2021 Manifesto FINAL DRAFT - Flipbook - Page 30
The West Midlands has a proud
history of innovation and
entrepreneurship, but too many
people feel trapped in
monotonous jobs where they feel
that they have no control or
opportunities to be creative or
contribute. UBI may be a way to
turn their aspiration into reality
but until we try it, we won’t know.
I will also support research into
how a West Midlands Pound could
benefit the local economy and
help us to build a stronger
identity, as the Bristol Pound has
done for Bristol.
We’ve moved into a new decade
and need to try bold new 21st
century solutions like UBI and a
West Midlands Pound to solve the
problems that we brought with us
from the last.
We also need to be prepared to
think more socially about
business. If a business is more of
a social nuisance than a social
good and contributes less
economically than the amount it
costs the taxpayer to deal with
the harm it causes, then
supporting that business is a bad
use of public money. My door will
be wide open to businesses who
want to create decent jobs and
provide a public good – but not to
those who exploit workers and
employ unethical or
environmentally unsustainable
practices.
Economy
For example, if you’re a parent
with three children and a
mortgage, the idea of working to
create a brand-new start-up
might be too much of a gamble.
But if you know you have a basic
income as a safety net, you can
throw yourself into your work
without needing to worry.