The policy consultation will focus on how we build on the progress made since A Co-operative Agenda 2016 and the recommendations of the Co-operative & Mutuals Commission; how we develop and adapt the Party’s UK policy to Wales; and Owning the Future - how we create a better, more co-operative Welsh economy post-Covid-19.
Members are invited to share their views and ideas through our consultation, running until 30th September.
There are a number of ways to get involved – you could join your local branch zoom meeting to discuss the topics and share your collective views, take part in (or convene) an on-line meeting on a specific policy area (e.g. food, the environment) or on a sector basis (e.g. for young members, rural members etc.). Or you can just send your individual answers to us.
Your contributions will be collected and considered by the Wales Council before the final document is launched in the new year.
We're happy to report that despite the Coronavirus outbreak, this year's Policy Process is continuing according to schedule.
All the resources you need to hold a policy meeting online can be found here. We've prepared a guide to using the technology you'll need to organise remotely.
The Co-operative Party was established in 1917 as the political voice of the co-operative movement in the UK. It is part of a global Co-operative Movement that includes over one billion people around the world. We work with Labour Party to influence its policies towards more co-operative solutions through our 11 Members of the Senedd, 26 Labour and Co-operative MPs, 15 Peers, 7 MSPs, 11 MSs and hundreds of local councillors.
A co-operative is an organisation that is owned and controlled by its members. Workers’ co-ops are owned and controlled by the workers while consumer co-operatives are owned and controlled by the consumers; housing co-operatives are owned and controlled by the tenants; agricultural co-operatives are owned and controlled by the farmer members; credit unions are owned and controlled by the depositors. The United Nations has estimated that the livelihood of nearly 3 billion people, or half of the world's population, is made secure by co-operative enterprise. These enterprises play significant social as well as economic roles in their communities.
The size and scope of the co-operative movement in Wales is significant and often underestimated. It provides financial services ranging in size from the Principality Building Society to local credit unions; and retail shops, from the Co-operative Group to local community co-ops. Co-operative businesses run funeral services, travel agents, social housing, home care, childcare, residential care and all forms of new and traditional employee owned businesses. They all have one thing in common – they provide jobs and create wealth in many Welsh communities, and they are controlled by the people they serve or those who work in them.
For this year's policy process we're asking for feedback on A Co-operative Plan for Wales - please read the summary and use the form below to make your submission.
Since the last Senedd elections, the world, and Wales, has changed almost beyond recognition. As it becomes evident that there are some aspects of life that may never return to ‘normal’; we also know that there are some that we wouldn’t want to.
Recent polling shows that only 10% of people in the UK felt that sharing wealth fairly was given priority in the pre-coronavirus economy, but 62% think it should be given priority during the recovery. 69% of people in Wales think the economy would be fairer if more businesses were owned by employees and communities rather than owned by private shareholders.
With the huge challenges of rebuilding the Welsh economy comes opportunities to do things differently. To create a Wales that is fairer.
We need recovery that is environmentally sustainable - ensuring that a return to increased productivity means producing more of what we need - such as healthy, affordable, food, warm homes and green energy – and less of what we don’t. A return to wealth and productivity cannot be tied to needless consumerism, short-life goods and waste.
We need a recovery that is economically sustainable. That means investing in the foundational economy and in jobs that are locally owned and anchored in their communities.
In June 2020, the Co-operative Party launched Owning the Future – the co-operative plan for recovery. You can see more about that here.
The impact of Covid-19 on our society has shown that we can respond to crisis with kindness, and communities – not corporations – have led the way. However, the rules governing the economy favour shareholder- and privately-owned businesses – meaning ownership is concentrated at the top. Those companies suffer from short-termism and this drives greater inequality thanks to low productivity and a lack of investment in wages. By widening ownership, we can narrow inequality and create a new normal.
The Wales Co-operative and Mutuals Commission, set up by Welsh Government, highlighted the role that co-operatives and mutuals have a role to play in enterprise, education and the environment, in health and social services, in local government and public services, and sport. Moreover, it showed the commitment of the Welsh Labour Government to ensuring the continued growth of the co-operative movement in Wales.
Some of the recommendations in A Co-operative Agenda for Wales 2016 such as support and recognition for an alliance to strengthen links and mutual support across all parts of the movement in Wales were also in the recommendations of the Commission and have been implemented (the Mutuals Alliance).
For many years the Co-operative Party called for a Minister to be given specific responsibility for the co-operative sector. This was a key ask in our Co-operative Agenda for Wales 2016 and its predecessors. We were delighted therefore that in his very first appointments following his election as First Minister in 2018, Mark Drakeford included the co-operative economy in the remit of the Minister for Economy and Transport
You can either fill out our easy online form to answer the questions individually, or if you are contributing on behalf of a local party you can also upload a Word or PDF document with your collated answers.
Contributions will only be accepted via our online form. Submissions sent by email or post will not be accepted.
Contribute as an individual Contribute on behalf of a local party
A Co-operative Agenda for Wales (2016)
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