Jonathan Bartley: universal basic income is more than about wages. It’s about safety and security for everyone. “Basic Income could be the answer”, wrote Sam Dumitriu in the i on Monday as he called for the right […]

“Basic Income could be the answer”, wrote Sam Dumitriu in the i on Monday as he called for the right to back the policy as the answer to automation. Of course, in some ways I agree. The Green Party has long argued that a Universal Basic Income (UBI) would provide people with real security in a world where precarious work is increasingly the norm.

With the rise of the gig-economy and the expansion of automation workers are, rightly, concerned about jobs. But the answer is not to use UBI only to boost low wages, as Dimitriu suggests. At its best UBI should be both a safety net and a springboard for new opportunities.

UBI will always be progressive

The problem with Dumitriu’s call on the right is that a successful UBI will always have progressive outcomes. UBI will help to level out society, and promote equality, or it won’t be a successful project. There are some on the right who believe that UBI could undermine the welfare state – that must be resisted. Far from it, it would remove the threat of sanctions and create real protection.

The i newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

In this way, a true UBI would expand the welfare system, not deplete it. Available to all, it would provide the essential financial support we all need. It would provide security against a lost job or change in circumstance. There would be no need to go to the job centre and fill in forms because the UBI would still be there, a safety net for when it is needed most. But it would also create opportunity, freeing people to fulfil their talents and ambitions by pursuing rewarding and enjoyable work.

UBI is vital for carers and women

The opportunities that come with a real UBI would of course extend beyond employment. Unpaid work, which is often unseen and largely undertaken by women, would be supported and rewarded. Those who need to take time to care for a loved one or raise a child will be able to do so because a UBI recognises that this work is not only important – it’s vital.

We have already seen pilots begin for a UBI as close to home as Scotland. We have a chance to be at the forefront of rediscovering the kind of future that those who pioneered the welfare state imagined. But only if the left defends this bold policy against attempts by the right to undermine it.