A MOTION enquiring about the Welsh Government’s stance on universal basic income (UBI) sparked a lengthy row amongst councillors in Monmouthshire.

The leader of the Labour opposition group, Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, suggested that the county could be a good candidate for a UBI pilot scheme – if politicians in Cardiff Bay were interested.

UBI is a model that provides all citizens living with a country with a guaranteed income without having to meet particular requirements, including employment status.

But the proposal was shot down by Conservative councillors in a heated debate at a full council meeting.

Cllr Batrouni said the authority, while improving the social mobility of residents in individual cases, had yet to make a difference on a broader scale.

“I think Wales and Monmouthshire, wanting to be at the frontline of innovation, maybe should try and take the lead [with UBI],” said Cllr Batrouni

“In Monmouthshire we generally have a wealthy population, but amongst all that is a population that are struggling.

“We know the old welfare system is redundant in the age we’re in. It’s not even taking into account the gig economy, automation, which is eradicating many jobs.

“The joy about UBI is that there is no assessment, no bureaucracy. It is very costly, but it could be offset by potential benefits.”

The meeting heard that the Scottish Government had launched pilot schemes in four local authorities last year – with support from Conservatives.

Cllr Batrouni said: “We don’t even know what the conclusions are, it might not even work. That’s why my motion is asking ‘are you considering it’, and if so, we’re up for giving it a go.”

Independent councillor Frances Taylor thought the motion was “easy” to support as it was “only asking” and not determining that a UBI would work in Monmouthshire.

But Conservative councillor Richard John, cabinet member for children and young people, argued that education was the way out of poverty – not “dishing out free money”.

“You might want some glorious socialist state where you can dish out free money to everyone, disincentivise work, encourage people to stay at home,” said Cllr John.

“But I’m afraid the only route out of poverty is to create those opportunities to ensure that young people leave education with he skills they need to go on and get a rewarding career.

“That’s how you get people out of poverty, that’s how you break the cycle.”

Other Conservative councillors pointed out the failed UBI experient in Finland while also citing the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a social research charity, who say that UBI would do more harm than good.

But Labour councillor Martyn Groucutt accused Cllr John of giving a “diatribe” about education, saying: “Recent poverty figures show that 40 per cent of children in my ward live in poverty.

“If we’re looking at ways of addressing the balance of society, here we have an opportunity to volunteer Monmouthshire if there is a pilot. What have [Conservative councillors] got to be scared of?”

Labour councillor Armand Watts added: “When we talk about it being unsuccessful in Finland, in Donald Trump’s America they’re trialling it in Chicago.

“If they can trial it there, why can’t you trial this in Wales? We hear that Wales wants to be progressive place but all we get from the likes of Cllr John is class warfare.”

The motion, which was backed by councillors from the Liberal Democrat and Independent groups, was eventually rejected.

A Welsh Government spokesman said before the meeting: “We are monitoring the pilots of universal basic income and the emerging research from around the world, including those in Scotland, with interest.”