30th June 2008
CO-OPERATIVES ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR LIVES
Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Clwyd West constituency this weekend attended the 2008 Co-operatives Congress in Blackpool, which is like the “TUC” or “CBI” of the country’s co-ops.
“Co-operatives are not just about food stores, funerals and insurance, nor the remaining building societies or even the massive mutual that owns all of Wales’ water services,” said Ms Hutton. Co-ops are a really important part of our lives. One in six of Britain’s population belongs to a co-op and the sector’s annual turnover is £24 billion”. If the largest of these, the Co-op Group, succeed in purchasing Somerfields in the next few weeks, they will be almost as big a supermarket operator as Morrison’s.
“I think we should look to co-ops to do more for us as, whether tiny or large, they can provide all sorts of services. And being controlled by their members in their communities, co-operatives operate on strongly ethical lines and their profits do not go to ‘fat cats’ in the City.” Continued Ms Hutton.
She gave many examples of how she thinks co-operatives could help us all. “For instance:
- Recycling of garden waste is a major operation and is already a real success story – run for Conwy County by a co-operative.
- Housing co-ops could be an economical and secure way to provide for growing housing need for local people.
- School and hospital meals could be made from a lot more local produce, employing local people and also helping the environment with less transportation. Food growing and distribution co-ops could compete for large public sector contracts.
- Saving for Christmas can be risky, as the Farepack disaster showed, so we need more credit unions. These also help people avoid loan companies who charge huge interest rates or whose conditions are unreasonable.
- Conwy’s council housing stock could have been transferred to a tenants’ co-op, as the Welsh Assembly suggested, so tenants would own and control their own homes. Instead, they are going to a housing association that could one day be a PLC – but this could still be converted.”
“Co-ops seem to have been with us forever, and yes, the ‘divvy’ is still paid out. But they are as relevant and important to us today as ever, so it is good to see they have a bright future.”
ENDS.