This summer, millions of people in all corners of the country put their hope and belief in a Labour government to change our society for the better.

I launched our election manifesto at the Co-operative Group’s headquarters, just a stone’s throw from the home of the co-operative movement where the Rochdale Pioneers made history. It was a reminder of a shared history that spans a hundred years – a belief that power should be shared, and a commitment to equality and justice that has inspired people across the world ever since.

I am proud that this new Labour government has put co-operation at its heart.

Working hand in hand with the co-operative movement, we will grow the co-operative and mutual sector so that more businesses and communities can benefit.

We will transform our energy system with Great British Energy, a clean power company owned by the British people, making money for the British people. It will expand of community-owned energy projects, create up to a million new owners of energy in communities across the country and push us forward on our mission to lead the world as a clean energy superpower.

We will breathe new life into our high streets and town centres with a strong new Community Right to Own, empowering local people to own the assets that matter most to them.

And we will stand with shopworkers across the country in the fight against retail crime, introducing a new standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker and cracking down on the shoplifting that makes their lives a misery.

People are already putting co-operative ideas into action across the country. Local football clubs are saved from financial ruin by their fans, credit unions are providing financial assistance to those who would otherwise by excluded and communities are pooling together to buy local land that serves local people. These ideas are living and breathing every day.

But now we have an even bigger opportunity. For the first time in a generation, our Labour government will support co-operation from Whitehall, with co-operators sitting around the Cabinet table, supporting and promoting the ideas we need to rebuild our country.

None of this vital work would be possible without the movement that worked so hard to get us here. We owe our victory, and all the work that follows, to the many committed people who fought tirelessly to elect this Labour government. So I want to thank Co-operative Party members for your invaluable support, not just during the election campaign but throughout our shared history.

Together, we have an opportunity to change Britain. I look forward to continuing to work with the Co-operative Party to achieve that better future for all.

Originally published in the Autumn/Winter 2024 edition Co-operative Party member magazine The Pioneer.