Is there any hope of Universal Basic Income where you live?

05:25 |

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Welcome to openDemocracy's weekly reader comments round-up. We receive so many carefully considered messages about our work, it seems a shame to keep them to ourselves.

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These comments have been edited for clarity, accuracy and length, and aren't necessarily a reflection of openDemocracy's editorial position.

Weekly poll: Would your government ever establish a universal basic income?

I can't envisage this government doing it over the life of this Parliament. But it may have to come in the end as the number of jobs is reduced by AI, and we need to distribute the work that still has to be done by people among the people who want to do jobs.

–John Beardmore

In theory, an excellent idea. In practice, any advantage would be swallowed up as housing costs would simply increase so it would be pointless in the end.... sadly. Until we change the costs of accommodation so everyone is adequately housed, very little will improve.

–Siobhan Smith

Great article and I very much appreciate the series. I work in the General Income movement with a focus on young adults experiencing homelessness. There is a lot of exciting and potentially disruptive work going on in our space.

–Matt

Interesting idea. I'm curious what you think about deploying it at a smaller scale before trying it universally by fixing some of capitalism's oversights first. You talk about the parents who would have had more children, but capitalism doesn't pay primary caregivers for their work with children. Surely fixing this would provide a more tangible first step? It would possibly also be seen as more legitimate given the questions you raise about worthiness. What is being done in this space?

–Chris Mack

The Holyrood Parliament of Scotland would definitely introduce UBI. The UK parliament at Westminster? Not a hope in hell.

–Susan Macdiarmid

Read the original story and the rest of our Universal Basic Income series here

Re: Labour let down Disabled children with its budget

I agree with your excellent article on yesterday's Budget. Please keep getting this article more widely published.

–Maurice Gubbins

Yes, Labour has let down Disabled children. But I do not agree with this article's two-party focus. What about the Liberal Democrat position on careers, mental health and disability? Ed Davey has managed to break through the usual Conservative, Labour and media reporting on this subject, both leading up to the election and in important opposition speeches.

–Philip Dowd

Labour let down Disabled children with its budget

Re: US elections: Where does Kamala Harris stand on Gaza?

Of course, the author of this diatribe has no suggestion as to what the Palestinians should do to achieve a ceasefire nor is there any suggestion whatsoever, as to the degree of responsibility that Hamas has for the current humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

–Efraim Perlmutter

The Israeli government and Israeli Defence Force are directly executing the utterly atrocious genocidal slaughter of people living in Gaza. The public reason given to each slaughter is to kill Hamas fighters but each decision to commit each murder, whether by bullet shell or bomb, displays a brutality and contempt for the livelihood and life of the entire population. The author of the article does well not to simply write a diatribe against Kamala Harris but describes the bare truth of mass destruction, annihilation and expulsion of the Gazan people.

–Julian Dye

US elections: Where does Kamala Harris stand on Gaza?

Re: Waheed Alli found to have breached rules after openDemocracy investigation

It is disgusting, pure and simple! There are great numbers of honest and transparent people in the UK, this subverts our trust in the system and makes us not vote for the political parties involved, ever again.

–Kevin Leyes

If openDemocracy hadn't found it he would never have declared it. How many more are there I wonder?

–Roy Hesketh

What about all the lies and horrendous breaches and damage caused by the 15 years of Tories, especially Boris Johnson? They were not scrutinised as much as Labour are being at the moment. They haven't been in power long enough to rectify all the damage done in the past 14-15 years!

–Sheesh Bloomfield

Waheed Alli found to have breached rules after openDemocracy investigation

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