17th December 2018 Supporting the UK’s fishing co-operatives Ben West Communications & Digital Officer It is one thing to declare the UK an 'independent coastal state'. But it is UK policymakers who will shape what that means in practice
14th December 2018 Co-operators in the House Co-operative Party Just a year after it was established, the Co-operative Party elected its first MP with Alfred Waterson winning the Kettering seat at the December 1918 election. Now his achievement is being recognised with a portrait in Parliament.
12th December 2018 We need a Budget that promotes a fairer, more co‑operative Scotland Johann Lamont Chair, Co-operative Party Scottish Parliament Group The Scottish Budget takes place today and I am clear that we need a Budget that promotes a fairer, more co-operative Scotland. We need an end to austerity.
5th December 2018 The case for reforming private renting Caitlin Prowle Youth Organiser Based on conversations with Britain's growing army of private renters, IPPR's latest report is a timely reminder of the scale of the crisis—one that co‑operative solutions can play a key role in solving.
22nd November 2018 The UN’s goals for eliminating poverty are as relevant at home as they are abroad Preet Gill Labour & Co-operative MP for Birmingham Edgbaston and Shadow Minister for International Development The UN's sustinable development goals show that development is not just something done to people and countries 'over there', but that we must work to address people’s needs in the UK as well as across the world.
21st November 2018 Doubling the size of the co‑operative sector in our countryside David Drew Labour & Co-operative MP for Stroud and Shadow Minister for Farming and Rural Affairs 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.
15th November 2018 Co-operative Party Chair responds to Proposed Brexit Agreement Gareth Thomas Chair of the Co-operative Party, Labour & Co-operative MP for Harrow West Party Chair Gareth Thomas MP responds to today's news of a draft withdrawal agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union
14th November 2018 It’s time for a People’s ScotRail Neil Bibby Labour & Co-operative Member of the Scottish Parliament for West of Scotland
8th November 2018 50th Council Signs up to Charter Against Modern Slavery Donald Reid Scottish Labour & Co-operative Councillor for Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
6th November 2018 The Government’s Tenant Fees Bill fails to live up to the hype Lord Kennedy of Southwark Lords Opposition Spokesperson on Communities and Local Government, Housing and Home Affairs. Roy Kennedy on yet another government housing bill that fails to live up to the hype
2nd November 2018 When people look at their town, it is a test for what the future holds for their place and their community Jim McMahon Chair Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group and Shadow Minister Communities and Local Government Speech by Jim McMahon MP, Chair of the Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group in this week's Budget debate
29th October 2018 Budget 2018: Ending austerity means building a co‑operative economy Jim McMahon Chair Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group and Shadow Minister Communities and Local Government Response to today's UK Budget from Co‑operative Party Parliamentary Chair, Jim McMahon MP
17th October 2018 Not Part of the Job – the first week Ben West Communications & Digital Officer Since we launched our campaign on violence against shop workers last week, the scale of the problem has become clear–but so has public support for change.
16th October 2018 Conference 2018 – the youth perspective Caitlin Prowle Youth Organiser Another Co-op Party Conference has come and gone, but we all left Bristol bursting with ideas and ambitions. Young people in particular were left with plenty to think about.
10th October 2018 Nowhere to hide from Modern Slavery Mayor of Salford Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett on why his council has signed up to the Modern Slavery Charter.
8th October 2018 We need to work together to keep shop workers safe Cllr Emily Spurrell Labour & Co-operative Party Councillor for Mossley Hill Ward & Merseyside Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Police, businesses and many other agencies need to work together to tackle offenders and keep workers safe. And we need a properly funded police service so shop workers get the right response, when they need it.
28th September 2018 Can the future of democracy be found in Taiwan? Emma Hoddinott Local Government Officer With Westminster struggling to modernise procedures as simple as letting MPs on maternity leave take part in votes, there is a movement in Taiwan embracing technology to change how decisions are made, and giving citizens a chance to take part.
28th September 2018 Five takeaways from Labour conference Ben West Communications & Digital Officer The speeches in the Liverpool are over and the delegates have gone home. But after a packed few days at this year's Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, there are plenty of reasons our co-operative movement can feel positive
27th September 2018 Academic or vocational learning—why not both? Emma Hoddinott Local Government Officer Young people will need a mix of academic and vocational skills to thrive in the workplace of the future. The co-operative movement is taking the first step towards making it happen.
27th September 2018 Unfinished Business James Butler Campaigns Officer Coming straight after being awarded the prestigious Del Singh Memorial Award by Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP for the Charter Campaign against Modern Slavery, the timing for the Co-operative Party’s Fringe on modern slavery could not have been more appropriate.
27th September 2018 “Why on earth shouldn’t the people who create the wealth own the wealth that they create?”, asks Richard Leonard Richard McCready Political Officer
27th September 2018 Richard Leonard backs plan to give first-year school pupils a £20 credit union ‘starter for 20’. Richard McCready Political Officer Scottish Labour Leader Richard Leonard MSP has demonstrated his commitment to co-operative principles by putting forward a policy which will implement our ideas about credit unions right across Scotland.
27th September 2018 Dundee City Council Signs up to Charter Against Modern Slavery Cllr Georgia Cruickshank Councillor for Maryfield ward on Dundee City Council
17th September 2018 Modern Slavery Month of Action launched in Wales Jeff Cuthbert On Saturday, Co-operative Party MPs, Assembly Members, councillors and members came together in Cardiff to make their pledges to help end Modern Slavery.
11th September 2018 Promoting local, co-operatively-owned campaigning journalism Richard McCready Political Officer How do we ensure that technological, cultural and economic changes empower people rather than oppress them? This was the task which Jeremy Corbyn set himself at a recent lecture on the media in Edinburgh.
6th September 2018 Ofgem’s energy price cap is a sticking plaster on a broken industry Anna Birley Policy Officer 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.
6th September 2018 Our vision for a Labour & Co-operative North Warwickshire Councillor Adam Farrell Co-operation is going to be key to the next Labour Council in North Warwickshire. Leader of the Labour Group Adam Farrell blogs on his plans for 2019.
5th September 2018 The water industry is in desperate need of reform, but South West Water’s consumer share offer is too little too late Anna Birley Policy Officer 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.
31st August 2018 The opposition shall not pass James Butler Campaigns Officer You wouldn’t normally expect the newest community-owned football club to feature on the sports pages of the major newspapers let alone make the headlines, but this week Clapton Community Football Club (Clapton CFC) has done exactly that.