Scottish Greens make election pledge to bring in basic income for care leavers
THE Scottish Greens have pledged to introduce a basic income for all care leavers in an attempt to ensure that young people leaving the care system are given secure and regular financial support.
They are also calling for the powers to introduce a comprehensive Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot in Scotland to be devolved so everyone can benefit from a fairer and more compassionate system.
The Greens are enjoying a bounce in opinion polls driven partly by the surging support for the Green party of England and Wales under the leadership of Zack Polanski.
Some polls have put the party on the brink of winning its first constituency seats at Holyrood in Thursday’s election, including unseating the current SNP Cabinet minister Angus Robertson in Edinburgh Central and returning the parliament’s first openly transgender MSP Iris Duane in Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill.
The SNP is expected to win the Holyrood election comfortably but fail to get an overall majority, prompting speculation about whether John Swinney’s SNP would strike another governing deal with the Greens, as the two parties did in August 2021.
A Universal Basic Income is a mechanism that would provide everyone with a guaranteed income, with the SNP’S pledging in its Holyrood manifesto to bring in a new “minimum income” for Scotland’s writers, musicians, filmmakers, playwrights, comics and visual artists if it returns to power after the Holyrood election.
The SNP manifesto will include a commitment to trial a scheme that could see around 2,000 artists and creative industries workers secure almost £15,000 a year from the next Scottish Government.
The Greens say the universal policy would remove “complicated means tests, cruel benefits sanctions and confusing rules” from the current welfare system, while tackling poverty and inequality”, stating: “A basic income for care leavers would be a practical step towards changing that. It would give young people regular, secure support they can count on, helping them to pay rent, study, work, travel, eat well and make choices about their future.
“We have always believed in a universal basic income because everyone deserves an income they can live on, not a safety net full of holes.
“While Westminster continues to block the powers Scotland needs for a full UBI pilot, we can and should act now for care leavers.”
The Greens launched their 168-page manifesto last month with calls for all bus services to be taken into public ownership, primary school class sizes to be cut to 20, a family doctor for every 1,000 residents, the building of nearly 80,000 new social homes by 2031 and several new railway lines.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Greens say things are looking good for Holly Bruce, their candidate for Glasgow Southside – the seat previously held by former SNP leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon. Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay said: “Sturgeon SNP voters are switching to Greens.”