A panel discussion and Q&A on a universal basic income for the UK was held in Sheffield in November 2016. Watch the video below.

The Festival of Debate, hosted by the British nonprofit organization Opus Independents, is a series of panel discussions, debates, lectures, and artistic performances related to social, political, and economic issues in the UK. The series was launched prior to the general election in May 2015 and has been continued through 2016.

On November 23, 2016, the Festival of Debate held a two-hour Q&A and debate on universal basic income in Sheffield, England, held at the DIY arts space DINA. After opening statements, the floor was opened to questions, concerns, and criticisms from the audience.

Topics addressed include: “How could Britain fund a UBI?” “Why spend that money on UBI? Why not improving NHS, public services, job creation, etc?” “With automation, will there even be enough jobs in the future?” “How should we define ‘work’?” “How could we deal with freeloaders under the UBI?” And many others.

YouTube player

PANELISTS (viewers’ left to right):

• Simon Duffy, Director of the Centre for Welfare Reform and member of Basic Income UK.

• Andrew Gamble, Emeritus Professor of Politics at University of Cambridge.

• Kitty Stewart, Associate Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Research Associate at Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion. (Stewart is the main critic of basic income on the panel.)

• Jonathan Bartley, Co-Leader of the UK Green Party, which endorses universal basic income as part of its platform. Replacing Bartley after about 1 hr 20 min (when Bartley leaves to catch a train) is another Green Party member, Laura Bannister, who recently founded World Basic Income.


Photo (Sheffield) CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Paolo Margari