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Use this tool to build your co-operative manifesto for the 2025 local elections.
Labour & Co-operative councillors have been putting co-operation into action across the country – making a real difference for the communities they serve. A new Labour & Co-operative Government at Westminster provides the opportunity to drive real change in partnership with local councils. The Co-operative Party’s ‘Build a Co-operative Manifesto’ 2025 provides innovative ideas on how councillors can put co-operative values and solutions into practice in their local area. This document provides solutions for wherever councils are on their co-operative journey – just starting out or with a pre-existing strong co-operative offering. Co-operative change is now more deliverable than ever before.
The Labour & Co-operative Government has a commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutual sector throughout the UK economy. This is a landmark commitment by the UK Government to expanding the co-operative movement in all sectors of the economy – delivering good jobs and a fairer form of business.
Local councils are integral partners in delivering new co-operative growth. Councils can make co-operative development central to their plans for their local economy, providing support and resources for new and existing co-operatives to develop.
Work with external partner organisations to provide co-operative and social economy booster programmes.
Examples: Business for Good West Yorkshire Plymouth Council
Examples: GLA London Ownership Hub Co-operate Islington Preston Co-operative Development Network Oxford Council’s Inclusive Co-operative Economy Policy
The decline of town high streets and the loss of goods and services in villages has harmed communities in recent years. These local civic institutions are vital for thriving communities – providing places to socialise, learn and engage in leisure activities.
Community ownership of local civic institutions and assets can help to ensure their survival and can create new places of community activity. Pubs, shops, music venues, cinemas and leisure centres have been successful under community ownership and local authorities can play their part in enabling this success. Councillors can play a pivotal role in ensuring community groups can identify, purchase and operate community businesses which serve the needs of local residents.
Examples: Camden Council ACVs webpage
Examples: Plymouth Nudge Community Builders Dumfries Midsteeple Quarter Find more examples and guidance in our High Streets paper
Fair, accessible and accountable financial services are vital to communities and residents.
Credit unions and building societies, are member-owned financial co-operatives, are built on the principles of accountability, democracy and member interest. By providing accessible services such as low interest loans and savings accounts, credit unions can enable employees, residents and households to save and invest in their future. Building societies and community banks can also serve a vital role, developing mutual financial services to all communities and businesses.
Examples: Enfield Council & London Capital Credit Union West Lancashire Council & Unify Credit Union
Examples: Cardiff Council & Cardiff & Vale Credit Union
Examples: Sunderland city-wide credit union (Sunderland Council partnership with MoneyWise Credit Union) Preston Community Bank concept
The Labour & Co-operative Government’s climate mission provides the biggest opportunity for community energy growth in British history. The Local Power Plan is an opportunity for local authorities to work with community energy groups to develop new renewable energy generation capacity in all parts of the country. A future energy system built on community energy can put communities in charge of their energy production, supply and usage. Community energy retrofitting of homes can help to reduce energy bills through greater energy efficiency.
Examples: Salford City Council and Carbon Co-op MK Community Energy
LAEPs enable councils to design and develop a plan for local energy decarbonisation – identifying needs, stakeholders and sources of power. A ‘local community energy strategy’ could be part of the LAEP.
Examples: Manchester City Council Wandsworth Council
Examples: Plymouth Council & Plymouth Energy Community
The Labour & Co-operative Government is committed to building more affordable housing for communities across the country. New changes to the planning system, leasehold and rental sectors provide the opportunity for local councils to help deliver better housing for residents and drive change. Local councils can support the development of a better private rental sector and new provision in community-led and co-operative housing.
This would enable land and assets to be managed by Community Land Trusts (CLTs) for new co-operative housing.
Examples: Lambeth Council Norwich City Council
Examples: Greenwich Council Lewisham Council
Enable community-led housing provision within social housing by enabling tenants to manage their own estates.
Examples: Merthyr Valley Homes Camden Council
Tax avoidance has deprived public services of billions in tax revenue – leaving schools, hospitals, and infrastructure underfunded and often in disrepair. Governments across the world are beginning to take greater action against tax avoidance and local councils can support this through their own work. Councils can take leadership on ethical procurement, working against modern slavery in operations, supply chain and the local community.
This will help establish fair tax compliance in procurement and supply chain.
Examples: Over 60 councils are now signed up for the Fair Tax Declaration Find out more about becoming a Fair Tax Council
This will committs your council to eradicating modern slavery from procurement and the Council’s supply chain.
Examples: Over 100 councils have signed up to the Co-op Party’s Modern Slavery Charter Find out more about the Modern Slavery Charter
This promotes social value impact and the social economy
Examples: Islington Council Sheffield Council Preston Council
The previous Government failed to ensure everyone had access to affordable, nutritious food. The new Labour & Co-operative Government has stated it wants to end the food insecurity which blights our society. Local councils have an important role to play in delivering this change and ensuring food justice is achieved in all our communities and local authorities.
Examples: West Lancashire Council’s Food Security Champion Wandsworth Council Find more examples and support through our Food Justice campaign
Examples: Camden Council Warrington Council
Examples: Islington Council Islington Food Co-op Partnership
Many communities are underserved by existing transport systems – leaving them isolated and often unable to access jobs, services and town centres. Community-led transport services can meet the needs of local residents – particularly the most vulnerable, elderly and isolated. Community transport can include community buses, dial-a-ride, voluntary car schemes, school and hospital transport.
Examples: Stevenage Council & Stevenage Community Transport Service
These can support community groups to purchase vehicles and resources for new community-owned transport provision
The present social care system is broken – failing to deliver for care recipients, their families and care workers. The co-operative model can provide a solution which puts all these groups in control of their care. Co-op social care provision is developing in different regions of the UK and local councils can play an important role in expanding their services.
Examples: Leading Lives Co-operative Care Colne Valley
Examples: Equal Care Co-op and Calderdale Council
Labour & Co-operative councillors can take action to revive their high streets – creating safer spaces for residents, communities and businesses. This will mean implementing community led approaches to high street redevelopment and strong action to reduce retail crime – which harms workers, consumers, communities and businesses.
This raises awareness within police authorities and with Police & Crime Commissioners.
Examples: Read more in our Rebuilding Policing and Criminal Justice pamphlet Kilburn CID, Camden Council
Examples: Possilpark CID, Glasgow Kilburn CID, Camden Council
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