Peter Hunt (politician)
Encyclopedia
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
.
Educated at Comprehensive School in Leicester
and at Brunel University
, Hunt worked in housing and IT before joining the Co-operative Party staff in 1994, working as regional organiser for the South of England. In 1998, Hunt was appointed General Secretary of the Party.
The Co-operative Party had arguably been in a long decline and Hunt's immediate priority was to secure the position and finances of the Party and its relationship with the new Labour government. He also rejuvenated the Party's policy making and broadened its scope. He relaunched the Party's magazine, New Mutualism, and started a series of policy pamphlets under the same name. One of these, New Mutualism - a Golden Goal? inspired the creation of Supporters Direct
and a new generation of mutual organisations - football supporters' trust
s. Another, New Mutualism - the Third Way (1998) by Peter Kellner
, was a key piece of thinking in the early 'Third Way
' phase of New Labour.
Hunt launched Mutuo in 2000 as a think tank for the wider mutual sector, attracting support from building societies, friendly societies and mutual insurers. Mutuo took on much of the policy publishing, with many publications by leading thinkers and politicians in the field. Making Healthcare Mutual, co-written by Hunt, Hazel Blears
and Cliff Mills, called for a locally accountable NHS and underpinned the only successful amendment to the Act on foundation hospitals.
As general secretary, Hunt sat on the National Policy Forum
of the Labour Party.
In early 2008, Hunt announced he would be stepping down as general secretary of the Co-operative Party in March 2008.
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...
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...
politician and co-operative activist and thinker. He was until March 2008 General Secretary
General Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
of the Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
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 is as of 2008 chief executive of the think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
Mutuo
Mutuo
Mutuo is a British think tank that has Gordon Brown as a patron and advocates cooperatives. In anticipation of the 2010 general election, it published the Mutuals Manifesto, which was the subject of an early day motion in the House of Commons.-External links:...
.
Educated at Comprehensive School in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and at Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
, Hunt worked in housing and IT before joining the Co-operative Party staff in 1994, working as regional organiser for the South of England. In 1998, Hunt was appointed General Secretary of the Party.
The Co-operative Party had arguably been in a long decline and Hunt's immediate priority was to secure the position and finances of the Party and its relationship with the new Labour government. He also rejuvenated the Party's policy making and broadened its scope. He relaunched the Party's magazine, New Mutualism, and started a series of policy pamphlets under the same name. One of these, New Mutualism - a Golden Goal? inspired the creation of Supporters Direct
Supporters Direct
Supporters Direct are an umbrella organisation set up originally by the United Kingdom government to provide support and assistance for its member trusts to secure a greater level of accountability and deliver democratic representation within football clubs and within football's governing structures...
and a new generation of mutual organisations - football supporters' trust
Supporters' trust
In British sports, a supporters' trust is a formal, democratic and not-for-profit organisation of fans who attempt to strengthen the influence of supporters over the running of the club they support...
s. Another, New Mutualism - the Third Way (1998) by Peter Kellner
Peter Kellner
Peter Jon Kellner is a journalist, political commentator and President of the YouGov opinion polling organisation in the United Kingdom. He is known for his appearances on TV, especially at election times...
, was a key piece of thinking in the early 'Third Way
Third way (centrism)
The Third Way refers to various political positions which try to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of right-wing economic and left-wing social policies. Third Way approaches are commonly viewed from within the first- and second-way perspectives as...
' phase of New Labour.
Hunt launched Mutuo in 2000 as a think tank for the wider mutual sector, attracting support from building societies, friendly societies and mutual insurers. Mutuo took on much of the policy publishing, with many publications by leading thinkers and politicians in the field. Making Healthcare Mutual, co-written by Hunt, Hazel Blears
Hazel Blears
Hazel Anne Blears is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Salford and Eccles since 2010 and was previously the MP for Salford since 1997...
and Cliff Mills, called for a locally accountable NHS and underpinned the only successful amendment to the Act on foundation hospitals.
As general secretary, Hunt sat on the National Policy Forum
National Policy Forum
The National Policy Forum of the British Labour Party is part of the policy-making system of the Party, set up by Leader Tony Blair as part of the Partnership in Power process....
of the Labour Party.
In early 2008, Hunt announced he would be stepping down as general secretary of the Co-operative Party in March 2008.