Speeches

Speeches and Conference Papers

2024

“Common dividends and the politics of time”, virtual talk to Common Wealth (Canada), 26 March 2024. Video

Talk on the precariat and participation in panel on the future of work, Human Capability Initiative conference on Future Readiness organised by the Ministry of Education, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 28 February 2024.

“The commons: Redefining progressive politics”, webinar series on Grassroots Policies for Farming, Food and Wildlife organised by Citizen Network, 22 February 2024,

‘Emergency basic income for Palestine’, main speaker (virtual) at workshop organised by the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), Ramallah, Palestine, 21 February 2024. Background paper

Participation in panel to launch the 11th issue (January 2024) of the Oxford Political Review on theme of time, Oxford, UK, 26 January 2024.

“Forging a commons charter – and acting on it”, organised by Kairos, London, 25 January 2024.

“The blue commons: Confronting rentier capitalism in the sea”, organised by the School of Government and International Affairs, University of Durham, 24 January 2024.

Book launch for The Politics of Time: Gaining Control in the Age of Uncertainty, organised by the Department of Development Studies, SOAS University of London, the Progressive Economy Forum and Penguin Books, London, 23 January 2024.

Participation in launch of Universal Basic Income for Farmers, Oxford Real Farming Conference, Oxford, UK, 5 January 2024.

“Commons and commoning: A progressive vision of a good society” with David Bollier, talk to the 15th Oxford Real Farming Conference, Oxford, UK, 4 January 2024.

2023

Keynote speech on the precariat to the virtual Cinematic Precarity Network Conference, ‘The Many Faces and Spaces of Precarity in The Moving Image’, Oxford (UK), 16 December 2023.

Keynote speech on the precariat to the general assembly of the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW), Helsinki, Finland, 12 December 2023.

“The blue commons: Combating rentier capitalism in the sea”, Academic Events Lecture organised by The Economist’s Society, University College London, 5 December 2023.

“Why today's rentier capitalism is bad for business, the precariat and society”, talk to Brand Week Istanbul, 8-10 November 2023.

“Commons capital fund” keynote talk to meeting on basic income in the South Korean National Assembly organised by the National Assembly's BI Research Forum, Basic Income Korea Network (BIKN), the Basic Income Party, and the Basic Society Foundation, Seoul, 2 November 2023.

“The global transformation: Common justice and basic security”, talk to the SBS D Forum, with the theme Rewriting the economic paradigm in the age of AI, Seoul, 2 November 2023.

“Basic income, the commons and common justice”, opening talk to the Social Inclusion Symposium on Rentas mínimas, desigualdad socioeconómica y justifica fiscal: Riesgos y oportunidades [Minimum income, socioeconomic inequality and tax justification: Risks and opportunities], organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network in Asturias (EAPN-AS), Gijón, Spain, 26 October 2023.

“The blue commons: Combating rentier capitalism in the sea”, fringe talk at the Green Party conference, Brighton, UK, 7 October 2023.

Participation in panel on “Our shared commons: From land to sea” at the Green Party conference, Brighton, UK, 7 October 2023.

“Economic revival: An emergency basic income for Ukraine”, virtual talk to the International Institute of Management (MIM) annual International Educational Forum, Facing the Future 2023, Kyiv, 6 October 2023. Text :: Article

Participation in panel on “Transformative policies for a new green and social deal” in conference on Transformative Pathways Towards a New European Eco-social Model, organised by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), Brussels, 5 October 2023.

“The precariat in the age of uncertainty: An economist’s perspective”, opening speech in conference on Precariousness and health: For a multi-professional approach, organised by the Ordine dei Medici Chirurghi e degli Odontoiatri della Provincia di Torino (OMCEO Torino), Turin, Italy, 23 September 2023.

“Building a commons capital fund: Common dividends as basic income”, keynote at the 22nd congress of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) with the theme Basic Income in Reality, Seoul, 23-26 August 2023. Video

Participation in virtual roundtable discussion on The Future of Cash Transfers and Guaranteed Income in the US, organised by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), Washington DC, 26 June 2023.

“Global rentier capitalism and the growth of the precariat”, virtual lecture organised by the Departamento de Economía, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia, 16 June 2023.

“Forging a commons charter – and acting on it”, talk at the Kairos club, London, 9 June 2023.

Participation in webinar on Social Protection for Sustainable Blue Food Systems’ organised by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Rome, 8 June 2023.

“The educational commons: Recovering the soul of lifelong learning”, virtual talk to the Open University Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN), 6 June 2023. Video

“Rentier capitalism, the precariat and basic income”, virtual talk in the International Lecture Series on Marxist Philosophy organised by the Department of Philosophy and the Institute of Marxist Philosophy and Chinese Modernization at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, 31 May 2023. Text

“How to save nature and pay for basic income”, talk at the How the Light Gets In festival, Hay-on-Wye, UK, and participation in two panel debates, 27 May 2023.

“Inequalities of rentier capitalism: The commons as the future”, keynote at the Annual History and Social Sciences Festival with the theme Transformations of (In)equality organised by the Research Center for the History of Transformations (RECET), University of Vienna, 24 May 2023.

“The blue commons: How privatising the sea is expanding the precariat”, seminar organised by the International Labour Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 4 May 2023. Video

Presentation of book The Blue Commons: Rescuing the Economy of the Sea at the Festival of Debate, Sheffield, UK, 28 April 2023.

Presentation of book The Blue Commons: Rescuing the Economy of the Sea, jointly with presentation of book A Blue New Deal: Why We Need a New Politics for the Ocean by Chris Armstrong, University of Southampton, UK, 26 April 2023.

Presentation of book The Blue Commons: Rescuing the Economy of the Sea, organised by the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University, New York, 14 April 2023.

“The blue commons: Combating rentier capitalism in the sea”, virtual talk in Socialist and Marxist Studies Series, University of Maine, USA, 13 April 2023. Video

Presentation of book The Blue Commons: Rescuing the Economy of the Sea, seminar organised by the Robert L. Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies, New School for Social Research, New York, 12 April 2023.

Presentation of book The Blue Commons: Rescuing the Economy of the Sea at the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival, Oxford, UK, 28 March 2023.

“The new thinking series: How private corporations stole the sea”, A People’s History with John McDonnell, House of Commons, London, 27 March 2023. Audio

“The blue commons: Combating rentier capitalism in the sea”, Keele World Affairs lecture, Keele University, UK, 16 March 2023.

Presentation of book The Blue Commons: Rescuing the Economy of the Sea, jointly organised by the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) and the Earth System Governance (ESG) project, University of Bath, UK, 13 March 2023. Video :: Audio

“The education commons: Saving the soul of lifelong learning”, keynote speech at the third International Lillehammer Lifelong Learning ICDE (International Council for Open and Distance Education) Conference, theme Lifelong Learning for Lifelong Employability, Lillehammer, Norway, 15-17 February 2023.

2022

Virtual participation in seminar on Welsh basic income pilot for care leavers organised by the Welsh Centre for Public Policy, 15 December 2022.

Presentation of book The Blue Commons: Rescuing the Economy of the Sea, organised by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva, 9 December 2022.

Talk on a commoniing future at seminar on book We Work, We Share, We Care organised by Media Evolution, Malmö, Sweden, 25 November 2022.

Virtual talk on the blue commons to COP Off! DiEM25’s Alternative Climate Conference to COP27, organised by DiEM25, 19-20 November 2022.

"The Precariat as the Dangerous Class", virtual talk to Pre-conference: Precarious Employment - Harmonized Definition and Reporting in Public Health, European Public Health Conference, organised by the Precarious Employment Network, Berlin, 9 November 2022.

Virtual talk on basic income at seminar on Universal Credit & the Welfare State: Supporting the Most Vulnerable & Helping People Back into Work, organised by Public Policy Exchange, London, 3 November 2022.

Presentation of the book The precariat: The new dangerous class on the occasion of the Greek translation, organised by mέta (Centre for Post Capitalist Civilisation), Athens, Greece, 31 October 2022. Video

“Exploring the wellbeing impacts of a universal basic income”, virtual discussant in an event to launch a report by the Royal Society of Arts on the health and wellbeing aspects of basic income, London, 21 October 2022. Video

“The precariat: Confronting rentier capitalism”, virtual visiting scholar lecture hosted by the Havens Wright Center for Social Justice, University of Wisconsin - Madison, United States, 18 October 2022..

“The blue commons: Rescuing the economy of the sea”, book launch sponsored by the SOAS Development Studies Department and the Progressive Economy Forum, London, 11 October 2022.

“The wealth paradox”, participation in debate at HowTheLightGetsIn festival, London, 1-2 October 2022. Video

“Rescuing the economy of the sea”, talk at HowTheLightGetsIn festival, London, 1-2 October 2022.

“Blue common dividends as basic income in coastal communities”, virtual keynote address to Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) Congress 2022, Brisbane, Australia, 26-28 September 2022. Video

“Reviving commoning - blue and green”, talk at the Idler Festival 2022, London, 8-10 July 2022.

“Basic income in a changed world after the pandemic”, virtual talk to the Kyunghyang Forum 2022, The Age of Great Transformation: Roads to a Sustainable Future, Seoul, South Korea, 22 June 2022.

“The precariat: The new dangerous (and promising) class”, talk and dialogue with Marcelo Expósito organised by Es Baluard Museu, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 18 June 2022.

“The precariat: Recovering the soul of education”, keynote to the annual conference of the Nordic Educational Research Association (NERA) with the theme Education and Involvement in Precarious Times, Reykjavik, Iceland, 3 June 2022.

“After the pandemic and a barbaric war: Building an ethical market economy”, keynote speech at the Sustainable Economy Summit, organised by the Executive Club Poland, Warsaw, 31 May 2022.

“Capitalism: Transformational options in an existential crisis”, Accenture Insurance Executive Forum, Warsaw, 31 May 2022.

“The precariat: The transformative class in the era of pandemics”, keynote speech to symposium on Re-imagining Class: Working-Class Identity and Intersectionality in Contemporary Culture, organised by KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 5-6 May 2022.

“The precariat: Today’s dangerous (and promising) class”, webinar organised by the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA), 28 April 2022.

“Basic income for all? Livestream with Guy Standing”, organised by Folkeuniversitetet i Aarhus, Denmark, 2 March 2022.

“A commons-based argument for basic income”, masterclass on Ethics and Basic Income, organised by the Freiburg Institute for Basic Income Studies (FRIBIS), Germany, 2 February 2022. Video

“Basic income or job guarantees - which way for progressives?”, debate with Robert Skidelsky organised by the Progressive Economy Forum, 1 February 2022. Video

Participation in a virtual International Workshop on Basic Income Manifestos for Presidential Election 2022 in Korea, organised by the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) and the Basic Income Korea Network (BIKN), 11 January 2022. Video

2021

“Universal basic income: A realistic road map”, keynote for international symposium organised by Entitats Catalanes d’acció social (ECAS) and Barcelona City Council, Barcelona, Spain, 20 December 2021.

“Taxation and basic income policy: Grasping the institutional challenges”, virtual participation in a People’s Gathering organised by Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25), 2 December 2021.

“The ethical case for basic income”, virtual lecture to the University of the Third Age Cambridge (U3AC), Cambridge, UK, 1 December 2021.

“The Left's missing narrative: Dismantling rentier capitalism”, virtual talk to the Chester Constituency Labour Party, 29 November 2021.

“Battling eight giants: The ethical, ecological and economic case for basic income”, virtual talk to seminar organised by the University of Strathclyde Business School, Scotland, 24 November 2021.

“The precariat: Recovering control of time in an era of pandemics”, talk to literary festival on the future of work organised by Rødding Højskole, Rødding, Denmark, 13 November 2021.

Participation in debate on “Basic income as a pre-distribution”, organised by the University of Barcelona and the La Caixa Foundation, Barcelona, Spain, 3 November 2021.

Virtual talk on basic income for the Financial Inclusion Forum, 3 November 2021.

“Why basic income is an ethical and economic imperative in an era of pandemics”, virtual talk at an international seminar on New Issues in Social Protection in the Post-COVID19 Era, organised by the International Council on Social Welfare, Seoul, South Korea, 3 November 2021.

Virtual talk on basic income to Freiburg Institute for Basic Income Studies (FRIBIS) on theme ‘Monetary issues of UBI’, Freiburg, Germany, 11 October 2021.

“The precariat: The class defining post-pandemics' progressive politics”, talk organised by Conway Hall Ethical Society, London, 10 October 2021.

“Winning the case for transformative left economics”, participation in event organised by the Progressive Economy Forum at the World Transformed, Labour Party Conference, Brighton, UK, 28 September 2021. Video

“Where next for universal basic income? Turning a transformative policy into action: UBI pilot in Wales”, participation in Welsh Basic Income event at the World Transformed, Labour Party Conference, Brighton, UK, 27 September 2021.

Talk at launch of Greek edition of Basic Income: And How We Can Make It Happen, organised by meta - Centre for Post-Capitalist Civilisation and Papasotiriou Publishing, Athens, 21 September 2021.

“The precariat: The new dangerous class”, public lecture at Panteion University, Athens, 21 September 2021.

Talk on the precariat organised by Faroes Radio and Television, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, 8 September 2021.

Participation in panel on ‘Debating the Role of the Universal Basic Income Grant’ at Rethinking Economics for Africa Festival 2021 on Economics and the Covid-19 Crisis, organised by the Institute for Economic Justice, 1 September 2021.

“Universal basic income: Opportunities and Challenges'“, virtual talk to Australian Fabians, 26 August 2021.

Keynote for session on ‘Smart Work’ at Festival The City as a Data Field organised by the Graz Museum, Austria, 3 August 2021.

“The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay”, virtual speech to the annual conference of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), Virginia, USA, 23 June 2021.

Talk on basic income to a Basic Income Ireland/Labour Movement seminar organised by Basic Income Ireland, Dublin, 17 June 2021.

“The precariat: Why a basic income is vital”, participation in labour seminar organised by Department of Development Studies, SOAS University of London, 14 June 2021.

“Covid-19 and inequality: Assessing the dynamics of global disparities”, participation in panel at annual King’s College London conference on Conflict, Security and Development, with the theme The Violence of Global Inequalities: A Symptom of a Greater Disease, 10 June 2021.

“Anger in the precariat: A basic income is vital”, talk at conference on Precariousness, New Inequalities and Solutions organised by the Istanbul Planning Agency, 4 June 2021.

“The long road to economic stability”, fireside chat on basic income hosted by ABLF Talks, Asian Business Leadership Forum, Dubai, 18 May 2021.

“Basic income in a time of pandemics”, talk to SUPI Network international conference on Shifts and Reorientation within the Social-Crisis and Pandemic Catastrophe, 30 April 2021. Video (at 2’54”) :: Text

Proposer for motion “This House would introduce a universal basic income” for debate at the Oxford Union, Oxford, UK, 29 April 2021.

“COVID-19 pandemic, crisis of our life and basic income”, panellist at Gyeonggi Province Basic Income International Conference ‘Humans humanely, basic income’, Seoul, 28 April 2021.

“Battling Eight Giants: Basic Income Now”, keynote for virtual workshop on The Ethics of UBI in a Changing Economy, organised by the Department of Political Economy, King’s College London, 23 April 2021. Video (at 9’30”)

“Is an unconditional basic income for all the inhabitants of the planet necessary and possible?”, participation in round table at the Symposium of the World Center of Humanist Studies, 18 April 2021.

“Austerity”, participant in keynote panel at virtual annual conference of the British Sociological Association (BSA), Remaking the Future, 13 April 2021.

Talk on basic income at Belfast Imagine Festival of Ideas and Politics organised by Basic Income Northern Ireland, 23 March 2021.

“Basic income: Battling eight giants in an era of pandemics”, webinar on Universal Basic Income: A Concept Which Time Has Come? organised by the Centre for Research in Employment and Work (CREW), University of Greenwich, 17 March 2021.

“From rentier capitalism to pandemic slump: Why basic income is vital”, keynote speech to Glasgow Economic Forum, Glasgow, Scotland, 6-7 March 2021.

“The precariat in rentier capitalism: Responding in an era of pandemics”, keynote lecture to second edition of the Industrial Relations Conclave organised by TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), Mumbai, India, 19-20 February 2021.

First proposer for the motion ‘This House supports a universal basic income’, organised by the UCL Debating Society, University College London, 8 February 2021.

“Rentier capitalism and pandemics: Why basic income is vital”, keynote speech for for Oxford Forum for International Development (OxFID) annual conference on Remapping Change: Where Do We Go From Here?, Oxford, UK, 6-7 February 2021.

“The anger of the precariat”, virtual lecture on digital labour and the precariat organised by Unidade Acadêmica de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação, São Leopoldo, Brazil, 21 January 2021.

2020

“Digital platforms and public policies”, participation in webinar organised by PLUS (Platform Labour in Urban Spaces), University of Bologna, 16 December 2020.

“Coronavirus, basic income and after that”, main speaker in virtual round-table discussion at the Asia Future Forum 2020, theme The World Since the Pandemic: ‘Solidarity’ via ‘Connectivity’, Seoul, South Korea, 2 December 2020.

“Will new social classes be created in the age of AI”, virtual participation in panel at the Global Human Resources Forum 2020, theme AI and Human, How Can We Coexist, Seoul, South Korea, 12 November 2020. Video at 5’52”

“If growth is broken, we need to explore other options”, participation in panel at the SHIFT Business Webstival, Turku, Finland, 27 October 2020. Video at 5’56”

“Radical reforms”, participant in webinar as part of The Great Wave virtual conference organised by the House of Beautiful Business, Berlin, 19 October 2020.

“Prioritizing human security: Re-evaluating national security in times of crisis”, participant in panel at the Virtual C20 Summit, 9 October 2020.

“Universal basic income in the face of Covid-19 – The way forward?”, webinar organised by the University of Roehampton, UK, 6 October 2020.

“Making the welfare state work for all: Ensuring Universal Credit, furlough schemes and other initiatives support the most affected”, virtual roundtable event organised by Public Policy Exchange, London, 1 October 2020.

“From rentier capitalism to pandemic slump: the basic income imperative”, virtual talk organised by Sydney Ideas, University of Sydney, Australia, 24 September 2020. Podcast

“Basic income: Utopia or solution”, virtual talk at Peace Weekend UP Convergence conference, 18 September 2020. Video

“Questo è il dilemma: garantire il reddito o il salario? [This is the dilemma: guaranteed income or guaranteed wage?]”, virtual debate organised by the Future of Work Observatory, Feltrinelli Foundation, Milan, Italy, 15 September 2020. Video

“Basic income in a time of pandemics: Battling eight giants”, webinar hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York, 10 September 2020. Video

“Reclaim the commons”, virtual panel discussion hosted by the Norwegian Social Forum, 5 September 2020. Video

“Universal basic income: Global experience and policy options for South Africa”, virtual talk hosted by the African National Congress (ANC), 28 August 2020. Video

“Trabalho precário e trabalho subestimado – a crise pode ressignificar algo? [Precarious work and underestimated work - can the crisis resignify something?]”, virtual panel organised by the Instituto Ethos, Brazil, 20 August 2020. Video

"The ethical and economic case for basic income in a time of pandemics", IHD-ISLE webinar series: Covid-19 and its Implications for Economy, Work and Livelihoods, organised by the Institute for Human Development (IHD) and the Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), 7 August 2020. Video

“The case for basic income in a time of pandemics”, webinar organised by COPAC (Cooperative and Policy Alternative Centre), South Africa, 30 July 2020. Video

“Dismantling rentier capitalism: The post-pandemic challenge”, virtual talk organised by Economics for Activists with Jeremy Corbyn MP, former Labour Party leader, as discussant, 23 July 2020.

“A precariat charter in a time of pandemics”, featured speaker at the virtual 32nd annual conference of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE) with the theme Development Today: Accumulation, Surveillance, Redistribution, 18-21 July 2020. Video

“Half the world: The many faces of social protection”, participation in virtual UN High Level Political Forum organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 14 July 2020.

“Basic income could end poverty”, conversation at a virtual Drink with the Idler, 2 July 2020. Video

“Commons: Between history of thought and modern policy making”, participation in webinar organised by International University College of Turin and INET Young Scholars Initiative, 24 June 2020.

“Trust and responsible leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic”, participation in webinar organised by UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) and the Institute for Responsible Leadership (IRL), 18 June 2020.

“Thinking on Sunday: The ethical case for basic income in a pandemic”, virtual talk organised by Conway Hall Ethical Society, 14 June 2020. Video

“The coronavirus slump: Goodbye rentier capitalism, hello basic income”, virtual talk to e-Salon organised by Full Circle, Brussels, 25 May 2020.

“The end of growth? Should our Covid-19 recovery prioritise GDP growth”, participation in webinar organised by Positive Money to launch its report The Tragedy of Growth, 11 May 2020. Video

“Basic income now?”, virtual talk organised by Agile Rabbit, Exeter, UK, 30 April 2020. Video

“From coronavirus to economic slump: Basic income, not wage subsidies”, virtual talk to Yorkshire & Humberside Green Party annual meeting, 26 April 2020.

“Economics, politics and society after Covid-19”, debate with Vince Cable hosted by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI), 21 April 2020. Video

“The great reset: What will (need to) change after the crisis?”, participation in panel at a virtual Living Room session organised by the House of Beautiful Business, 29 March 2020. Summary of discussion

“A commons fund for common dividends: A route to basic income”, presentation to the Multi-year Expert Meeting on Enhancing the Enabling Economic Environment at All Levels in Support of Inclusive and Sustainable Development, and the Promotion of Economic Integration and Cooperation: Fourth Session, organised by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva, 24-25 February 2020.

“Basic income as common dividends: Building a progressive revival” for meeting on A universal basic income for Leeds: Why, how and what next, organised by UBI Lab Leeds, Leeds, UK, 30 January 2020..

“Plunder of the commons: A manifesto for sharing public wealth”, book presentation organised by the Department of Anthropology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, 22 January 2020.

Talk on the commons to conference Where Now for UK Politics organised by Compassion in Politics, Oxford, UK, 16 January 2020.

2019

“Plunder of the commons”, book presentation to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva, 5 December 2019.

“Precarity and policy challenges in a new age of automation”, keynote address on work and technology to Symposium on Automation, Ethics and Society, organised by the School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 21 November 2019.

“Il declino del capitalismo: perche la rendita vince sul lavoro e che cosa si puo fare [The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive, work does not pay and what to do about it]”, Economia Come, Rome, 8-10 November 2019.

“Plunder of the commons”, book presentation at SOAS University of London, organised by the Department of Development Studies, 29 October 2019.

“Precariat politics: Inferno or paradise”, talk to Studieskolen, Copenhagen, Denmark, 27 October 2019.

“Battling eight giants: Why a basic income is essential”, talk at the Brainwash Festival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 26 October 2019.

Panel presentation on basic income and common dividends at the Festival of the Future City, organised by the Bristol Cultural Development Partnership (BCDP), Bristol, UK, 17 October 2019.

“Plunder of the commons”, talk at the Festival of the Future City, organised by the Bristol Cultural Development Partnership (BCDP), Bristol, UK, 16 October 2019.

“The precariat in the commons”, lecture to the opening ceremony for post-graduates, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain, 11 October 2019.

Dialogue with Daniel Raventos on Democracy and the Precariat: Towards a New Relationship Between Work and Social Protection, organised by the Ernest Lluch Foundation, Barcelona, Spain, 10 October 2019. Printed in Jordi Ferrer Fontanet and Ferriol Sória Ortiz (eds), 8 dialogos sobre democacias perplejas [8 dialogues on perplexed democracies], (Lleida, Spain: Milenio, 2020), pp.77-105.

“The world if…we had a universal basic income”, Open Future conference organised by The Economist, Manchester (UK), 5 October 2019. Video (at 3’30”)

“Plunder of the commons: Responding with basic income”, keynote address to the sixth annual conference of the Altius Society, Oxford (UK), 4 October 2019.

Launch of Plunder of the Commons: A Manifesto for Sharing Public Wealth, London School of Economics, organised by the Inequalities Institute, 2 October 2019. Video

“Basic income as common dividends”, presentation of report for the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer at a fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference, Brighton, UK, 22 September 2019.

“Plunder of the commons”, talk at the Howthelightgetsin festival and participation in panels on Satisfaction and Desire (see video of debate) and Is Capitalism Broken?, Kenwood, London, 21 September 2019.

Talk on basic income to “Shaping horizons 2019” organised by the Global Shapers Cambridge Hub, Cambridge, UK, 9-13 September 2019. Video (from 1:14:45)

“A manifesto for the common good”, talk at the Wilderness Festival sponsored by the Royal Society of Arts, Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, UK, 3 August 2019.

“The precariat”, keynote speech to the triennial conference of the National Union of Public and General Employees, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-23 June 2019.

Speaker for motion in debate: “Will a basic income help to make the benefits of globalisation reach all?”, Brussels Economic Forum, Brussels, 18 June 2019.

Opening speech on the precariat to the annual general meeting of the Smart cooperative, Brussels, 18 June 2019.

“A call for experiments”, conference on Basic Income in Wales organised by Indycube and the Royal Society of Arts (Wales), Porth, Wales, 7 June 2019.

“What if the precariat becomes the mass class of the future?”, conversation with Anders Fogh Jensen, Heartland Festival, Egeskov Castle, Denmark, 30 May 2019.

Launch of Basic Income as Common Dividends: Piloting a Transformative Policy. A Report for the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (London: Progressive Economy Forum, May 2019) at the Royal Society of Arts, London, 7 May 2019. Report :: Launch video

“Basic income: A weapon against the eight modern giants”, keynote at research symposium on Poverty, Stigma and Inequalities organised by the Power, Inequalities and Citizenship cluster of the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, University of Newcastle, UK, 2 May 2019.

“Universal basic income”, talk at the 2019 Festival of Debate, organised by Now Then Magazine and UBI Lab - Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, 30 April 2019.

“The precariat: The rise of a dangerous new class. And how it is reshaping the world and India”, India Today Conclave on theme Hard Choices, New Delhi, 1-2 March 2019. Video

“The precariat and why basic income would be good for farmers”, talk to Indian Farmers Forum, New Delhi, 28 February 2019.

Keynote at opening of The Hague International Model United Nations, Work in a Globalised World: Promoting Jobs, Protecting People, The Hague, 28 January to 1 February 2019.

Participant in sessions on '“Europe after Brexit” (video), “Tackling the growth paradox” (video) and '“Technology: A common good?” (video), World Economic Forum annual meeting, Davos, Switzerland, 22-25 January 2019.

2018

“The precariat: A disruptive class for disruptive times”, 35C3 (35th Chaos Communication Congress) organised by the Chaos Computer Club, Leipzig, Germany, 27 December 2018. Audio

“Building a new economy”, talk and debate at the Festival of Equality, Ghent, Belgium, 13 December 2018.

“Unlocking human rights with a basic income – a discussion with Guy Standing”, talk and discussion organised by the Right to Work; Right to Welfare campaign (R2W), Belfast, Northern Ireland, 10 December 2018.

“Piloting basic income in Britain: A report for Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party”, seminar at SOAS University of London, 7 December 2018.

Keynote speech on the precariat to divisional conference of the Transport, Energy, Aviation and Construction section of the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), Dublin, 23 November 2018.

“Basic income and how we can make it happen”, keynote address to the Annual Conference of Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations, Glasgow, Scotland, 23 November 2018.

“Towards a new social contract: Taking on distributional tensions in Europe and Central Asia”, presentation at seminar organised by the World Bank and the Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland, 18 October 2018.

“From robots to UBI: Is capitalism digging its own grave?”, panel presentation in Battle of Ideas organised by the Academy of Ideas, London, 13-14 October 2018. Audio

“Rentier capitalism and the precariat: Why a basic income is essential”, opening seminar for post-graduate Erasmus Mundus in Sustainable Territorial Development, University of Padua, Italy, 24 September 2018.

"Reviving the commons: A commons fund and basic income", session on Basic Income and Commonfare, at the 18th Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) Congress, Basic Income and the New Universalism: Rethinking the Welfare State in the 21st Century, Tampere, Finland, 24-26 August 2018.

"The precariat under rentier capitalism: Why a basic income is vital", opening keynote at the Crossroads in Cultural Studies conference 2018, organised by the Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China, 12-15 August 2018.

"Responding to rentier capitalism: The precariat in the commons", keynote speech to the 29th conference of the Nordic Sociological Association, The Global North – Welfare Policies, Mobilities, Inequalities, and Social Movements, organised by the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, 8-10 August 2018.

Participation in debate on basic income in series on New Utopias for Europe, Serralves Foundation, Porto, Portugal, 5 July 2018.

"The precariat in the commons", speech to annual PPP (People, Place and Policy Journal) conference on Alternative Urban Futures for Tackling Social and Spatial Inequalities, organised by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK, 27 June 2018. 

"The precariat under rentier capitalism: Why a basic income is essential", speech to symposium on Work and the Good Life: Utopias, Alternatives, Ethical Perspectives, organised by the Institute of Applied Ethics, University of Hull, 8 June 2018. Audio at 30'

"Universal basic income", 2018 College of Social Sciences/Citizens UK (CoSS/CUK) lecture organised by the College of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham, 6 June 2018.

"The precariat in the global class structure", talk to workshop on Neoliberal Welfare State, Precarity and Development: Transnational Solidarity and Activism for Global Workers on Decent Work and Dignified Wages, organised by the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, 5 June 2018.

"A basic income for all: The answer to financial insecurity", "Cafe Diplo" talk organised by the Friends of Le Monde diplomatique, London, 4 June 2018. Audio

"Basic income: Making it happen", opening keynote to conference on Universal Basic Income and/or Alternatives: 2018 update, organised by the London Futurists, London, 2 June 2018. Video

Series of events at the 2018 HowTheLightGetsIn festival, Hay-on-Wye, 25-28 May 2018: participation in panels "Capitalism" and "Dreams to believe in" (video), Academy course "What we share: The future of the commons", Open Platform on basic income and a debate (with Deirdre McCloskey) on basic income "Money for nothing: Can universal basic income work" (video). 

"Rentier capitalism and the precariat: Arguments for basic income", lecture at the 2018 Matchpoints Seminar on The Welfare State: New Solutions to Old Problems, University of Aarhus, Denmark, 24-26 May 2018. Video

"Basic income: Will it ever happen", Agora Session, European Business Summit, Brussels, 23-24 May 2018.

Participation in panel "Inequality and precarity" at the second annual State of the Economy Conference, organised by the Labour Party, 19 May 2018.

Participation in panel "Business and economics" and presentation on basic income, Global Scholars Symposium 2018 on Navigating Uncertainty, University of Oxford, UK, 11-13 May 2018.

Participation in plenary panel "Governing difference: Impact of social fragmentations on national security, issues of class divisions, racial tensions and diversity in megacities", 12th Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO), organised by the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 6-11 May 2018.

Participation in plenary panel "Beyond the end of work" and presentation on basic income at the 48th St Gallen Symposium organised by the University of St Gallen, Switzerland, 2-4 May 2018.

“A precariat charter: Rebuilding citizenship in the Global Transformation”, keynote speaker at international conference on Rethinking the Future of Work: Competing Perspectives, Methodological Challenges, organised by the Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), Romania, 27-28 April 2018. Video Part 1 :: Part 2 :: Part 3

“Basic income: Time for a radical rethink”, on-stage conversation, International Journalism Festival, Perugia, Italy, 11-15 April 2018. Interview :: Video

Panellist in plenary round-table “The trials and prospects of economic justice today”, King's Transnational Law Summit 2018, organised by the Dickson Poon Transnational Law Institute, King's College London, 10-13 April 2018. Video

"Basic income, and how we can make it happen", public lecture organised by the Swedish Basic Income Party, Gothenburg, Sweden, 23 March 2018.

"The Precariat: Will 2018 be the Tipping Point?", keynote speech to conference on When Work Becomes Insecure: Precarious Work – Before, Now and in the Future, organised by Selskabet for Arbejderhistorie (SFAH), Copenhagen, 22 March 2018.

Participant in panel on basic income at the 2018 International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, Geneva, 16 March 2018.

"The corruption of capitalism", talk to Keele World Affairs, Stoke-on-Trent (UK), 15 March 2018.

"The precariat and platform capitalism", Robophilosophy Conference 2018: Envisioning Robots in Society - Politics, Power, and Public Space, Vienna, 14 February 2018.

"The corruption of capitalism", Cambridge University Geographical Society, Cambridge (UK), 8 February 2018.

"Basic income: Democratic justice, republican freedom, universal security", Storrs Lecture, Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut (USA), 6 February 2018.

"Confronting the plunder of the commons", York Sociology Public Seminar Series, University of York (UK), 31 January 2018.

Session panellist on "How is rentier capitalism aggravating inequality?" (video), "Social safety nets for the fourth industrial revolution", "Bringing dignity with basic income", "Preventing the plunder of the commons", "Finding meaning in the fourth industrial revolution" and "Guaranteed income for growth" (video), World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018 with theme Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World, Davos, Switzerland 23-26 January 2018.

Presentation on basic income on panel "The New Society", 2018 Futures Congress, Santiago da Chile, 15-21 January 2018.

2017

"The growing precariat under rentier capitalism", keynote speech to the 10th International Conference on Researching Work and Learning (RWL10), Grahamstown (South Africa), 6-8 December 2017.

"The growing precariat under rentier capitalism", special lecture, and panellist on panel "New paradigm of distribution and the role of leadership", 8th Asia Future Forum on theme The Fourth Revolution: Towards a New Social Contract, Seoul, 15-16 November 2017.

Talks on "The contemporary relevance of the Charter of the Forest" and "A draft Charter of the Commons", regional economic conference organised by the Labour Party, Lincoln (UK), 11 November 2017.

"The future of work and income security", panel at the 2017 Web Summit, Lisbon, 6-9 November 2017. Video

"Why would you oppose universal basic income", panel at the 2017 Web Summit, Lisbon, 6-9 November 2017. Video

"The contemporary relevance of the Charter of the Forest", meeting in the State Rooms, Speaker's House, House of Commons, sponsored by John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, London, 7 November 2017. 

"Common rights and natural resources", public lecture in series The Charter of the Forest: Contexts and Conversations, organised by the Department of History, University of Durham, UK, 6 November 2017.

"Prosperity for the precariat: The transformational role of basic income", IGP Director's Seminar (public lecture) organised by the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London, 2 November 2017. Audio

Contributions on the precariat, rentier capitalism and basic income in two panels at an international conference organised by the Canadian Society for International Health, Leaving No One Behind? Reflections for Action in a Changing World, Ottawa, 29-31 October 2017. 

"The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay", public lecture organised by SIPA (School of International and Public Affairs), Columbia University, New York, 26 October 2017.

"Are the needs of capitalism and democracy becoming increasingly incompatible?", panel at Global ARC, Boston (USA), 23-25 October 2017.

"The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay", keynote presentation at Global ARC, Boston (USA), 23-25 October 2017.

"The precariat under rentier capitalism", presentation at panel on The Growth of the Dual Economy, INET2017 conference organised by the Institute for New Economic Thinking: Reawakening: From the Origins of Economic Ideas to the Challenges of Our Time, Edinburgh, 21-23 October 2017. Paper :: Video

"The corruption of capitalism", public lecture organised by the Institutu Asturies 2030, Gijón (Spain), 19 October 2017. Video

"Universal basic income: How to implement it?", public lecture organised by the Institutu Asturies 2030, Oviedo (Spain), 19 October 2017. Video

"The precariat under rentier capitalism: Why a basic income is essential", talk at a symposium on The Future of Work and Basic Income organised by Podemos Galicia, A Coruña (Spain), 14 October 2017.

"When work doesn't pay: Ideas for a better economic system", keynote speech to Brighton Summit, organised by the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce, Brighton (UK), 13 October 2017.

"Can universal basic income work?", panel debate hosted by Oxford Economics Society, Oxford (UK), 12 October 2017.

Participation in panel on “Economics at a crossroads: What should the new economy look like?”, Green Party conference, Harrogate , UK, 7 October 2017. 

"The precariat's agony: Why basic income and a revived commons are vital", keynote, Senior Officers Conference (Scottish social housing conference), Falkirk, Scotland, 5-6 October 2017.

"Rentier capitalism: Why a basic income is essential", public lecture organised by the Carlsberg Foundation and Politiken, Copenhagen, 3 October 2017.

"The precariat: The new dangerous class", guest speech to the biannual study event of the Swedish Left Party, Malmö, 30 September 2017.

"Universal basic income: pros and cons", Head-to-Head Debate with Daniel Zamora, organised by the European Policy Centre, Brussels, 29 September 2017.

"The Charter of the Forest: 800th anniversary of basic income in the commons", keynote speech to the 17th Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), Lisbon, 25-27 September 2017. Video :: Q&A

"Growth of the precariat under rentier capitalism", public seminar organised by Mobilities & Transnational Iceland, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, 5 September 2017.

"A universal basic income for Aotearoa New Zealand", public lecture organised by Basic Income New Zealand (BINZ), New Zealand Fabian Society and the University of Auckland Debating Society, Auckland, 31 August 2017. Video

"When work hardly pays - A Conversation with Guy Standing", public seminar on the precariat organised by the Maori and Psychology Research Unit, Waikato University, Hamilton (New Zealand), 30 August 2017. Video

"The precariat under rentier capitalism: The psychological dimensions and class differentiation by rights", keynote speech to the 12th biennial Asian Association of Social Psychology (AASP) conference, organised by Massey University School of Psychology, Auckland (New Zealand), 26-28 August 2017.

"Emerging risks: The big picture", panel at the 2017 Finance Forum organised by the Salzburg Global Seminar, Salzburg (Austria), 26-27 June 2017. Forum report

"Speaking truth to power", panel at the 70th Anniversary Gala Board of Directors Weekend organised by the Salzburg Global Seminar, Salzburg (Austria), 23-25 June 2017.

"The rise of the precariat", keynote for conference 24 Hours 2017 organised by Deutsche Telekom, Munich (Germany), 19-20 June 2017.

"The precariat", keynote for panel on Extracting Meaning and Value from Work, York Festival of Ideas focus day on The Future of Work, York (UK), 16 June 2017.

Talk on the precariat to the 2017 International Monetary Conference, London, 13 June 2017.

Keynote speech on basic income at the Green Economics Conference 2017, organised by the Green Economics Institute Trust, Oxford (UK), 10-12 June 2017.

Speaker at United Nations Human Rights Council side event on universal basic income and the future of human rights organised by the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights and International Movement ATD Fourth World, Geneva (Switzerland), 8 June 2017. Video

"Meet the author - The Corruption of Capitalism: Why Rentiers Thrive and Work Does Not Pay", OECD Forum 2017, organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, 6-7 June 2017.

Participation in panel "A fair share: Universal basic income, et al....?", OECD Forum 2017 organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, 6-7 June 2017. Video (Day 1, amphitheatre 3)

"The precariat in rentier capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay", seminar in New Methods, Approaches and Perspectives series organised by the Bank of England, London, 23 May 2017. 

Participation in panel on basic income, European Business Summit, Brussels, 22 May 2017.

Participation in debate "Diversity and possiblity" in the Hypotheticals series organised by Aarhus 2017, European Capital of Culture 2017, Aarhus (Denmark), 21 May 2017. 

"The rise of the precariat in the age of rentier capitalism and technological upheaval", talk to CEOs in the Fortune CEO Series of the Salesforce London World Tour, London, 18 May 2017. Interview video

"Rentier capitalism and growth of the precariat", public lecture to open series on Thoughts for a New Local Economy Policy organised by Barcelona Activa, Barcelona (Spain), 9 May 2017.

"Basic income: And how we can make it happen", public lecture and book launch organised by Penguin Random House and the International Inequalities Institute, London School of Economics, 8 May 2017. Video

"The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay", public seminar organised by the York Union and the University of York Department of Politics, York (UK), 3 May 2017.

"The corruption of capitalism", keynote speech to the 2017 European Executive Forum on sustainable leadership, organised by the European Executive Club, and participation in plenary panel on Business in a Europe of Uncertainty, Warsaw, 26-27 April 2017.

"From neo-liberalism to rentier capitalism: The corruption of capitalism", public lecture organised by Department of Political Science, Aalborg University, Aalborg (Denmark), 20 April 2017.

Opening address to National Conference on Basic Income 2017 organised by SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association of India) and INBI (Indian Network for Basic Income, Delhi, 29-30 March 2017. Video :: Interview

"The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay", Sussex Development Lecture organised by the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton (UK), 16 March 2017. Video

"The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay", talk in ICT for Development (ICT4D) seminar series organised by the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford (UK), 14 March 2017. Video

"The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and the precariat struggles", talk in Marx Research Seminar series at University of Lincoln (UK), 13 March 2017.

"Rentier capitalism: Building a new distribution system", lecture to annual Glasgow Economic Forum organised by the Glasgow University Real World Economics Society and the Adam Smith Economics Society, plus participation in panel on interdisciplinary and alternative approaches to solving economic issues, Glasgow (Scotland), 11-12 March 2017.

Presentation on the precariat to conference organised by the National Union of Journalists, Being Freelance in the Age of Precarious Labour, London, 11 March 2017.

"The corruption of capitalism: Why rentiers thrive and work does not pay", Headstrong Club, Lewes (UK), 10 March 2017.

"The precariat and universal basic income", talk in seminar series on New Approaches to Economic Challenges organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris, 9 March 2017.

Participation in a public roundtable on Experiments in Unconditional Basic Income, organised by the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, Stanford University, Palo Alto (USA), 8 February 2017. Video

"The precariat: The new denizens", talk at the 2016-17 Andrew W. Mellon Sawyer Seminar on Labor Mobility and Precarity on a Global Scale, organised by the Chicano Latino Research Center and Institute for Humanities Research, University of California Santa Cruz (USA), 7 February 2017. Video :: Interview

"The precariat, business and education: Facing the coming revolt", 2017 EFMD Conference for Deans and Directors General on Leading in a World of Uncertainty, Ljubljana (Slovenia), 2-3 February 2017.

Keynote address to UNI Europa Property Services conference, Madrid, 27 January 2017.

For a list and details of earlier speeches, go to the 'Speeches archive' page here.