Responding to Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell’s announcements today, Co-operative Party General Secretary Claire McCarthy said:

“We warmly welcome Labour’s commitment to a significantly expand co-operative sector, and the central role co-operatives will play in an economy where wealth and power are more widely shared.

“As the Shadow Chancellor announced today, the Co-operative Party has commissioned an independent report to explore what action a future government could take to help double the size of the co-operative movement.  Separately, we will work closely with the Labour Party to convene an implementation group which will ensure the voice of the co-operative movement is heard at the highest levels of the Labour Party as it plans for government.

“These two initiatives, together with Thursday’s announcement on local government, and the Co-operative Party’s own forthcoming report on democratic public ownership, demonstrate the significant opportunities for the co-operative movement in the years ahead.

“The Co-operative Party looks forward to working with partners in the wider labour and co-operative movements to make co-operation the template for the kind of country that together we will build.”