Cross-Party Parliamentary and Local Government Group on UBI

If you're an MP, Councillor, Member of a Devolved Assembly, Elected Mayor or Peer you can join this unique group working across all levels of government.

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The Cross-Party Parliamentary and Local Government Group on UBI (CPPLG) is an innovative new structure consisting of:

• MPs
• devolved assembly members
• councillors
• elected mayors and ‘metro mayors’
• peers
• LGA officers

It’s co-chaired by MPs, peers and councillors from different parties.

The CPPLG aims to co-produce work to collectively advocate for policy positions, Basic Income pilots and the need to test alternatives to the current system. The aim is to influence the wider debate around UBI and social security in the UK.

This group will improve links between Westminster and elected representatives across the UK. It could be transformative in bringing about positive change and improved ways of working between different levels of government.

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Mission Statement

Since the Covid-19 crisis started we’ve seen the Overton window shift swiftly in favour of testing some form of UBI, both as an immediate response to the pandemic and potentially as a longer term reform to our social security system.

Even before the crisis, there was a growing movement of local authorities expressing interest in piloting UBI with the Scottish Government commissioning the now complete Feasibility Study exploring what pilots would look like in the UK.

In 2020 alone, Hull, Norwich and Newry, Mourne and Down in Northern Ireland passed motions in support of piloting UBI. The case for regional pilots of UBI is strong, but testing this will require all parts of government - local, regional, city-wide, devolved, and national - working collaboratively.

The purpose of the group is to:

• discuss how we might explore and activate the potential of UBI within the frame of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inevitable period of recovery following it.  
• contribute to actions and strategies that lead to the government implementing a form of UBI (whether that be a pilot, full UBI, ‘recovery UBI or ‘emergency UBI’)  
• ensure that our work is representative of the needs of communities, civil society groups, Local authorities and combined city regions across the whole of the UK.
• define specific legislative proposals and which can be taken to Parliament for the creation of specific pilots or for wider systemic change.  

Our values are:

1. Fair: Significantly reducing poverty and acting to address income inequality for individuals, communities and across all regions of the UK.  
2. Simple: Replacing most benefits to reduce bureaucracy and the significant costs of administering the current welfare system.  
3. Democratic: Allowing people to contribute to their community and amplifying participatory, deliberative and representative forms of democracy.
4. Inclusive: Ensuring that we leave no individuals or communities behind and listen to the concerns of others.

We, alongside the UBI Lab Network, are the CPPLG secretariat.

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Meet our Chairs

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Chair Christine Jardine

Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West

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Co-chair Ronnie Cowan

SNP MP for Inverclyde

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Co-chair Natalie Bennett

Green Party peer

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Co-chair Patrick Brown

Alliance Party councillor in Newry, Mourne and Down

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Co-chair Beth Winter

Labour MP for Cynon Valley

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Co-chair Hina Bokhari

Lib Dem Councillor in Merton. London Assembly Member and Chair of the Economy Committee.

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