The New Local Government Network and the Fabian Society have published a very interesting pamphlet on Labour’s Local Offer – Ideas for a Radical Local Manifesto.  This pamphlet sets out a variety of approaches for Labour in local government and there is a very strong contribution from our General Secretary Karin Christiansen on ‘A Co-operative Offer for Local Government.’  You can read the pamphlet here.  http://www.nlgn.org.uk/public/wp-content/uploads/Labours-Local-Offer.pdf

Labour is beginning to develop an exciting offer on local government based on a radical devolution of power and resources. But how local authorities use this new freedom and responsibility will be crucial to delivering a fairer society and more sustainable communities.

The Co-operative Party has always believed that councils have a responsibility not just to provide the best services they can, but to do this in a way that enhances the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of their communities; and the best way to do this is to do it with them. It is to be welcomed that this is now becoming a more widely accepted proposition and that many councils are already showing how this can be done.

It is increasingly clear that co-operative and mutual approaches have an important role to play, and vital lessons to contribute, in almost every aspect of local government, including community regeneration, economic development, housing, leisure, social services and education.

The promotion of co-operatives in local government is an idea whose time has come and this pamphlet sets out some important ideas about how these ideas can come to fruition.