Co-op Votes to Keep Political Link with Labour Movement

As a Co-op shopper and Party member this is great news. I was out canvassing in Tower Hamlets yesterday afternoon for John Biggs as Labour mayor.

When I got a text from one of the "Keep It Co-op" organisers that the Co-operative Group had just voted to keep its link with the Co-operative Party.

In the face of the General Election defeat is was even more important than ever that the Labour movement family (The Labour Party, the Co-operative Party, the affiliated trade unions and socialist societies) - keeps together.

I think that this has been a bit of a "wake up" call for the Co-operative Party to better assert its voice and distinctive cooperative message in the wider Labour Party. While the financial disaster that the Co-operative Banking arm got itself into reminds us that we also need effective as well as democratic governance in co-operatives and mutuals.

Picture of West Ham Labour activists outside the Co-op in Forest Gate, Newham.