ARTICLE ︎

The Peculiar Story of Margaret Thatcher and Basic Income 

Published by the Royal Society for the Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (RSA)

The policy’s stated aim was to decrease unemployment and help provide support for self-realisation through small enterprise. From the above, and from government surveys and associated economic analysis, it seems they succeeded in this mission. This happened at a comparatively tiny cost to the taxpayer. For each job created under the EAS scheme, including participants and any resulting employees, the government spent £1,729 - equivalent to about a year’s worth of JSA back in the ‘80s.

(Available here)