Co-operative Party
Encyclopedia
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left
political party
in the United Kingdom
committed to supporting and representing co-operative
principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party
as "Labour and Co-operative Party
" candidates. Although a sister party of the Labour Party, the Co-operative Party is legally a separate political organisation, and members of the Co-operative Party do not have to join the Labour Party although they are not permitted to be members of another political party.
and the developing world. They also stand for a sustainable economy
and society
, a culture of citizenship and socially responsible business represented by the practice of retail and industrial co-operatives. The Co-operative Party seeks to advance its agenda through the Parliamentary Labour Party
, with whom they share common values and gain cabinet members.
movement, with the requirement of being a member of another co-operative enterprise a central tenet of membership. The party's ties with the Labour Party are strong with co-operative members who wish to stand for election also having to be members of the Labour Party, as joint Labour Co-operative candidates.
In 2005 there were 29 MPs in the Co-operative Parliamentary Group, 9 Members of the Scottish Parliament
, 4 Members of the Welsh Assembly and 11 Members of the House of Lords
, as well as over 700 local councillor
s. There is also an informal Co-operative Party group in the European Parliament
.
In the Parliamentary Elections on 6 May 2010, 28 Co-operative MPs were elected, with a 29th elected in the Leicester South by-election in May 2011.
In addition in the House of Lords the following peers are Co-operative Party members.
In the Scottish Parliament the following are Co-operative Party representatives:
In the National Assembly for Wales the following are Co-operative Party representatives:
In the London Regional Assembly the following are Co-operative Party representatives:
.
Other: Co-operative Party Youth section
" candidates receive financial help with election expenses from the Co-operative Party, including the full funding of parliamentary candidates. Nevertheless, there are many other Labour MPs
who are Co-operative Party members but are not directly sponsored. One of these was Gareth Thomas
MP, chair of the Co-operative Party since 2001 and of the Co-operative Congress
in 2003, who was invited to join the parliamentary group in 2003. Until the 1990s, the number of Labour Co-operative candidates was capped at 30. The Party's capacity to support more than the previously agreed number is arguable, since the prospects of non-sponsored members are not always unfavourable. The benefits of this agreement are felt on both sides, with Labour gaining candidates with fewer election costs and this party gaining from influence within a Labour government. The Co-operative Party has not registered a logo with the electoral commission for use on ballot papers. Following the passing of the Electoral Administration Act 2006
, candidates standing under a joint description were unable to use any registered emblem. However, the coalition government intends to change the law to allow the use of an emblem by candidates standing jointly for two parties which will allow Labour and Co-operative Party candidates to use the registered Labour Party emblem.
, with the first annual conference in Preston in 1924. The 2006 conference was held in Sheffield
in September 2006. The 2007 conference, marking 90 years, was again held at Central Hall, Westminster. The 2010 Conference, held in Cardiff
featured the Annual General Meeting of the Cooperative Party Ltd, a reception hosted at the Welsh Assembly Building, the Senedd, marking the Launch of the Cooperative Manifesto for Wales 2011, a Marketplace of Cooperative and associated businesses and concerns Stalls.
The General Secretary until 2008 was Peter Hunt
, in post since 1998 having replaced Peter Clarke.
In June 2008, Michael Stephenson, a former adviser to Tony Blair
, was appointed General Secretary.
was introduced and food and fuel supplies restricted, these societies began to suffer. The movement was under-represented on the various governmental distribution committees and draft
tribunals. Co-operatives received minimal supplies and even management were often drafted, whereas business opponents were able to have even clerks declared vital for the war effort. Societies were also required to pay excess profits tax, although their co-operative nature meant they made no profits.
A motion was tabled at the 1917 Congress
held in Swansea
by the Joint Parliamentary Committee and 104 retail societies, calling for direct representation at national and local government levels. The motion was passed by 1979 votes to 201.
. This was soon re-named the Co-operative Party. The first national secretary was Samuel Perry
, later a Member of Parliament and the father of Fred Perry
.
At first the party put forward its own candidates. The first was H J May, later Secretary of the International Co-operative Alliance
, who was unsuccessful at the 1918 Prestwich
by-election. Ten then stood in the 1918 general election
. One candidate met with success, Alfred Waterson
, who became a Member of Parliament
for the Kettering
seat. Waterson took the Labour
whip
in Parliament. In 1919, 151 Co-operative Party councillors were elected at local level. Waterson retired from Parliament in 1922, but four new Co-operative MPs were elected that same year, including A.V. Alexander, all of whom took the Labour whip. Six were elected in 1923 and five in 1924.
However, since the 1927 Cheltenham
Agreement, the party has had an electoral agreement with the Labour Party, which allows for a limited number of Labour Co-operative
candidates. This means that the parties involved do not oppose each other. The agreement has been amended several times, most recently in 2003, which was made in the name of the Co-operative Party rather than the Co-operative Union. After the formal agreement, nine Labour Co-operative MPs were elected at the 1929 general election
, and Alexander was made a cabinet minister. However, only one was returned at the 1931 election
against the backdrop of a massive defeat for Labour.
and the formal links and local affiliations brought by the 1927 agreement saw benefits electorally for the Co-operative Party. In 1945, 23 Labour Co-operative MPs were elected and two had high office in the Labour government - Alexander and Alfred Barnes, who had been chair of the Party.
But with Labour's fluctuating fortunes and the slow post-war decline of the co-operative movement, the Party saw its influence and standing fall. By 1983, another nadir for Labour fortunes, only eight Labour Co-operative MPs were elected.
However, in 1997, all 23 candidates won seats in Parliament and, after Labour assumed power, the Party gained its first members of the Cabinet since AV Alexander: Alun Michael
1998-99 (later First Minister for Wales
) and Ed Balls
2007-2010. In 2001, only one candidate was defeated: Faye Tinnion, who had stood against the Leader of the Conservative Party
, William Hague
.
See UK Co-operative Party politicians and List of Labour Co-operative Members of Parliament for wider lists.
Nicholas Russell
, the 6th Earl Russell
(and grandson of the philosopher and 3rd Earl, Bertrand Russell
) is a strong supporter of the Co-operative Party and secretary of its Waltham Forest branch; he is vocal in his call for the abolition of the House of Lords
.
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
committed to supporting and representing co-operative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
as "Labour and Co-operative Party
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
" candidates. Although a sister party of the Labour Party, the Co-operative Party is legally a separate political organisation, and members of the Co-operative Party do not have to join the Labour Party although they are not permitted to be members of another political party.
Principal concerns over time
In its formative years the Co-operative Party was defensive, almost exclusively concerned with the trading and commercial problems of the co-operative movement. Since the 1930s it has widened its emphasis, using the influence it had gained through strong links with the political and commercial left to spread what it sees as the Co-operative Ethos and Moral principles. The basic principles underpinning the party are to seek recognition for co-operative enterprises, recognition for the social economy, and to advance support for co-operatives and co-operation across EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the developing world. They also stand for a sustainable economy
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
, a culture of citizenship and socially responsible business represented by the practice of retail and industrial co-operatives. The Co-operative Party seeks to advance its agenda through the Parliamentary Labour Party
Parliamentary Labour Party
In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body....
, with whom they share common values and gain cabinet members.
The party today
The modern party is the political arm of the wider British co-operativeCooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
movement, with the requirement of being a member of another co-operative enterprise a central tenet of membership. The party's ties with the Labour Party are strong with co-operative members who wish to stand for election also having to be members of the Labour Party, as joint Labour Co-operative candidates.
In 2005 there were 29 MPs in the Co-operative Parliamentary Group, 9 Members of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, 4 Members of the Welsh Assembly and 11 Members of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, as well as over 700 local councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s. There is also an informal Co-operative Party group in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
In the Parliamentary Elections on 6 May 2010, 28 Co-operative MPs were elected, with a 29th elected in the Leicester South by-election in May 2011.
- Adrian BaileyAdrian BaileyAdrian Edward Bailey is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich West since winning the seat at a by-election in 2000...
(MP for West Bromwich West) - Alan KeenAlan KeenDavid Alan Keen was a British Labour Co-operative politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Feltham and Heston from 1992 until his death.-Early life:...
(MP for Feltham and Heston) - Alun MichaelAlun MichaelAlun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
(MP for Cardiff South and Penarth) - Andy LoveAndy LoveAndrew McCulloch Love is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Edmonton since 1997, winning in 2010 with 53.7% of the vote.-Early life:...
(MP for Edmonton) - Barry SheermanBarry SheermanBarry John Sheerman is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Huddersfield since the 1979 general election.-Early life:...
(MP for Huddersfield) - Cathy JamiesonCathy JamiesonCatherine Mary "Cathy" Jamieson is a UK Labour party politician and the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock & Loudoun. She has previously been Deputy Leader and Acting Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, former Minister for Justice in the Scottish Executive, and Labour Co-operative Member of the...
(MP for Kilmarnock & Loudon) - Chris EvansChris Evans (UK politician)Christopher James "Chris" Evans is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Islwyn since 2010.-External links:* Welsh Labour Party profile...
(MP for Islwyn) - Chris Leslie (MP for Nottingham East)
- Ed BallsEd BallsEdward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
(MP for Morley & Outwood) - Gareth ThomasGareth Thomas (English politician)Gareth Richard Thomas is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Harrow West since 1997...
(MP for Harrow West) - Gavin ShukerGavin ShukerGavin Shuker is an English Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Luton South since 2010. Shuker successfully defended the seat after his predecessor Margaret Moran stood down following controversy over her expenses.-Education:A Lutonian, Shuker was educated at...
(MP for Luton South) - Gemma Doyle (MP for West Dunbartonshire)
- Geraint Davies (MP for Swansea West)
- Ian DavidsonIan Davidson (Scottish politician)Ian Graham Davidson is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West since 2005...
(MP for Glasgow South West) - Jim DobbinJim DobbinJames "Jim" Dobbin is a British Labour Co-operative politician and microbiologist, who has been the Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton since 1997.-Education and career:...
(MP for Heywood and Middleton) - John WoodcockJohn Woodcock (UK politician)John Zak Woodcock is a British Labour Co-operative politician. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness in 2010.-Early and personal life:...
(MP for Barrow & Furness) - Jonathan ReynoldsJonathan ReynoldsJonathan Neil Reynolds is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde since 2010....
(MP for Stalybridge & Hyde) - Jon Ashworth (MP for Leicester South)
- Linda RiordanLinda RiordanLinda June Riordan is an English Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Halifax since 2005.-Early life:Riordan was born in Halifax and graduated from the University of Bradford....
(MP for Halifax) - Louise EllmanLouise EllmanLouise Joyce Ellman is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Liverpool Riverside since 1997. In parliament she is Chair of the Transport Select Committee and a member of the Liaison Committee.-Early life:Ellman was born in Manchester to a British...
(MP for Liverpool Riverside) - Luciana BergerLuciana BergerLuciana Clare Berger is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree since 2010...
(MP for Liverpool Wavertree) - Mark HendrickMark HendrickMark Phillip Hendrick is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Preston since winning a by-election in 2000.-Biography:Hendrick, who is half Somali, was born in Salford, Lancashire...
(MP for Preston) - Mark LazarowiczMark LazarowiczMark Lazarowicz, is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith since 2001...
(MP for Edinburgh North and Leith) - Meg HillierMeg HillierMargaret Olivia Hillier is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney South and Shoreditch since 2005, and was a junior Minister in HM Government from 2007 to 2010...
(MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch) - Meg MunnMeg MunnMargaret Patricia Munn , is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley since 2001.-Early life:...
(MP for Sheffield Heeley) - Mike GapesMike GapesMichael John "Mike" Gapes is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Ilford South since 1992....
(MP for Ilford South) - Stella CreasyStella CreasyDr Stella Judith Creasy is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Walthamstow since 2010.-Education:...
(MP for Walthamstow) - Stephen TwiggStephen TwiggStephen Twigg is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby since 2010. He previously served as the Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate from 1997 to 2005, when he lost his seat. He came to national prominence in 1997...
(MP for Liverpool West Derby) - Tom GreatrexTom GreatrexThomas James Greatrex is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West since 2010. He is presently Shadow Energy Minister.-Early life:Greatrex was born in Kent...
(MP for Rutherglen & Hamilton West)
In addition in the House of Lords the following peers are Co-operative Party members.
- Baroness Nicol
- Baroness Smith of Basildon
- Baroness Thornton
- Lord Bassam of Brighton
- Lord Bilston
- Lord Davies of Coity
- Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
- Lord Graham of Edmonton
- Lord McAvoy
- Lord McFall of Alcluith
- Lord Moonie
- Lord Morris of Manchester
- Lord Thomas of Macclesfield
- Lord Tomlinson
- Lord Touhig
In the Scottish Parliament the following are Co-operative Party representatives:
- James KellyJames Kelly (Scottish politician)James Kelly is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Rutherglen constituency. He was elected for the first time in the 2007 Scottish Election....
(MSP for Glasgow Rutherglen) - Johann Lamont (MSP for Glasgow Pollock)
In the National Assembly for Wales the following are Co-operative Party representatives:
- Alun Davies (AM for Blaenau Gwent
- Ann JonesAnn Jones (Welsh politician)Margaret Ann Jones AM is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician. Born in Rhyl, Denbighshire, Jones has represented the Vale of Clwyd constituency since the National Assembly for Wales was established in 1999. Jones is presently Chair of the Equality of Opportunity Committee...
(AM for Vale of Clwyd) - Christine ChapmanChristine ChapmanChristine Chapman is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cynon Valley since 1999....
(AM for Cynon Valley) - Huw LewisHuw LewisHuw Lewis AM is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Lewis has represented the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency since the National Assembly for Wales was established in 1999.-Early life:...
(AM for Mertyr Tydfil and Rhymney) - John GriffithsJohn GriffithsJohn Griffiths AM is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician and the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development...
(AM for Newport East) - Lynne NeagleLynne NeagleLynne Neagle AM is a Welsh Labour & Co-operative politician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales, Neagle has represented the constituency of Torfaen since the National Assembly for Wales was established in 1999.-Background:...
(AM for Torfaen) - Mick AntoniwMick AntoniwMick Antoniw AM is a Welsh Labour & Co-operative politician, who has represented the constituency of Pontypridd since the National Assembly for Wales election of 2011.-Early life:...
(AM for Pontypridd) - Vaughan GethingVaughan GethingVaughan Gething AM is a Welsh Labour Co-operative politician, who has represented the constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth since the National Assembly for Wales election of 2011.-Early life:...
(AM for Cardiff South and Penarth)
In the London Regional Assembly the following are Co-operative Party representatives:
- Jennette ArnoldJennette ArnoldJennette Arnold is a Labour Party politician and member of the London Assembly representing the London Boroughs of Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest....
AM - Joanne McCartneyJoanne McCartneyJoanne McCartney is a British Labour Party politician and barrister, a member of the London Assembly.McCartney worked as a barrister specialising in employment law and helped to establish a local Chambers in Enfield in the early 1990s...
AM - John Biggs AM
- Len DuvallLen DuvallLen Duvall OBE is a Labour Party politician, member of the London Assembly and a former chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority.Duvall was born and raised in Woolwich...
AM - Murad QureshiMurad QureshiMurad Qureshi is a British Labour Party politician, and a Member of the London Assembly.-Background:Qureshi was born in May 1965 in Stockport, Cheshire, but he was brought up in Westminster, London, when his parents moved in July 1965...
AM - Valerie ShawcrossValerie ShawcrossValerie Shawcross CBE is a Labour Party politician and member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark. Shawcross was the Labour Co-operative candidate for Bermondsey and Old Southwark at the 2010 general election....
AM
Structure
At the local level, the Party can generally be described as being organised around the basic trading units of the retail societies. Party branches exist at an even more local level to organise local activity and liaise with Constituency Labour PartiesConstituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
.
Regional Party Councils/Members' Regions
- Anglia
- Bath & West
- Bristol
- Brussels
- Chelmsford Star
- Coventry & Warwickshire
- Dorset
- East Kent
- East of England Society
- Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire
- London
- Manchester & District
- Midcounties Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester
- Midcounties West Midlands
- Midlands Eastern
- Midlands Southern
- Midlands Western
- North and Mid Wales
- North Eastern & Cumbria
- North Staffs & Cheshire East
- North West North
- Northern Ireland
- Nottinghamshire & Lincolnshire
- Plymouth & South West
- Scotmid
- Scottish
- Solent
- Southern
- South and West Essex
- South Wales
- South Western
- Surrey, Berkshire & Buckinghamshire
- Sussex
- West Mercia
- West Wales
- West Kent
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Other: Co-operative Party Youth section
Funding and financial ties today
The majority of the Party's income comes from grants made by the retail co-operative societies of the UK, and from fees received for managing the political affairs of Co-operatives UK, formerly known as the Co-operative Union, an organisation linking all co-operatives operating in the UK. Local retail societies provide the majority of funding for local Party Councils, who form the basis of members contact with the party. The Party recognises several Party structures which exist without Society support (voluntary parties) as being part of the whole. Subscriptions from members also support the party financially, with 2009 membership priced at £15.Support of candidates
As a result of the electoral agreement with the Labour Party, "Labour Co-operativeLabour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
" candidates receive financial help with election expenses from the Co-operative Party, including the full funding of parliamentary candidates. Nevertheless, there are many other Labour MPs
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
who are Co-operative Party members but are not directly sponsored. One of these was Gareth Thomas
Gareth Thomas (English politician)
Gareth Richard Thomas is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Harrow West since 1997...
MP, chair of the Co-operative Party since 2001 and of the Co-operative Congress
Co-operative Congress
The Co-operative Congress is the national conference of the UK Co-operative Movement. The first of the modern congresses took place in 1869 following a series of meetings called the "Owenite Congress" in the 1830s...
in 2003, who was invited to join the parliamentary group in 2003. Until the 1990s, the number of Labour Co-operative candidates was capped at 30. The Party's capacity to support more than the previously agreed number is arguable, since the prospects of non-sponsored members are not always unfavourable. The benefits of this agreement are felt on both sides, with Labour gaining candidates with fewer election costs and this party gaining from influence within a Labour government. The Co-operative Party has not registered a logo with the electoral commission for use on ballot papers. Following the passing of the Electoral Administration Act 2006
Electoral Administration Act 2006
The Electoral Administration Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed on 11 July 2006. The Bill was amended during its passage through the House of Lords to require political parties to declare large loans; this followed the "Cash for Peerages" scandal...
, candidates standing under a joint description were unable to use any registered emblem. However, the coalition government intends to change the law to allow the use of an emblem by candidates standing jointly for two parties which will allow Labour and Co-operative Party candidates to use the registered Labour Party emblem.
Annual conference and leadership
The Party holds an annual conference with delegates elected by their local members by local parties and societies and discuss motions brought by them. The inaugural conference was held in 1920 in Central Hall, WestminsterWestminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, with the first annual conference in Preston in 1924. The 2006 conference was held in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in September 2006. The 2007 conference, marking 90 years, was again held at Central Hall, Westminster. The 2010 Conference, held in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
featured the Annual General Meeting of the Cooperative Party Ltd, a reception hosted at the Welsh Assembly Building, the Senedd, marking the Launch of the Cooperative Manifesto for Wales 2011, a Marketplace of Cooperative and associated businesses and concerns Stalls.
The General Secretary until 2008 was Peter Hunt
Peter Hunt (politician)
Peter Hunt is a British Labour Party politician and co-operative activist and thinker. He was until March 2008 General Secretary of the Co-operative Party and is as of 2008 chief executive of the think tank Mutuo...
, in post since 1998 having replaced Peter Clarke.
In June 2008, Michael Stephenson, a former adviser to Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, was appointed General Secretary.
Joint Parliamentary Committee
The Joint Parliamentary Committee was set up in 1881 by The Co-operative Union. It was primarily a watchdog on parliamentary activities. Issues and legislation could be raised in the House of Commons only by lobbying sympathetic, usually Labour, MPs. As it was somewhat unsatisfactory to have to lobby MPs on each individual issue, motions were passed at the Co-operative Union Annual Congress urging direct parliamentary representation. However, for much of this early period societies would not commit funds.The Great War
At the start of the war, the many retail societies in the Co-operative movement grew in both membership and trade, in part because of their very public anti-profiteering stance. When conscriptionConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
was introduced and food and fuel supplies restricted, these societies began to suffer. The movement was under-represented on the various governmental distribution committees and draft
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
tribunals. Co-operatives received minimal supplies and even management were often drafted, whereas business opponents were able to have even clerks declared vital for the war effort. Societies were also required to pay excess profits tax, although their co-operative nature meant they made no profits.
A motion was tabled at the 1917 Congress
Co-operative Congress
The Co-operative Congress is the national conference of the UK Co-operative Movement. The first of the modern congresses took place in 1869 following a series of meetings called the "Owenite Congress" in the 1830s...
held in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
by the Joint Parliamentary Committee and 104 retail societies, calling for direct representation at national and local government levels. The motion was passed by 1979 votes to 201.
Central Co-operative Parliamentary Representation Committee
An Emergency Political Conference was held on 18 October 1917. As a result the Central Co-operative Parliamentary Representation Committee was formed in 1917, with the objective of putting co-operators into the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. This was soon re-named the Co-operative Party. The first national secretary was Samuel Perry
Samuel Perry
Samuel Frederick Perry , was a Labour Co-operative politician in the United Kingdom. He was the father of the British tennis and table tennis champion Fred Perry....
, later a Member of Parliament and the father of Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
.
At first the party put forward its own candidates. The first was H J May, later Secretary of the International Co-operative Alliance
International Co-operative Alliance
The International Co-operative Alliance is a non-governmental co-operative federation or, more precisely, a co-operative union representing co-operatives and the co-operative movement worldwide. It was founded in 1895. The ICA maintains the internationally recognised definition of a co-operative...
, who was unsuccessful at the 1918 Prestwich
Prestwich
Prestwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies close to the River Irwell, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury....
by-election. Ten then stood in the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
. One candidate met with success, Alfred Waterson
Alfred Waterson
Alfred Edward Waterson was a Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. He was the first Co-operative Party MP.Born in Derby, Waterson was a railwayman and activist in his trade union...
, who became a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Kettering
Kettering (UK Parliament constituency)
Kettering is a county constituency in Northamptonshire which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
seat. Waterson took the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in Parliament. In 1919, 151 Co-operative Party councillors were elected at local level. Waterson retired from Parliament in 1922, but four new Co-operative MPs were elected that same year, including A.V. Alexander, all of whom took the Labour whip. Six were elected in 1923 and five in 1924.
However, since the 1927 Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
Agreement, the party has had an electoral agreement with the Labour Party, which allows for a limited number of Labour Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
candidates. This means that the parties involved do not oppose each other. The agreement has been amended several times, most recently in 2003, which was made in the name of the Co-operative Party rather than the Co-operative Union. After the formal agreement, nine Labour Co-operative MPs were elected at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, and Alexander was made a cabinet minister. However, only one was returned at the 1931 election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
against the backdrop of a massive defeat for Labour.
The rise of the sister party
Labour's recovery as a credible party of government during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the formal links and local affiliations brought by the 1927 agreement saw benefits electorally for the Co-operative Party. In 1945, 23 Labour Co-operative MPs were elected and two had high office in the Labour government - Alexander and Alfred Barnes, who had been chair of the Party.
But with Labour's fluctuating fortunes and the slow post-war decline of the co-operative movement, the Party saw its influence and standing fall. By 1983, another nadir for Labour fortunes, only eight Labour Co-operative MPs were elected.
However, in 1997, all 23 candidates won seats in Parliament and, after Labour assumed power, the Party gained its first members of the Cabinet since AV Alexander: Alun Michael
Alun Michael
Alun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
1998-99 (later First Minister for Wales
First Minister for Wales
The First Minister of Wales is the leader of the Welsh Government, Wales' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. The First Minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the...
) and Ed Balls
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
2007-2010. In 2001, only one candidate was defeated: Faye Tinnion, who had stood against the Leader of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
.
Chairs of the Co-operative Party
- 1918-1924 Mr W. H. Watkins
- 1924-1945 Alfred Barnes MP
- 1945-1955 William ColdrickWilliam ColdrickWilliam Coldrick was a Labour Co-operative politician in the United Kingdom.He was elected as Member of Parliament for Bristol North at the 1945 general election. When that constituency was abolished in boundary changes for the 1950 general election, he was returned to Parliament for the new...
MP - 1955-1957 Albert BallardAlbert BallardAlbert Ballard was a leading figure in the British Co-operative Party.Ballard became the election agent for A. V. Alexander in the Sheffield Hillsborough constituency in 1922; Alexander gained the seat for the Co-operative Party, taking the Labour Party whip in Parliament...
- 1957-1965 James PeddieJames Peddie, Baron PeddieJames Mortimer Peddie, Baron Peddie, MBE was a British businessman and politician, a leading figure in the UK co-operative movement....
- 1965-1972 Herbert Kemp CSD, JP
- 1972-1978 John Parkinson
- 1978-1982 Tom Turvey JP
- 1982-1989 Brian Hellowell
- 1989-1995 Jessie Carnegie
- 1995-1996 Peter Nurse
- 1996-2001 Jim Lee
- 2001–present Gareth ThomasGareth Thomas (English politician)Gareth Richard Thomas is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Harrow West since 1997...
MP
Noted co-op politicians
- Alfred WatersonAlfred WatersonAlfred Edward Waterson was a Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. He was the first Co-operative Party MP.Born in Derby, Waterson was a railwayman and activist in his trade union...
– first Co-op MP - Albert Victor "AV" Alexander (1885–1965)
- Alun MichaelAlun MichaelAlun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
– former First Minister for WalesFirst Minister for WalesThe First Minister of Wales is the leader of the Welsh Government, Wales' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. The First Minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the... - Stan Newens
- Ted Graham, Lord Graham of Edmondton
- Pauline GreenPauline GreenDame Pauline Green DBE is a former Labour and Co-operative Member of the European Parliament and former Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists...
– former Labour Co-op MEP, former leader of the Group of the Party of European SocialistsProgressive Alliance of Socialists and DemocratsThe Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats is the social-democratic political group in the European Parliament, formed by MEPs of the Party of European Socialists and allied centre-left parties. The group dates its ancestry via various names back to the beginning of the European... - Ed BallsEd BallsEdward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
– former Secretary of State for Children, Schools and FamiliesSecretary of State for Children, Schools and FamiliesThe Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. The post was created on 28 June 2007 after the disbanding of the Department for Education and Skills by Gordon Brown. The first Secretary of State was Ed Balls, a former treasury aide to Brown...
, former economic adviser to Gordon Brown and MP for NormantonNormanton (UK Parliament constituency)Normanton was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in West Yorkshire since May 2005 - Stella CreasyStella CreasyDr Stella Judith Creasy is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Walthamstow since 2010.-Education:...
MP - Labour Co-operative - Walthamstow constituency.
See UK Co-operative Party politicians and List of Labour Co-operative Members of Parliament for wider lists.
Nicholas Russell
Nicholas Russell, 6th Earl Russell
Nicholas Lyulph Russell, 6th Earl Russell , styled Viscount Amberley between 1987 and 2004, is the elder son of Conrad Russell, 5th Earl Russell and Elizabeth Russell...
, the 6th Earl Russell
Earl Russell
Earl Russell, of Kingston Russell in the County of Dorset, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 30 July 1861 for the prominent Liberal politician Lord John Russell. He was Home Secretary from 1835 to 1839, Foreign Secretary from 1852 to 1853 and 1859 to 1865 and Prime...
(and grandson of the philosopher and 3rd Earl, Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
) is a strong supporter of the Co-operative Party and secretary of its Waltham Forest branch; he is vocal in his call for the abolition of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.