Standing by the values of the co-operative movement
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/21/standing-by-the-values-of-the-co-operative-movement Version 0 of 1. Watching the agonies of the Co-operative Group has been hard for those us who want to see fundamental change in the way our economy and wider society is run, and believe the co-operative movement has a lot of the answers (Report, 21 April). For almost 100 years the labour movement and co-operative movement have worked together through our respective political parties to achieve progressive social change. The electoral agreement signed by the Labour party and the Co-operative party in 1927 has ensured the co-operative movement has a strong voice in parliament and within the Labour family. As the leaders of other organisations in that family we value the Co-op party’s work in shaping progressive policy, achieving historic advances on consumer and environmental legislation and, more recently, creating the legal framework which has supported the rapid growth of co-ops in the last 10 years. It has been a distinctive voice on the left in favour of an economy that shares the fruits of success more fairly, a bulwark against unaccountable concentrations of power in broken markets like energy and transport, and a passionate advocate for more people power in our public services. We enthusiastically welcome the determination of the Co-op Group’s new management to return the group to commercial health. At the same time, the Co-op’s member-owners should resist any moves to break their century-long partnership with the Co-operative party. Having the right values and beliefs is necessary but not sufficient. To change Britain, the co-operative movement needs political influence – a seat at the table when decisions are being made. The Co-operative party has delivered that and it will be to the detriment of us all if it came to an end. The Co-operative group’s roots were in a mass-membership movement dedicated to fighting exploitation and profiteering, a movement as relevant now as it ever was. We hope its 8 million members today will defend their political partnership with the Co-op party. They can add their names to the growing number of members who want the Co-op to stay true to its founding purpose at www.keepit.coop.Richard Angell Director, ProgressAndy Harrop General secretary, Fabian SocietyNeal Lawson Chair, CompassMaurice Glasman Founder, Blue LabourMichael McTernan Acting director, Policy NetworkJamie Glackin Chair, Scottish Labour partyCllr Jim McMahon Leader, LGA Labour groupCllr Simon Henig Chair, Association of Labour CouncillorsHelen Gibson Management committee, Labour Women’s NetworkFinn McGoldric National chair, Labour StudentsAlex Adranghi Chair, Young Fabians (personal capacity)Melanie Smallman Chair, Socialist Environment Resource AssociationPhil McCauley Acting chief executive, Movement for ChangeIvana Bartoletti Chair, Fabian Women’s NetworkGiampi Alhadeff Chair, Labour Movement for EuropeMatthew Doyle Chair, Labour party Irish societyDavid Offenbach Chair, Labour Finance and Industry groupMark Ferguson Editor, LabourListPatrick Diamond Lecturer in public policy, Queen Mary, University of LondonMorgan McSweeney Head of the Labour group office, Local Government AssociationAndrew Burns Leader, Edinburgh city council • The Guardian is to be commended for being one of the few media outlets to highlight the growing lack of democracy at Co-operative group (Editorial, 19 April). As you point out, an election where there are just three candidates for the three member-director vacancies is no election at all. It is an insult to members and to the memory of those who fought for generations to make the Co-operative a beacon of democratic economic control. The Real Co-op campaign (realcoop.net) is fighting for member democracy in the Co-operative Group and an end to our exclusive link with the Labour party. We have launched an email campaign targeting Co-op Group chair Allan Leighton, telling him that we stand for the co-operative values of democracy, honesty and openness and demanding that the six candidates on the original shortlist are put forward. Collective action like this is the only way we can safeguard the Co-op from corporate takeover. I hope other organised members’ groups like the Co-operative party will follow our example.David EyreJoint founder, Real Co-op, Dunbar, East Lothian • Your editorial on the coming Co-op Group board election trots out the explanation that the Stalinist “election” for three candidates for three places on the Co-op’s board is partially justified by the previous members being “well-intentioned” but lacking in the “skill set needed to hold to account the management of a multimillion-pound business”. I am waiting for you to show us all the board members of the banks that came a cropper in 2008 and, after, who exercised their board powers and reined in their managements. I seem to remember many of them simply saying: “Nobody told me.”Andrew McCullochCollingham, Nottinghamshire |