University of Birmingham, 12January 2017

The Work and Pensions Committeeof the UK Parliament convened a one-off oral evidence session on the idea of a basic income (citizen’s income), at which selected experts addressed questions from a cross-party committee of MPs. Questions covered general information about the policy, its relationship to the existing welfare state, and arguments for and against. 

Panelists were culled from responders to a request for experts put forth from the Work and Pensions Committee. Other participants included Peter Alcock (Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham), Declan Gaffney (independent political consultant), Andrew Harrop (General Secretary of the Fabian Society), Becca Kirkpatrick (Chair of the UNISON West Midlands Community Branch), Annie Miller (Chair of the Citizen’s Income Trust), and Ben Southwood (Head of Research at the Adam Smith Institute). 

The session marked the first time basic income was the topic of an oral evidence session of the UK Parliament.