Universal basic income is no panacea for us – and Labour shouldn't back it Sonia Sodha

There aren't many ideas that unite trade unionists, the libertarian right, the green movement, and the Silicon Valley tech scene . Is its surprising coalition of bedfellows a sign of an idea whose time has at last resoundingly come – or a symptom of a catch-all, superficial fix in search of a problem? Universal basic income, sometimes called a citizens' income, is the idea that the state should pay every adult citizen a regular, modest income. It is a no-strings payment, so unlike benefits currently available to people of working age, it is not means tested. You get it regardless of whether you have a job, are looking for work, or whether you are even willing to work.