There is also a Spring Statement today… Posted on 13th March 2019 (13th March 2019) by Anna Birley Our economy needs a radical overhaul to shake us out of stalled growth and our Brexit malaise – but today’s Spring Statement looks unlikely to propose anything that will genuinely tackle low wages and poor productivity.
Votes at 16 in Wales will strengthen our democracy – it’s time for Westminster to follow our lead Posted on 15th February 2019 by Anna Birley Co-operative politics is about sharing power and giving a voice to ordinary people on the decisions that impact them. Wales is leading the way, with new legislation introduced to the Welsh Assembly this week to give 16- and 17-year-olds the vote – and it’s time for Westminster to do the same.
It’s time for a social care system that puts people at the heart of a service Posted on 12th February 2019 (19th January 2023) by Anna Birley Social care co-operatives are providing a more empowering, responsive and caring service. The Welsh Government have introduced legislation to promote co-operative delivery models, and it’s time for Westminster to follow suit to fix our broken care system.
We must look at a new way of providing free access to cash so that local communities are not left behind Posted on 6th February 2019 (6th February 2019) by Anna Birley New funding cuts announced recently mean free ATMs are closing at a rate of 250 every month. Fresh new thinking is needed to ensure communities and local businesses aren’t left behind.
It’s time to ditch the big banks – Britain’s consumers deserve a more diverse financial sector Posted on 30th January 2019 (30th January 2019) by Anna Birley Consumers are being failed by a lack of diversity in our banking sector, and the backlog of complaints at the Ombudsman proves it. Credit unions, co-operatives and community banks are already showing that a fairer financial services is possible.
Government failure is leaving people vulnerable to food poverty – but the co-operative movement offers hope Posted on 10th January 2019 (19th January 2023) by Anna Birley Yesterday’s Environmental Audit Committee report on food insecurity shows that this Government’s failed policies are leaving people hungry. But where the Government is failing to take action, the co-operative movement is already working to help.
Doubling the size of the co‑operative sector in our countryside Posted on 21st November 2018 (21st November 2018) by Anna Birley In this week’s committee debate on the Government’s Agriculture Bill, I argued that more co-operatives would deliver a fairer and more resilient sector which works for farmers. Our proposed amendment would provide agricultural co-operatives with the funding, support and protection they need to thrive.
Ofgem’s energy price cap is a sticking plaster on a broken industry Posted on 6th September 2018 (6th September 2018) by Anna Birley While £75 off bills is a welcome short-term fix, our energy industry desperately needs an overhaul. Democratic public ownership, where customers and workers have a say and a stake in where their energy comes from, is the only way to ensure a “fair” tariff.
The water industry is in desperate need of reform, but South West Water’s consumer share offer is too little too late Posted on 5th September 2018 (6th September 2018) by Anna Birley While South West Water’s consumer share offer looks good on paper, in practice it amounts to little more than a cheap gimmick. The broken water industry needs deeper reform which truly puts ownership back into the hands of customers and workers.