The news of John Hume's passing on is an incredibly sad day - when one of the giants of Northern Ireland politics has left us.

As is often the case, the simplest idea has had an enormous impact.

As lockdown measures begin to be eased and policy makers look to the future, our newfound spirit of co-operation is put at risk by a return to the status quo.

Whilst the Home Secretary was seemingly quick to blame political correctness on what appears to have happened in Leicester, Government has systematically underfunded key agencies in the fight against modern slavery.

No parent should ever have to bury their child, and the pain that causes will never truly disappear. But with the Children’s Funeral Fund, we’ve taken a vital step to ensure that at the very least, these parents can bury their children with care and dignity.

Gaming is worth billions to the UK economy, but exploitative work practices mean the rewards are rarely equally shared. Co-operative game development could provide a boost to our economy while giving developers the dignity at work they deserve.

Recovery is a process and we must influence its design from the start. If we standby, expecting others to make change for us, there will be an attempt to return to where we left off before the pandemic. We must take encouragement from the range of voices demanding change and use of our own voice, as the part of the co-operative movement, to make our own demands for a new democratic economy.

The Westminster Government doesn’t have the answers or wherewithal to prepare us for a possible second wave. Outside of somehow escaping a recurrence or having a vaccine, our hopes lie with ourselves and our ability for co-operation.

In Liverpool, Co-op Party councillors have used the Assets of Community Value (ACV) register to protect and boost community pubs and venues. 

Co-operatives are more resilient and sustainable than conventional business - and driven by their values they have risen to the challenge of this crisis and helped their communities. As we rebuild the economy after Covid-19, co-operatives offer us all a say and a stake in a fairer economy.

In years to come I don’t want people to look at recent events in Bristol and dwell on the removal of a statue. I want people to see a city which is more and not less equal than it is now, where people of all backgrounds challenge racism and inequality.

Just as Scotland was unprepared for this public health crisis, so too are we unprepared for the upcoming crisis in our economy.

History has taught us that caring for communities, tackling climate change, protecting workers and consumers, and sharing wealth more fairly cannot be left to the market alone.