(C) OpenDemocracy This story was originally published by OpenDemocracy and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . It's time for a welfare revolution in the UK [1] [] Date: 2024-11 This feature, the third in a series discussing radical welfare reform in the heart of neoliberalism, fundamentally rejects this artificial binary. It assumes the need for both unconditional cash and rejuvenated public services as part of an even wider package of public system reform. Only a robust policy mix, tailored to national context, can meet the varied and uncertain needs of our times. Based on that assumption, we asked our contributors to reflect on how we get that policy mix right. The five articles in this feature offer ways to radically rethink this question and offer some suggestions on process, rather than detailing out fully formed proposals that could be implemented off the shelf (although they’ve linked to some). Written by scholars and activists from different sectors, together we aim to start a conversation that moves beyond popular but false dichotomies and limited political imagination. We aspire for a vision of a future-ready, fit-for-purpose welfare architecture, with rock solid foundations for generations to come. We designed this feature to intentionally talk past ‘the debate over UBI or UBS’ so that it can better explore their complementarity and synergy within a reformed system. The contributions The five articles showcased here all reflect on what we need to consider, as a polity, when imagining, designing and implementing an alternative to our current welfare model. They explore the complementarity of UBI and UBS proposals and their place within an overall system. Nobody tries to declare one superior over the other, because that debate has been done (to death) and it has always been found wanting. Matthew Johnson, Kate Pickett and Elliot Johnson present a model of a New Beveridge-style programme for government. All experts on public health and welfare, their proposal moves beyond fiddling with small policy ideas to a more holistic reimagination of social policy. They outline the impacts that this sort of programme, which includes UBI and UBS together, can have particularly on the public’s mental and physiological health. Cleo Goodman continues that line of thinking by exploring what we actually mean by basic, and asking what combination of public offerings could help someone achieve their basic needs. Cleo, the co-founder of the Basic Income Conversation, argues passionately against waiting for a ‘perfect’ arrangement and insists that we must re-orient our economic and government system away from making some people rich and toward ensuring a life of basic dignity for all. Ruth Boyle and David Eyre update us on the first national policy initiative to effect this shift: Scotland’s proposed minimum income guarantee. The envisioned MIG will be a tailored and targeted programme that will combine elements of cash transfers with investments in public services to provide a minimum standard of life to all. Ruth and David highlight not just the importance of a programme like this, but also how it requires commitment and coordination from all parts of government, business and society. Nicholas Langridge and Milena Büchs bring an ecological perspective to the conversation. Both scholars on degrowth and social policy, they discuss UBI and UBS’s role in building a sustainable welfare system. They say that because these ideas focus on redistributing wealth, satisfying human needs, and staying in alignment with planetary boundaries, they could do what growth-based welfare models do not: actively help humans live into the future without breaking the planet. David Westlake discusses not just what policy mix we can aspire to, but how to try and answer that question. An expert in children’s social care and Co-PI of the Welsh Basic Income for Care Leavers Pilot, he highlights how evidence on both cash- and service-based interventions is prone to interpretation (and partisan thinking). Based in this cautionary note, he explains just how much more work is needed to determine this ‘optimal mix’ of policy. We are at a pivotal moment in history. Ecological destruction looms and inequality is the highest it has been since the second world war. Taking power after 14 years of austerity is a once in a generation opportunity for Labour to fundamentally revamp how the state thinks of its people and prepares for an uncertain future. This feature is one attempt to make the government realise it. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/its-time-for-a-welfare-revolution-in-the-uk/ Published and (C) by OpenDemocracy Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/opendemocracy/