Members of the Co-operative group will vote this week on whether to break the historic link between the group and the Co-operative party. Breaking this link risks emasculating the co-operative movement and would be the second loss for progressive politics in as many weeks.
The Co-op group’s recent troubles are not exactly a secret and the rebuilding process has been painful and often played out in public. In response to this, big hitters from the world of business have been brought in to balance the books and it seems they have deemed a political party as surplus to requirements for a company whose main stock in trade is groceries and funerals.
But to take this point of view about the Co-op is to wilfully ignore several home truths. First, co-operative views about the division of profit and power are inherently political. Ever since a group of over 100 co-operatives came together in 1917 and agreed that a political party was the best way to deliver on the vision and interests of the co-operative movement, the group and the party have been working hand in hand.
Second, the work done by the Co-operative party to pass legislation safeguarding co-operatives in the United Kingdom has allowed the Co-op Group to grow into the massive commercial enterprise it is today. Third, the Co-op’s unique values mark it apart from other shops on the high street. They are its USP. Why the Co-op’s new bosses would want to put this at risk, without any serious consideration or a proper debate, is beyond me.
But there is still time to take action. If you have received a voting pack from the Co-op Group by post or email in the last few weeks, please vote in favour of keeping the link between the party and the group by voting ‘yes’ to Motions 9 and 10. Votes are valid until noon on Wednesday.
However Labour party members decide to move forward from last week’s election defeat the support of like-minded, politically progressive allies will be essential. The Co-operative party has been such an ally for almost 100 years and only by using your vote can you help safeguard its future, a future in which the Co-operative party is able to put our deeply egalitarian, pro-business agenda at the heart of Labour’s recovery.
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Karin Christiansen is general secretary of the Co-operative party
The co op movement needs to support Scotland and so do Labour. Join the SNP and stop the fascist scammeron regime. Make it http://www.UKOK.fr.gd and be OK!
The Labour link with the ‘Coop’ has rather the same negative ring to it as the Labour link to the Unions : working class, cloth caps, old fashioned and old Labour.
What Labour, and indeed the Unions and Coop, want is to look and feel at the very least like Waitrose or John Lewis. Something England’s middle class and aspirational working class feel they want to have loyalty cards with.
As someone who has voted to keep the political link and a keen Co-op shopper as good value for money (just along the road).Try one of the shops before being rude about them. I am appalled at the way the Former Board and Senior Management made catastrophic mistakes and poor business decisions( e.g. purchase of Somerfields,Britannia debts, Lloyds etc. These people had a free run and in the private sector they would have been taken apart rather then huge payoffs for incompetence. The current management of the co-op are rightly saving this great institution and iconic brand and surgery has been required. For too long the Co-op was run by small groups of people accountable to themselves and deluded. I am shocked at the number of Co-op party activists who are not voting due to the fact they have not shopped in the Co-op thus do not have a vote. I hope we maintain the link but supporting the Co-op group is more then just taking and hoping in the future comrades will do more then that.
As with joining a trade union, I am put off the co-op because of the compulsory link with the Labour Party. Of course a link to the Labour Party is more than surplus to requirements and a positive hindrance. “recent troubles” is a complete understatement bordering on euphemism. The links with Labour Party didn’t help prevent them, indeed, they are typical of the rotten Labour Borough in the North.