19th May 2022 The Government must act to level the playing field between traditional bricks and mortar and internet-only businesses Claire Vibert Co-operative Party Delegate to Hazel Grove CLP I was absolutely delighted that Hazel Grove Constituency Labour Party unanimously passed the Co-operative Party’s model motion in support of an Online Sales Tax last week.
11th May 2022 While it was a missed opportunity, there are announcements in the Queen’s Speech which can be more co-operative and progressive. Daniel Monaghan Policy Officer While it is a missed opportunity by the Government to create a fairer, more co-operative society – there are several pieces of legislation which we believe can be made more co-operative and progressive.
11th May 2022 Two first time candidates in ‘unwinnable’ Hampstead Town secure a seat for Labour Co-op. Adrian Cohen Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Hampstead Town Alex Sufit Former Labour and Co-operative Candidate for Hampstead Town If ever there was a case study in the art of the impossible - it certainly was Hampstead Town in the 2022 local elections last night.
9th May 2022 This year’s local elections saw a record number of Co-operative Councillors elected to town halls across the country. Emma Hoddinott Assistant General Secretary (Representation & Political Affairs) Millions had the chance to vote for co-operation and they did, returning a record number of over 1200 Co-operative Councillors to office. This was especially true in Scotland and Wales where we saw the number of Co-op Councillors double, following on from record parliamentary co-operative groups elected last year.
9th May 2022 The co-operative movement offers the ideas, principles and values which should form the bedrock of this year’s Queen’s Speech. Preet Gill MP Chair of the Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group and Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development This Queen’s Speech perhaps more than any in recent memory is critical in providing the framework for how we will tackle the many difficulties the ongoing crises provide. It’s imperative the Government builds on the values and solutions of co-operation within it to meet that challenge.
29th April 2022 Call for a food champion in Renfrewshire Alison Ann-Dowling Scottish Labour and Co-operative Party Council Candidate for Houston, Crosslee & Linwood Food Justice campaigner and Co-operative Party candidate, Alison Ann-Dowling, highlights the work that she will do with her fellow Scottish Co-operative candidates if re-elected.
29th April 2022 The Queen’s Speech marks an opportunity for Government to begin matching words with actions on levelling-up. Alex Norris Shadow Minister for Levelling Up and Labour & Co-op MP for Nottingham North The Shadow Levelling Up team has worked with people from across the Labour and Co-operative movements to develop five tests for the Levelling-Up White Paper which would deliver meaningful levelling up and empower people.
28th April 2022 Co-operative Party Chair’s Update Jim McMahon Chair of the Co-operative Party and Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Next week's local elections provide a chance for us all to continue this work as an active, campaigning Party that priorities making a real difference where it matters most, and to do so with more co-operators than ever championing our cause as elected Co-operative Party representatives.
26th April 2022 From food co-ops to community transport, we’re making the case for co-operative initiatives in our local community. Sonia Reynolds Councillor on Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Sarah Thomas Councillor on Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen Community Council Being active in and working co-operatively with the community ensures value and success for everyone.
26th April 2022 MSPs Praise Co-operative Movement Support for Ukraine Foysol Choudhury MSP Labour MSP for the Lothian region Lothian MSP, Foysol Choudhury, calls Scottish Parliament's attention to donation from Scotmid Co-operative and highlights the international vision of the co-operative movement
26th April 2022 As young members in the East Midlands, we’re campaigning hard in these local elections. Adam Wisdish East Midlands Representative on the Co-operative Party Youth Network Committee Over the weekend, we ran a Young Labour and Young Co-operative campaign day in Derby and Amber Valley, supporting two excellent young candidates. Both Joel and Phillip have been working hard to prove that young people can have an outsized say in elections: both are among the hardest working campaigners in these sets of local elections.
18th April 2022 What’s next for tackling dirty money and opening up ownership in Britain? Joe Powell Co-founder of Kensington Against Dirty Money Six years after it was first promised by Government, an Economic Crime Act was finally passed to increase transparency over who owns and controls property . But more needs to be done to break Britain’s unhealthy relationship with illicit finance, and build a more democratic property ownership system that works for everyone.
13th April 2022 It’s time to end the failed privatisation of asylum seeker accommodation. Kate Osamor Labour & Co-operative MP for Edmonton As one of the richest countries on earth, the UK has a duty to those who arrive on our shores having fled war, violence, and other forms of persecution.
13th April 2022 Urgent action is needed to save access to cash for so many across the country. Martin Bailey Labour & Co-operative Candidate for Vauxhall Ward on Lambeth Council Levelling-up, across the entire UK, means not leaving those already on the fringes of our increasingly technology based society even further behind with no means to catch-up.
12th April 2022 It’s no surprise that Co-operative councils are at the forefront of empowering communities to take control of their own energy production. James Butler Campaigns Officer Here are three examples of councils who have community energy at the heart of their local election manifesto this year.
12th April 2022 Co-operative-led councils like Lewisham are leading the way on providing sanctuary for those who need it most. Cllr Kevin Bonavia Cabinet Member for Democracy, Refugees & Accountability on Lewisham Council Globally we are now facing the greatest humanitarian catastrophe since the Second World War. Many of us in public service are using the best co-operative principles in harnessing our communities to provide effective sanctuary and support for our fellow human beings.
11th April 2022 The Government must come forward with an active approach to delivering a comprehensive food strategy. Daniel Zeicher Shadow Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries Bringing together 100 people from leading retailers, manufacturers, distributors and the whole food supply chain, the Food Resilience Industry Forum proved to be effective at raising issues.
8th April 2022 Scottish Co-operative Ideas Tackle the Cost of Living Crisis Richard McCready Political Officer (Scotland) Scottish Labour launched its Local Election Manifesto at New Lanark. Appropriately for a launch at a mill with such a strong co-operative history there is a Co-operative thread running all the way through the Scottish Labour manifesto.
6th April 2022 The Government’s decision to sell Channel 4 risks damaging a much-loved national institution and cultural asset. Daniel Monaghan Policy Officer A mutual business, owned by the viewing public, creatives, employees, and under-represented voices, would be a model that serves the British public and promotes the independence of Channel 4.
5th April 2022 We need to do more to safeguard producers in our food chain. Preet Gill MP Chair of the Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group and Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development The recent claims of the use of dangerous child labour on cocoa farms in Cadbury’s chocolate production are appalling to see. I’m proud of the co-operative movement’s longstanding support of fairtrade, which does so much to benefit workers in developing countries.
5th April 2022 We must have candidates and councillors who reflect the community they represent in town halls across the country. Georgia Horsfall Communications Assistant That's why this year we’re proud to be standing our most diverse cohort of local government candidates to date.
4th April 2022 The Biannual Meeting of The Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Erewash Co-operative Party James Butler Campaigns Officer Having invested in technology, officers of the Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Erewash Co-operative Party plumped for a hybrid get together for their half yearly meeting in Labour’s offices in Lincoln
4th April 2022 Why I’m standing as Labour and Co-operative this May. Sebastian Salek Labour and Co-operative Candidate in Waltham Forest I’m really proud to tell people that I’m standing on a joint Labour and Co-operative ticket. They’ve been curious to learn about the relationship between the two parties, as well as our belief in shared wealth and power.
1st April 2022 We need co-operative solutions to the cost of living crisis. Daniel Monaghan Policy Officer The Co-operative Party believes action is needed now to alleviate the rising costs of living. We know co-operative policies can provide solutions. Through targeted action on food justice and community energy, we could begin to make the costs of living more bearable for people across the country.
31st March 2022 This May’s Local Elections sees a record number of candidates standing for the Co-operative Party. Joe Fortune General Secretary It’s official: the Co-operative Party will be standing over 1,000 candidates in the upcoming Local Elections. This is a record number for the Party, which has been increasing the numbers of candidates fielded and councillors elected over the last six years.
29th March 2022 Power to Change’s new report provides a strong argument on why community-led initiatives are a key way to unlocking our high streets. Daniel Monaghan Policy Officer Last week saw the charitable trust, Power to Change, publish a new report on ‘Why now is the time for a High Street Buyout Fund’, focusing on the need to help revive our struggling high streets using community-led initiatives.
23rd March 2022 Did the Spring Statement really deliver “security” for struggling families? Daniel Monaghan Policy Officer Today, Rishi Sunak's promise to families struggling with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation was “security”. Yet his Spring Statement did not go far enough to provide the security of a warm home, food on the table and a fair wage to millions across the country.
18th March 2022 We’ve got a plan to change who produces and owns our energy. Will you back it? Georgia O’Brien Digital and Communications Manager To free ourselves from dependency on expensive and dangerous fossil fuels, we need to rapidly expand a cleaner, cheaper renewable energy system right here at home – owned and run by the people who depend on it.
10th March 2022 By using co-operative values, we can empower families out of crisis. Tom McNeil Assistant Police & Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands The lesson then, one which is already fully engrained in what the Co-operative Party stands for, is that there is a special social capital to be gained through not only prioritising early help for families who are struggling, but by truly empowering them.
10th March 2022 Let’s talk co-operative. Jackie Jones Chair of the Wales Co-operative Party Co-operative policies and principles are what we need right now and make a positive difference to the lives of everyone in our community.