The Co-operative Party was founded in 1917 by the co-operative movement. Made up of customer-owned, employee-owned and community-owned organisations, the co-operative movement were determined to change how how our economy works, and who shares its rewards.
That relationship continues today, with Co-op supermarkets and other co-operatives continuing to support our party and campaign with us on crucial issues like ending food poverty, tackling tax avoidance, and promoting Fairtrade.
Democracy is a cornerstone of the co-operative model, so each year at their AGM, eligible members of the Co-op Group vote on whether to continue its partnership with the Co-operative Party.
To help ensure that partnership continues and find out more about the Co-operative Party, sign up now to get updates on voting ahead of the AGM.
Soon, those of us who regularly shop with the Co-operative Group (‘the Co-op’) will once again be asked to vote on continuing the partnership with Co-operative Party.
For over 100 years, the Co-operative Party and the co-operative movement have worked in partnership to build a society where power and wealth are shared. We are the political voice of the co-operative movement, taking co-operative policies and principles from the shop floor to the places where laws are made.
We are your voice at decision-making tables across the country: supporting co-operative ideas like fairtrade, food justice and protection for shopworkers. But for that work to continue, we need your vote.
To keep this historic link between our movement and our Party and to continue the amazing successes we've achieved together, vote Yes to Motion 10 as part of the Co-op Group AGM before the deadline of 13th May.
Since last year's vote, we have:
"The Co-op" is more than a shop: it's a critical part of a movement dedicated to changing the way power and wealth are shared.
From being the first supermarket to stock Fairtrade products to their brilliant work on tackling the climate emergency by pioneering the elimination of plastic waste, they show us a different, more ethical way to do business.
Your blue card is more than a way to earn rewards for yourself. As you shop, you are supporting causes in your local community. You are signalling your support for an ethical business that pays its fair share of tax. You are earning the right to make decisions about how the Co-op Group should use its power. You make the work we do possible.
Your card means you are part of a movement. You're not just a shopper. You're a pioneer.
Much like how the Labour Party was founded by the trade union movement, the Co-operative Party was founded by the co-operative movement to fight for our values in the places where decisions are taken and laws are made.
Because know that co‑operative values don't stop at the shopfront. The principles that lie behind successful co‑operatives – democratic control by customers and workers, and a fair share of the wealth we create together – ought to extend to the wider economy and our society.
That's why for over 90 years, the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party have worked together and stood joint candidates. Today, there are 24 Labour & Co-operative MPs alongside over 1,500 Labour & Co-operative other elected representatives right across the country, at every level of government.
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