UK co

Jul 17, 2023

Leading UK co-operatives are calling on all political parties to commit to co-operative growth at the next general election.

Co-ordinated by sector apex Co-operatives UK, the Everybody’s Business campaign has been signed by the leaders of a number of co-ops – including the Co-op Group and independent retail societies Central, Midcounties, Lincolnshire, Scotmid, East of England, Chelmsford Star, Southern, Heart of England and Radstock.

It also has the backing of Greenwich Leisure, the Wine Society, HF Holidays, Unicorn Grocery, Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative, the National Merchants’ Buying Society, Delta T, Carbon Co-op , Workers.coop and Dulas.

The campaign has four policy priorities from parties when they set out their manifestoes in the next general election, which must be held by January 2025.

They are:

“We are democratic businesses with purpose beyond profit, sharing power and wealth across the economy, from farming to retail and renewable energy to manufacturing,” says the electjon call. “We are common endeavours, proving that people achieve more together than they do alone.

“We call on all political parties who share our values of democracy, self-help and solidarity to commit to co-operative growth at the next general election. If you unleash our potential, we will deliver.”

The Everybody’s Business campaign argues that the “rapid development of the UK’s co-operative economy will be instrumental in delivering inclusive, responsible, wellbeing-enhancing growth”.

This can be done through the movement’s ‘six offers’ identified in the campaign.

“Business as usual is failing and wrecking the planet in the process,” the campaign adds. “For more than a century, we have pioneered a better way of doing business and serving communities. While we are still something of a ‘best-kept-secret’ in the UK, we are growing in number and already punch above our weight.

“Globally co-operatives are a significant force, offering genuine alternatives to corporate myopia, knee-jerk government, trickledown philanthropy and passive consumerism. The UK needs to be part of this.”

Miles is the Co-op News digital editor.