Co-operative Party Unleashed: Midlands Regional Conference

Join with us in Leicester

as we bring together members and supporters from across the Midlands to discuss the Co-operative Party’s policy platform for 2019 and new Food Justice campaign.

We will hear from varied and interesting speakers including Dorothy Francis MBE, Rory Palmer MEP, Phil Beardmore and Tanya Noon as well as give you the opportunity to speak with some of our elected representatives, local co-operatives and take part in networking opportunities with like-minded co-operators (including a training session for the Co-operative Party’s BAME network).  The final programme is below.

Format

10.00            Doors open for registration

10.30 Welcome

• With Chris Bain, National Executive Committee, West Midlands representative

Co-ops Unleashed

Find out more about the recent National Economic Foundation report to double the size of the co-operative economy and how the Co-operative Party is working to achieve it:

• With Jamie McMahon, National Executive Committee, East Midlands representative

Policy debate 1: Climate change, energy and the environment

Time is running out to prevent a climate catastrophe.  Global emissions show few signs of slowing down, hitting unprecedented levels in 2018.  The Co-operative Party seeks to build its longstanding commitment to action on climate change and our belief that we can achieve more for our environment when working co-operatively than we can alone.

• with Rory Palmer MEP, and member of European Parliament Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee
• Phil Beardmore, Localise West Midlands
• Cllr Lisa Trickett, Labour for a Green New Deal
• Jeevan Jones, Ofwat
• Andrew Hammond, University of Warwick
• Chair – Jamie McMahon, NEC representative East Midlands

Policy debate 2: Community, place and power

We are living through turbulent and polarised times.  The foundations of the UK’s economy have shifted – eroding job quality and security, and leaving former industrial towns and regions behind.  This policy consultation looks at bottom up initiatives to build stronger communities, and seeks to answer wider questions about how power is distributed around the UK, and how to rebalance this to give citizens and communities a greater say and stake

• With Dorothy Francis MBE, Co-Director of the Co-operative and Social Enterprise Agency
• Tanya Noon, Member & Community Relations Officer, Central England Co-operative Society
• Cllr Adam Farrell, Leader Labour Group North Warwickshire Council
• Leonie Mathers, Labour & Co-operative Candidate for the European Election (East Midlands)
• Chair – Chris Bain, NEC representative West Midlands

Co-operative Party Campaigns: Food Justice

The Co-operative Party’s current campaign focuses on tackling food poverty locally, and creating a more strategic approach to the issue nationally.

• with Tanya Noon, re Central England Co-operative’s / FareShare
• Cllr. Faye Abbott, Chair of Feeding Coventry
• Tim Adkin, Action Homeless Leicester
• Chair – Emma Hoddinott, Co-operative Party Local Government Officer

Co-operative solutions to Local Government

Across the country, hundreds of Labour & Co-operative councillors are working to give local people a voice in  their communities, and a say in how services are run. Find out ideas of how you can work co-operatively in your local area to tackle the challenges we see in our communities. Through the work in Preston to introduce community wealth building, to over 80 councils who have signed the Co-operative Party’s Charter Against Modern Slavery, our ideas are providing practical solutions for local Councillors

• With Emma Hoddinott, Co-operative Party Local Government Officer
• Cllr Adam Farrell, Leader of the Opposition North Warwickshire Borough Council

15.30 – 17.30  BAME network training session:

Learn more about the organisation of the Co-operative Party, its structure, the National Executive Committee, its strategic objectives and relationship with the co-operative movement and the Labour Party.  

Registration is £10 [£5 concessions] which includes a sandwich lunch.

This event is open to non-members, so please share with friends, Labour Party and trade union colleagues.  You must register in advance to secure a place.

To register