Sinn Fein fail in bid to amend universal basic income scheme

Sinn Fein fail in bid to amend universal basic income scheme

16 September 2020

A BID by Sinn Fein to amend a recommendation calling on Newry, Mourne and Down Council to produce a plan on how a pilot of a full universal basic income scheme would be implemented across the district has failed.

Last month, members of the local authority’s Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism Committee backed a proposal calling for a universal basic income (UBI) to be provided to people across the district as a response to the economic impact of the coronavirus.

The proposal urged the local authority to recognise the need for a “reformed, fairer welfare system that protects everyone in society” and was formally ratified at the full council last week, despite Sinn Fein’s bid to amend it.

The council committee said it recognised the need to provide economic security for everyone and invest in people to protect livelihoods and kickstart the economy, calling on Stormont’s departments of communities and finance and the UK Treasury to design and deliver a recovery UBI for Northern Ireland.

Politicians also agreed the need for a radical overhaul of the welfare state and the positive impact this would have on poverty alleviation, inequality and mental health in particular.

Addressing the issue at last week’s full council meeting, Mournes Sinn Fein councillor Willie Clarke  said while there was a good debate on the issue at committee level and the motion tabled by Rowallane councillor Patrick Brown was “well intentioned”, he suggested that the introduction of UBI was not a silver bullet.

Cllr Clarke said his party’s issue with the motion was that part of it committed the council to planning for a pilot of how a full UBI would be implemented across the district.

“This is not a council issue as it is not responsible for taxation and delivering welfare benefits, indeed Stormont does not have the fiscal power in relation to these issues. It is the UK Treasury that will decide if there is a UBI,” he said. 

Cllr Clarke said his party also “has difficulties” in relation to how people in need are going to receive the resources that they need, asking who will receive UBI, is there a set level of income and will there be higher taxes imposed on people over a certain income?

“There are  number of questions to be answered but our problem is that you cannot take money away from the most needy and give to millionaires. That is our concern, alongside committing the council to doing something and investing its resources on something that is not its responsibility.”

Cllr Brown previously said that UBI is a fixed regular amount paid to every resident in an area, regardless of their circumstances which would replace the vast majority of means tested benefits,  providing everyone with a basic level of financial security to fall back on and help lift many millions out of poverty.

He claimed that while all the issues in relation to his motion had been discussed at committee level, “the only thing that appears to have changed in relation to the motion was Sinn Fein’s mind on it.”

Cllr Brown continued: “At committee level I pointed out that councils right across the UK have backed a basic income. It is very clear that  my motion does not commit the council financially to paying for or funding UBI.

“It’s a simple report on how it might work. Indeed, we have other councils in Northern Ireland which have backed this idea and with whom we could potentially collaborate. I do not think this involves much officer time at all and is relatively straightforward.”