciplines and research areas and a broad range of civil society organisations and campaign leaders.

6th November 2022

Rt Hon Rishi Sunak PM
10 Downing St,
London
SW1A 2AA

Dear Prime Minister,

Over the past fifteen years, people across the UK have faced an unprecedented series of crises. From the financial crash and the pandemic to climate breakdown and the cost-of-living crisis, each has left households at risk of precarity and poverty. Despite these successive emergencies, we have not yet put in place measures in this country that would protect everybody when the worst case scenario becomes a reality.

For the second time in three years, the government has been forced into putting money in people’s pockets to prevent disaster. These ad-hoc solutions have been too little, too late, and have come at extortionate cost to the public purse. 125,000 people have been told they need to pay back £500m in Universal Credit payments wrongly issued during the pandemic. Now, during a cost-of-living crisis, almost 110,000 people have been sanctioned by the DWP in one month alone. These makeshift solutions will not provide the comprehensive protection this country needs when the next crisis hits.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the UK led the world in creating the NHS. This established a level under which no-one could fall – rich or poor. The cost-of-living crisis shows that we urgently now need to do the same for people's incomes.

A Basic Income would guarantee a basic standard of living for everybody, regardless of income, wealth or work. It would be set at a modest level – enough to pay for the basics, like food, transport and utility bills. But it would be enough to prevent struggling households being tipped into poverty when the next crisis hits. Put simply, a Basic Income could be our generation's NHS.

There is a myth that Basic Income increases unemployment. But in every comparable country where it's been tried, a Basic Income has led to an increase in employment. For a Conservative Prime Minister, helping more people into work should be a priority.

In your first speech on taking office, you focused on strengthening security and building a strong economy. But our country cannot be secure if our households, neighbourhoods and communities are not secure. The inevitability of further, and likely larger, shocks to our economy means we urgently need a sustainable and resilient economy. ‘Levelling up’ can only become reality if it’s built on a foundation of stability and security.

Basic Income is an idea that is rapidly gaining interest across the UK. The Welsh Government has just launched a world-leading pilot involving young people leaving care. North of the border, the Scottish Government has indicated its intention to pilot Basic Income during this parliament. And in England, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has repeatedly expressed his desire to pilot Basic Income in the city, saying that the idea's "time has come". Recent polling has borne this out: YouGov found that Brits support the introduction of a basic income by a 20-point margin.

This winter, we are facing a real moment of crisis. The poverty and inequality caused by the cost-of-living crisis could threaten the very foundations of the UK itself. The social fabric of this country is at risk of being damaged irreparably. Now is not the time for half-measures, or to tinker around the edges. The system we have put in place to support our fellow citizens is failing us, and we need to try something different.

We, the undersigned, urge you to:

set up a government taskforce to explore the potential of Basic Income as part of a new economic settlement for this country

launch substantial pilots in all four nations of the UK to see how a Basic Income would work in practice

Your sincerely,

CPPLG chair Christine Jardine MP and co-chairs Baroness Natalie Bennett, Beth Winter MP, Ronnie Cowan MP, Hina Bokhari AM, Patrick Brown MLA, 195 elected representatives and 84 academics, civil society and campaign leaders.

See the full list of signatories below.

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Signed by:

Politicians

Beth Winter MP
Ronnie Cowan MP
Christine Jardine MP
Patrick Brown MLA
Hina Bokhari AM
Baroness Natalie Bennett
Baroness Jenny Jones
Baroness Ruth Lister
Olivia Blake MP
John McDonnell MP
Mick Whitley MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Stuart McDonald MP
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
Stephen Farry MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Clive Lewis MP
Chris Stephens MP
Nadia Whittome MP
Richard Thomson MP
lan Byrne MP
Paul Sweeney MSP
Maggie Chapman MSP
Mark Ruskell MSP
Ariane Burgess MSP
Ross Greer MSP
Gillian Mackay MSP
Jane Dodds MS
Jack Sargeant MS
Rhys ab Owen MS
Danny Donnelly MLA
Stewart Dickson MLA
Peter McReynolds MLA
Naomi Long MLA
Sorcha Eastwood MLA
David Honeyford MLA
Patricia O'Lynn MLA
Nuala McAllister MLA
Andrew Muir MLA
Connie Egan MLA
John Blair MLA
Kate Nicholl MLA
Paula Bradshaw MLA
Kellie Armstrong MLA
Nick Mathison MLA
Eóin Tennyson MLA
Jamie Driscoll, Mayor of the North of Tyne
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of Greater London
Adrian Ramsay, Green Party co-leader
Cllr Carla Denyer, Green Party co-leader, Bristol City Council
Cllr Maroof Raouf, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Tim Dant, Lancaster City Council
Cllr Lloyd Duddridge, Redbridge Council
Cllr Douglas Johnson, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Martin Phipps, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Paul Turpin, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Brian Holmshaw, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Alexi Dimond, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Minesh Parekh, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Angela Argenzio, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Henry Nottage, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Ruth Mersereau, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Peter Garbutt, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Andrew Cooper, Kirklees Council
Cllr Denise Craghill, City of York Council
Cllr Marieanne Elliot, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Bill Revans, Leader, Somerset County Council
Caroline Russell AM
Cllr Fran Belbin, Sheffield City Council
Siân Berry AM
Zack Polanski AM, Deputy Leader of the Green Party
Cllr David Francis, South Tyneside Council
Cllr Steve Masters, West Berkshire Council
Cllr Kristian Wrenn, Surrey Heath Borough Council
Cllr David Marsh, West Berkshire Council
Kelsey Trevett, co-chair, Young Greens
Jane Baston, co-chair, Young Greens
Cllr Catherine Gibbons, North Somerset Council
Cllr Andrée Frieze, Richmond Council
Cllr Eve Holt, Manchester City Council
Cllr Rhys Taylor, Cardiff City Council
Cllr Sophie Wilson, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Ryan O'Gorman, Connah's Quay Town Council
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, Hull City Council
Cllr Rose Thompson, Trafford Council
Cllr Jane Gebbie, Bridgend County Borough Council
Cllr Natalie Pudaloff, West Sussex County Council
Cllr Jamie Osborn, Norwich City Council
Cllr Ben Curran, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Maleiki Haybe, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Jack Haines, Hull City Council
Caroline Pidgeon AM
Cllr Andrew Guy, South Tyneside Council
Cllr Ed Carlisle, Leeds City Council
Cllr Johnny Denis, Lewes District Council
Cllr Emily O’Brien, Lewes District Council
Cllr Jonathan Elmer, Durham County Council
Lord Paul Scriven
Cllr Michael Mullaney, Leicestershire County Council
Cllr Lesley Grahame, Norwich City Council
Cllr Sarah McKeown, South Tyneside Council
Cllr Nick Johnson, Southwark Council
Anthony Slaughter, Wales Green Party leader
Cllr Tony Pearce, Stafford Borough Council
Cllr Zoe Nicholson, Lewes District Council
Cllr Tom Reeve, Kingston Council
Cllr Chris Price, Bromley Council
Cllr David Blackburn, Leeds City Council
Cllr Martin Swinbank, Northumberland County Council
Cllr David Herbert, South Tyneside Council
Cllr Sue Stonehouse, South Tyneside Council
Cllr Mathew Hulbert, Barwell Parish Council
Cllr Richard Bell, Glasgow City Council
Cllr Will Tilbrook, Arun District Council
Cllr Ann O'Byrne, Liverpool City Council
Cllr Matt Kerr, Glasgow City Council
Cllr Ann Forsaith, Leeds City Council
Cllr Jude English, Bristol City Council
Cllr John Patrinos, North Devon Council
Cllr Caroline Wren, Richmond upon Thames Council
Cllr Chas Warlow, Richmond upon Thames Council
Cllr Astrid Johnson, Manchester City Council
Cllr Kevin Ritchie, Leeds City Council
Cllr Barry Parsons, Bristol City Council
Cllr Bridget Petty, North Somerset Council
Cllr Stuart McQuillan, North Somerset Council
Cllr Lena Simic, Liverpool City Council
Cllr Max McLoughlin, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Cllr Chris Best, Lewisham Council
Cllr Ani Stafford-Townsend, Bristol City Council
Cllr Sarah McKeown, South Tyneside Council
Cllr James Roberts, Liverpool City Council
Cllr Nick Morphet, Northumberland County Council
Cllr Niki Crookdake, Richmond Council
Cllr Ekua Bayunu, Manchester City Council
Cllr Ria Patel, Croydon Council
Cllr Andrew McAuley, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
Cllr Amanda Jobson, Hastings Borough Council
Cllr Karin Haverson, North Somerset Council
Cllr Tony Pearce, Stafford Borough Council
Cllr David Wilcox, Bristol City Council
Cllr Ed Plowden, Bristol City Council
Cllr Kate Knight, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Martin Osborne, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Elaine Hills, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Sarah Nield, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr David Gibson, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Leo Littman, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Marianna Ebel, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Siriol Hugh-Jones, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Steve Davis, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Zoe John, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Steph Powell, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Alexandra Phillips, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Clare Rainey, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Amy Heley, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Nancy Platts, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Amanda Grimshaw BEM, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty, leader, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Hannah Allbrooke, Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Heather Mack, Bristol City Council
Cllr Stuart Jeffery, Maidstone Borough Council
Cllr Tom Hathway, Bristol City Council
Cllr Wendy Maples, East Sussex County Council
Cllr Sarah Plummer, East Suffolk Council
Cllr Christine Townsend, Bristol City Council
Cllr Lara Davenport-Ray, Huntingdonshire District Council
Cllr Sue Shanks , Brighton and Hove City Council
Cllr Lorraine Francis, Bristol City Council
Cllr Eleanor Laming, Broadland District Council
Cllr Sid Phelps, Forest of Dean District Council
Cllr Nigel Hiley, Saxmundham Town Council
Cllr Terence Carter, Mid Suffolk District Council
Cllr Sam East, Liverpool City Council
Cllr Lorraine Francis
Cllr Lisa Stone, Bristol City Council
Cllr Tim Wye, Bristol City Council
Cllr Tessa Fitzjohn, Bristol City Council
Cllr Fi Hance, Bristol City Council
Cllr Katy Grant, Bristol City Council
Cllr Jenny Bartle, Bristol City Council
Cllr Guy Poultney, Bristol City Council
Cllr Mohamed Makawi, Bristol City Council
Cllr Lily Fitzgibbon, Bristol City Council
Cllr Yassin Mohomud, Bristol City Council
Cllr Tony Dyer, Bristol City Council
Cllr Paula O’Rourke, Bristol City Council
Cllr Martin Fodor, Bristol City Council
Cllr Emma Edwards, Bristol City Council
Cllr Chris Jarvis, Oxford City Council
Cllr Lucy Pegg, Oxford City Council
Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, Hackney Council
Cllr Tabi Joy, Cheltenham Borough Council
Cllr Amanda Jobson, Hastings Borough Council
Cllr Rob McAllister-Bell, Liverpool City Council
Cllr Tessa Fitzjohn, Bristol City Council
Cllr Calix Eden, Broadland District Council

Civil society leaders, campaigners and academics

Caroline Richardson, campaigner
James Lock, Director, Opus Independents
Simon Duffy, Director, Citizen Network
Dr Neil Howard, Trustee, Basic Income Earth Network
Richard High, Board Member, Basic Income UK
Dr David Beck, University of Salford
Dr Mark Bryan, Reader in Economics, University of Sheffield
Matt Hawkins, co-director, Compassion in Politics
Dr Remco Peters, University of Bristol
Daryl Bishop, CEO, Ben’s Centre for Vulnerable People
René Meijer, CEO, Food Works Sheffield
Roz Davies, CEO, The Green Estate
Vicki Beevers, CEO, The Sleep Charity
Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales
Rebecca White, Founder and CEO, Your Own Place CIC
Tamsin Lejeune, CEO and Founder, Common Objective
Tom French, founder, Sheffield Data for Good
Dr Noelle Blackman, CEO, Respond
Laura Bannister, Campaign Director, World Basic Income.
Cleo Goodman, Director, Basic Income Conversation
Neal Lawson, Director, Compass
Professor Karl Widerquist
Jules Sebelin, CEO, Nottingham CVS
Edna Robinson, chair, The People's Powerhouse
Tracy Fishwick OBE, director, Transform Lives Company
Indy Johar, founding director, 00 and Dark Matter Labs.
Jodie Marshall, director and founder, A Mind Apart Theatre
Mike Cow, Milk the Cow Podcast
Helen Sims, CEO, Voluntary Action Sheffield
Ben Clay, organiser, Greater Manchester Tenants Union
Monica del Pilar Uribe, director, The Prisma
Angela Fell, co-founder, Neighbourhood Democracy Movement
Professor Guy Standing, SOAS University of London
Henry Porter, the Convention on Brexit
Will Stronge, director, Autonomy
Joe Doran, Action Inquiry Manager, Lankelly Chase
Mike Danson, chair, Basic Income Network Scotland
Charlotte Davies, CEO, Swansea MAD
Sara Hill, co-founder, Opus Independents, trustee, Voluntary Action Sheffield
Tim Renshaw BEM, chief executive, Cathedral Archer Project
Dr Gemma Bridge, independent public health researcher
Lauren Roberts-Turner, Leaders Unlocked
Professor Matthew Smith, University of Strathclyde
Professor Kate Pickett, University of York
Dr Rupert Suckling, Director of Public Health, Doncaster Council
Dr Henry Tam, director, Question the Powerful
Tom Brake, MP from 1997 to 2019, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons 2012 to 2015
Norma Curran, CEO, Values Into Action Scotland
Glyn Butcher, board director, PFG Doncaster
Chris Watson, director, Self Directed Futures
Karen Parry, chief executive, Inclusion North
Alex Barker, global movement lead, Be More Pirate
Maggie Gordon-Walker, founder, Mothers Uncovered
Bob Rhodes, founder, Lives Through Friends
Liz Leach Murphy, Imagineer
Philip Hardstone, organiser, Democratic Yorkshire
Ellen Vick, Chief Executive, New Prospects Association
Vinesh Kumar, founder, iDirect
Ben Keegan, Chief Executive, Roundabout
Amanda Burgauer, director, Common Weal
Dr Laura Neilson, director, Shared Health Foundation
Dr Paul Luke, University of Birmingham
Annie Miller, chair, Citizen's Basic Income Trust
Clive Tuck, project development manager, Tumbledown
Vinesh Kumar, founder, iDirect Independent Living
Magid Magid, founder and director, Union of Justice
Professor Karen Rowlingson, University of York
Dr Alison Briggs, University of Manchester
Shahmir Sanni, Vote Leave whistleblower
Dr Nancy Evans, University of Chester
Professor John Walley, University of Leeds
Dr Ghazala Mir, University of Leeds
Dr Gabriella Alberti, University of Leeds
Professor Tim Ensor, University of Leeds
Dr Calum Carson, University of Leeds
Dr Marketa Dolezalova, University of Leeds
Dr Jen Daffin, co-chair, Psychologists for Social Change Cymru
Dr Carly Jackson, co-chair, Psychologists for Social Change Cymru
Dr Hannah Wedge, committee member, Psychologists for Social Change Cymru
Mike Caston, CEO, Nottingham Mencap
Dr Tamsin Bowers-Brown, Director of the Office for Institutional Equity, Leeds Trinity University
Naomi Pohl, General Secretary, Musicians' Union
Zain Hafeez, Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre
Dr Sam Murray, Middlesex University
Jack Monroe, author and anti-poverty campaigner

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