A SCOTTISH MP has asked Chancellor Philip Hammond to look seriously at the idea of a universal basic income.
The SNP MP for Inverclyde, Ronnie Cowan, has written to Hammond asking him to follow the lead of the Scottish Government and use next month’s Budget to fund research into the feasibility of paying everyone in the country a citizen’s income.
Last month, in her Programme for Government, Nicola Sturgeon announced plans to look into such a scheme, which would see all Scots, regardless of how much they earn or how much wealth they have, receive a set amount per week.
The First Minister told MSPs: “The Scottish Government will work with interested local authorities to fund research into the concept and feas-ibility of a citizen’s basic income to help to inform parliament’s thinking for the future.”
A pilot project in Finland, started earlier this year, replaced the benefits of 2000 unemployed people with an income of €560 (£473) a month.
Cowan, a keen supporter of the principle, wrote to No 11 Downing Street after attending the inter- national Basic Income Earth Network congress in Portugal.
He said: “I wholeheartedly welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to establish a fund to support local authorities as they develop basic income schemes.
“The Scottish Government will also task its Poverty and Inequality Commission with drawing together the experiences of these local schemes to inform government thinking on a basic income.
“They will provide useful data for any country in the world that wishes to build on them.
“The basic income pilot projects are vitally important to the debate. To design, run and monitor pilots and analyse the results takes a great deal of expertise and effort, but they may have the potential to shine a light on any shortcomings – opportunities and ultimately produce solutions.
“I believe it’s time for the UK Government to follow the Scottish Government’s lead and fund research into the feasibility of a basic income and announce similar measures in the UK Budget in November.”
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