Celebrating the launch of the new Policy Press book Basic Income: The Policy That Changes Everything by Matthew Johnson, Kate Pickett, Daniel Nettle, Howard Reed, Elliott Johnson and Ian Robson

“Many cannot imagine the implementation of basic income. You don’t need to be in that group: read this book!”
Danny Dorling, University of Oxford

Basic income can no longer be dismissed as a utopian idea — it’s being tested worldwide. But can it truly transform economies and societies?

This book dives into real-world examples, revealing how basic income reshapes lives. It explores the ripple effects of financial security—better health, stronger communities, more education, meaningful work, and engaged citizenship. By breaking the cycle of poverty, basic income unlocks access to essentials like food and housing, empowers people, and fuels long-term thinking and entrepreneurship

Tying together theory with groundbreaking evidence from real-world trials, this book shows why basic income isn’t just possible—it’s the vital solution to our age of crisis, paving the way for a fairer society.

Kate Pickett will be joining us for the evening to discuss a new book she’s co-authored, and what the implementation of a universal basic income might mean and look like.

Kate is a Fellow of the RSA and of the UK Faculty of Public Health and the Academy of Social Sciences. She is co-author, with Richard Wilkinson, of the award-winning and best-selling The Spirit Level (2009) and The Inner Level (2018). The Spirit Level was awarded Publication of the Year by the Political Studies Association, chosen as one of the Top Ten Books of the Decade by the New Statesman, and one of the top 100 books of the century by the Guardian. She is a co-founder and patron of The Equality Trust. In 2023, Kate received an OBE for services to societal equality.