Reply to post:

As always, an interesting and persuasive article.

I'm interested that you seem more in favour of the basic income idea than when you said in January: 'I'm in favour myself, but real world experiments have shown problems', which slightly dampened my enthusiasm.

Have you been persuaded that the real world problems are outweighed by the benefits?

I'm also pleased to see that the Finns are thinking of trying out the idea:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33977636

PS If one's sincere opinion is that the poor and disadvantaged are better served by a free market economy, with less state interference, than by a big state decreeing 'the poor shall be rich', then one is generally (in East Oxford at least) deemed a selfish right wing bastard, which is not how I describe myself. So there.