Must-read 6 Steps to Build Community WealthUsing what we already have to generate local economic growth co-operatively
8th April 2019 Switching the UK onto mutual credit Oliver Sylvester-Bradley Co-Founder of The Open Co-op The Open Credit Network is changing the way businesses trade, launching a mutual credit trading scheme to support co-ops and SMEs. Guest contributor Oliver Sylvester-Bradley explains.
3rd April 2019 Long read: proposals for a new public banking ecosystem Anna Birley Policy Officer A new report came out this week with detailed proposals for a transition to a banking ecosystem that puts the public interest first. Our Policy Officer, Anna Birley, shares some highlights from the report.
14th March 2019 The People’s Money – Financial Institutions that serve people and their communities Richard McCready Political Officer At the Scottish Labour Conference last weekend in Dundee we held a very successful fringe meeting titled, 'The People’s Money'.
13th March 2019 There is also a Spring Statement today… Anna Birley Policy Officer 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.
7th March 2019 Common decency in action: Mondragon co-operatives, Spain Ben West Communications & Digital Officer Our vision of Common Decency isn’t just a dream or an idea; it’s a model that already exists. And it works.
6th February 2019 We must look at a new way of providing free access to cash so that local communities are not left behind Ged Killen Labour & Co-op MP for Rutherglen & Hamilton West. 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.
31st January 2019 We need a Budget which protects Scotland’s communities James Kelly Labour and Co-operative MSP for Glasgow As a Scottish Co-operative Party MSP I will be looking for a Budget today which is bold and which transforms the way in which out economy is run.
30th January 2019 It’s time to ditch the big banks – Britain’s consumers deserve a more diverse financial sector Caitlin Prowle Youth Organiser 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.
18th January 2019 Credit unions: a serious, mainstream alternative to banks Richard McCready Political Officer This week the Scottish Parliament has debated credit unions and their contribution to Scottish society
17th January 2019 Scotland – the co-operative well spring of democratic ownership Richard McCready Political Officer The Scottish Parliament has called on the Scottish Government to increase support for co-operatives and employee-owned businesses in a motion moved by the Scottish Labour Leader and supported by Scottish Co-operative Party MSPs
10th January 2019 Government failure is leaving people vulnerable to food poverty – but the co-operative movement offers hope Caitlin Prowle Youth Organiser 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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
25th June 2018 Government plans to strengthen the Social Value Act Joe Fortune National Political and Policy Manager The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster speaks to the ‘Reform’ think tank about re-building trust in public procurement post-Carillion.
21st June 2018 Scots want to see governments intervene more robustly to encourage responsible tax palnning by business Richard McCready Political Officer
12th June 2018 Co-operative councillors can begin delivering Labour’s co-operative vision right now. Tom Hayes Oxford City Councillor for St. Clement's Ward In power across the country, co-operative councillors are showing that even in the toughest of circumstances, it's possible to begin implementing the polices, ideas and models that will one day deliver a Labour & Co-operative government all the way to Downing Street.
25th May 2018 Credit unions demonstate why ownership matters Kezia Dugdale Labour & Co-operative MSP for Lothian It's up to all of us to ensure the Scottish Government works to provide more ethical and affordable alternatives in our communities.
17th May 2018 The Scottish National Investment Bank must promote all forms of business ownership Claudia Beamish Member of the Scottish Parliament on the South of Scotland list and Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change The Scottish National Investment Bank should be inclusive of a variety of ownership models: municipal, public, community and co-operative.
17th April 2018 Co-operative Party publishes ‘Ownership Matters’ report, making the case for democratic public ownership Co-operative Party The Co-operative Party, Labour’s sister Party, has today published detailed proposals for new models of democratic public ownership for key industries including water, energy and rail.
5th April 2018 Britain won’t solve its productivity crisis unless employees get a real stake in their workplace Daniel Eggert The Chancellor isn’t wrong to talk about productivity in the UK – but he is missing a key part of the jigsaw by failing to promote employee ownership and co-operative models.
13th March 2018 Why ownership matters Dave Watson Head of Policy and Public Affairs at UNISON Scotland and Co-operative party member New ideas on economic policy are being applied in a practical way in Scotland, with a Labour Leadership which understands that ownership matters.
12th March 2018 Co-operative MPs call for release of lending blackspot data Ben West Communications & Digital Officer This evening Co-operative MPs will call in Parliament for the release of data revealing which parts of the country are being targeted by high-cost lenders, and which have been abandoned by big banks as a result of branch closures.
10th February 2018 Co-operative Party commissions independent report on expansion of co-operative sector Co-operative Party Co-operative Party General Secretary Claire McCarthy responds to the Shadow Chancellor's announcements today
Policy paper: an economy where wealth and power are sharedPolicy paper drawing on members' submissions, which forms the basis of policy debate 2 at 2018 Annual Conference
6 Steps to Build Community WealthUsing what we already have to generate local economic growth co-operatively