Despite the decline in action and rhetoric on levelling up by the Government, the Co-operative Party know it is still fundamental to rebalance the economy across the nations and regions of the UK. After a decade of economic stagnation and growing inequality, urgent action is required to build a fairer, more co-operative economy which seeks to level up opportunities for all.

Last night the Centre for Inequality & Levelling Up (CEILUP) at the University of West London published its new report, How can Labour Level Up?. The new report was launched in the House of Commons by Alex Norris MP, Labour & Co-operative Member for Nottingham North and Shadow Levelling Up Secretary. The report brings together a wide range of contributions from organisations including the Trade Unions Congress (TUC), New Local and The Big Issue.

Our contribution focuses on why we must put the co-operative model at the heart of levelling up. The co-operative model provides the ideal tool for creating more resilient local economies, with higher firm productivity and survival rates.

A new Labour & Co-operative Government will need a plan to develop co-operatives in every sector of the economy, creating new development capacity, a new legislative framework and modernised regulation. Labour’s commitment to double the size of the co-operative sector is therefore a fundamental part of a meaningful levelling up agenda – one which can deliver for communities across the UK.