Agenda item

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, Councillor Steven Lee to propose, and Councillor George Potter to second, the following motion:

“The Council notes that many residents in Guildford are living in precarious circumstances. Furthermore, many who work in either the gig economy or under zero hours contracts lack the job security afforded to previous generations and that even those who may seem to be in traditionally safer employment are at a growing risk of redundancy from the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence and automation.

This Council notes that a Universal Basic Income scheme has the potential to provide security for our residents and improve wellbeing thereby increasing financial security for everyone whilst safeguarding our most vulnerable residents.

Other Councils, including Sheffield, Mendip, Bristol, Oxford, Newbury Town, Richmond and Lewes have put themselves forward in support of UBI trials. This Council joins them to call for a trial scheme to be established in Guildford now so that the challenges and benefits of UBI can be properly researched and understood. 

Accordingly, this Council

RESOLVES:

(1)   To engage with our local UBI lab in order to get funding for a pilot UBI trial in Guildford.

(2)   To call upon the government to fund UBI trials across the UK and to support trials of UBI in Guildford now and that the findings of these trials be published and used to assess the best way to implement financial security for every family.

(3)   To write a letter signed by the Leader of the Council and all leaders of the Groups on the Council choosing to support this motion and address it to: the Prime Minister; the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; the Chancellor of the Exchequer; the leaders of all opposition parties in Parliament; all Surrey MPs and the media.

(4)   To send the aforementioned letter, accompanied by this motion to addressees and ask in it for a trial of Universal Basic Income in Guildford to be urgently established and funded by Government.”

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, Councillor Steven Lee proposed, and Councillor George Potter seconded, the following motion:

“The Council notes that many residents in Guildford are living in precarious circumstances. Furthermore, many who work in either the gig economy or under zero hours contracts lack the job security afforded to previous generations and that even those who may seem to be in traditionally safer employment are at a growing risk of redundancy from the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence and automation.

This Council notes that a Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme has the potential to provide security for our residents and improve wellbeing thereby increasing financial security for everyone whilst safeguarding our most vulnerable residents.

Other Councils, including Sheffield, Mendip, Bristol, Oxford, Newbury Town, Richmond and Lewes have put themselves forward in support of UBI trials. This Council joins them to call for a trial scheme to be established in Guildford now so that the challenges and benefits of UBI can be properly researched and understood.

Accordingly, this Council

RESOLVES:

(1)     To engage with our local UBI lab in order to get funding for a pilot UBI trial in Guildford.

(2)     To call upon the government to fund UBI trials across the UK and to support trials of UBI in Guildford now and that the findings of these trials be published and used to assess the best way to implement financial security for every family.

(3)     To write a letter signed by the Leader of the Council and all leaders of the Groups on the Council choosing to support this motion and address it to: the Prime Minister; the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; the Chancellor of the Exchequer; the leaders of all opposition parties in Parliament; all Surrey MPs and the media.

(4)     To send the aforementioned letter, accompanied by this motion to addressees and ask in it for a trial of Universal Basic Income in Guildford to be urgently established and funded by Government.”

Under Council Procedure Rule 15 (o), Councillor Lee as the mover of the original motion, indicated that, with the consent of his seconder and of the meeting, he wished to alter his motion as follows:

(a)       After “Accordingly, this Council RESOLVES:” add the following:

“That the Executive be requested to consider the following action:”

(b)       Substitute the following in place of paragraph (1) of the resolution:

"(1) To engage with our local UBI lab in order to seek government funding for a pilot UBI trial in Guildford"

The motion, as altered, therefore read as follows:

“The Council notes that many residents in Guildford are living in precarious circumstances. Furthermore, many who work in either the gig economy or under zero hours contracts lack the job security afforded to previous generations and that even those who may seem to be in traditionally safer employment are at a growing risk of redundancy from the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence and automation.

This Council notes that a Universal Basic Income scheme has the potential to provide security for our residents and improve wellbeing thereby increasing financial security for everyone whilst safeguarding our most vulnerable residents.

Other Councils, including Sheffield, Mendip, Bristol, Oxford, Newbury Town, Richmond and Lewes have put themselves forward in support of UBI trials. This Council joins them to call for a trial scheme to be established in Guildford now so that the challenges and benefits of UBI can be properly researched and understood.

Accordingly, this Council

RESOLVES:  That the Executive be requested to consider the following action:

(1)  To engage with our local UBI lab in order to seek government funding for a pilot UBI trial in Guildford.

(2)  To call upon the government to fund UBI trials across the UK and to support trials of UBI in Guildford now and that the findings of these trials be published and used to assess the best way to implement financial security for every family.

(3)   To write a letter signed by the Leader of the Council and all leaders of the Groups on the Council choosing to support this motion and address it to: the Prime Minister; the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; the Chancellor of the Exchequer; the leaders of all opposition parties in Parliament; all Surrey MPs and the media.

(4)   To send the aforementioned letter, accompanied by this motion to addressees and ask in it for a trial of Universal Basic Income in Guildford to be urgently established and funded by Government.”

The Council agreed to accept the alteration to the original motion, as indicated above. The motion, as altered, therefore became the substantive motion for debate.

Having debated the motion, the Council

RESOLVED: That substantive motion, as detailed above be adopted.

Under the Remote Meetings Protocol, a roll call was taken to record the vote on the substantive motion, which was carried, with thirty-six councillors voting in favour, one voting against and seven abstentions, as follows: