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‘If the UK is so rich, why do so many of us feel so poor? Coote and Percy argue that by rethinking what, how and why we provide collectively, we can ensure that the economy and society works for everybody.’
Jonathan Portes, Kings College London
‘This compelling book sets out how to build the capacities and capabilities of individuals and communities through reinvigorating and extending support for public services. UBS is a new and imaginative approach to the welfare state in the twenty first century. The argument presented here is required reading for anyone interested in how the UK can weather the coming storms of economic and political transformation.’
Henrietta L. Moore, Founder & Director, Institute for Global Prosperity
‘In arguing for universal basic services Anna Coote and Andrew Percy call on us to think differently about both the scope and character of public services in rich countries. They do not want free services for everyone, all of the time, but they explain why the state must take responsibility for seeing that our essential needs are met without cost ever being a barrier. These proposals are ambitious but not utopian and sit squarely within the practical traditions of post-1945 democratic socialism and human rights.’
Andrew Harrop, General Secretary of the Fabian Society
‘What if there were a way to reduce inequality, promote social solidarity, improve levels of education and health, and create a better functioning democracy, all in the context of sustainability? Universal Basic Services. How does it compare with Universal Basic Income? Read the book. It is beautifully simple in its writing and elegant in argument.’
Michael Marmot, Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity
‘This is an important contribution to the debate about the future of our public services, which have been so damaged by austerity. Arguing for more and better collectively-funded public services to reduce inequalities at the same time as promoting solidarity and sustainability, the evidence presented reveals the limitations of a “universal basic income”.’
Hilary Land, University of Bristol
‘Universal basic services speak to the necessity for everybody in a thriving society to have shared experiences and a common understanding of the resources needed for people to participate fully. We do not have that, after years of individualist policies and austerity; as a result our society is fracturing. This book speaks to the urgent need for everybody to have access to collective services that are sufficient to meet their needs.’
Diane Coyle, co-director, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Cambridge University
The Case For series
Sam Pizzigati, The Case for a Maximum Wage
Louise Haagh, The Case for Universal Basic Income
James K. Boyce, The Case for Carbon Dividends
Frances Coppola, The Case for People’s Quantitative Easing
Joe Guinan & Martin O’Neill, The Case for Community Wealth Building
Anna Coote & Andrew Percy, The Case for Universal Basic Services
The Case for Universal Basic Services
Anna Coote
Andrew Percy
polity
Copyright © Anna Coote and Andrew Percy 2020
The right of Anna Coote and Andrew Percy to be identified as Authors of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in 2020 by Polity Press
Polity Press
65 Bridge Street
Cambridge CB2 1UR, UK
Polity Press
101 Station Landing
Suite 300
Medford, MA 02155, USA
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-3984-0
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Coote, Anna, author. | Percy, Andrew, author.
Title: The case for universal basic services / Anna Coote, Andrew Percy.
Description: Cambridge, UK ; Medford, MA : Polity, 2020. | Series: The case for | Summary: “The idea that healthcare and education should be provided as universal public services to all who need them is widely accepted. But why leave it there? Why not expand it to more of life’s essentials? In this bold new book, Anna Coote and Andrew Percy argue that Universal Basic Services is exactly what we need to save our societies and our planet”-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019028827 (print) | LCCN 2019028828 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509539826 (hardback) | ISBN 9781509539833 (paperback) | ISBN 9781509539840 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Social policy. | Basic needs--Government policy.
Classification: LCC HV91 .C6759 2020 (print) | LCC HV91 (ebook)