Scottish council to vote on implementing a Universal Basic Income scheme
As the threat to jobs from AI, automation, drones and robotics increase governments are experimenting with new welfare schemes aimed at helping stave off future hardship, poverty and social unrest
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Scottish council to vote on implementing a Universal Basic Income scheme', 311 Institute, 25 November. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/scotland-to-vote-on-implementing-a-universal-basic-income-scheme/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Scotland could become one of the first places in the world to try a Universal Basic Income (UBI) and next week Fife councillors will discuss whether to move ahead with a limited trial.
Over the past couple of years governments have been increasingly worried about what is seen as the growing threat to jobs from artificial intelligence, automation and robotics as the technologies advance and become more than capable of replacing not just traditional blue collar jobs but white collar jobs as well - from journalists, surgeons and lawyers to factory floor workers and maintenance workers, no job seems immune. With some estimates putting joblessness at between 35 percent and 45 percent governments are obviously keen to try to find a way to stave off what they see as the inevitable hardship, poverty and social unrest that would follow on as a result - and that's where UBI comes into play.
If approved, Scotland would join the Netherlands, where a trial is currently taking place, and Finland, where one is set to start next year, and they'll be one of the first nations to actually implement the radical policy.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Scotland to look at something quite radical and put the country at the forefront of work in a policy which is getting growing levels of support across Europe,” Jamie Cooke, head of the Royal Society of Arts Scotland that has been researching the idea, said in a report published Wednesday.
“People working in the field in Finland and Holland are now looking at Scotland as a place where this can be developed.”
The Royal College of Arts, which has been researching the idea, has suggested £3,692 ($4,559.60) per year for adults, £7,420 ($9,163.66) for people over 65, and between £2,925 ($3,612.36) and £4,290 ($5,298.13) for children dependant on age and the number of siblings.
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As the threat to jobs from AI, automation, drones and robotics increase governments are experimenting with new welfare schemes aimed at helping stave off future hardship, poverty and social unrest
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Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
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Sources and further reading
- Royal Society of Arts Scotland rssa.org.uk
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 25 November 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Scottish council to vote on implementing a Universal Basic Income scheme. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/scotland-to-vote-on-implementing-a-universal-basic-income-scheme/
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