the Co-operative Party Annual Conference Edinburgh 2013: Stronger, together Annual report 2012 Hilton Grosvenor, Edinburgh Friday 4th October - Sunday 6th October #CoopParty Also available at www.party.coop Contents Chair’s Report 3 Local Government 18 Electoral Success 18 Organisation 4 Local government results in Co-operative National Executive Committee 4 Parliamentary seats 19 The Party Staff in 2012 5 Co-operative Councils’ Network 19 The Co-operative Party: London Mayoral and Assembly elections 19 A review of the highlights of the year 6 Highlights of Policy, 2012 Month-By-Month Highlights 11 Publications & Campaigns 20 National Politics 13 Party Support 22 Westminster 13 Party Support Website and handbook 22 Scotland 15 Summerfest & Weekend Schools 22 Wales 16 Listening Exercise 22 The Co-operative Party’s Plans for 2013 23 This annual report has been produced by the Co-operative Party Limited. Registered in England as an Industrial and Provident Society under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965. Registered no. 30027R For information or more details, please contact: The Co-operative Party Limited Registered Office:77 Weston Street London SE1 3SD This document is available on our website. To receive an electronic version, please contact Dorota Kseba at [email protected] or telephone 020 7367 4155. t: 020 7367 4150 f: 020 7407 4476 e: [email protected] w: www.party.coop Chair’s Report 2012, the International Year of the Co-operative, was an exciting year for the movement that served to highlight how relevant we are, both in the UK and internationally. The Party was honoured to participate in the spectacular Co-operatives United in Manchester, which provided a wonderful opportunity to meet co-operators from all over the world. The success of the event and the work of the ICA and Co-operatives UK highlighted the extraordinary contribution already made by co-operatives to sustainable business and people lives around the world. It also served as an important reminder of the vital role the co-operative movement more can and needs to play in increasing economic equality and empowering communities in the UK and beyond. A key focus of this year for the Party has been equipping ourselves to respond to the clear responsibility the Party has, working with the wider movement, to respond to the demand and opportunities we face. The electoral successes the Party achieved this year puts us in a strong position, with our largest ever parliamentary group, including four new MPs elected in by-elections in 2012, and a round of successes in local government elections. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of Michael Stephenson, who stood down as General Secretary this year and to thank him again for his service to the Party. In September we had the pleasure of welcoming our new General Secretary, Karin Christiansen Having been inspired by the International Year of the Co-operative in 2012, we now look to 2013 as a crucial year for putting the key foundations in place to ensure that the Co-operative Party delivers on our potential in the future. Gareth Thomas MP Chair, the Co-operative Party the co-operative party Annual Report 2012 | 3 Organisation National Executive Committee The Party is directed by its National Executive Committee, which meets four times per year. Eastern Robin Cherney A East Midlands Julian Evans A, P London Gareth Thomas MP (Chair) S, P, D North East and Cumbrian Ray Henderson D North West Dave Pownall (until August 2012) P, D Julia Tickridge (from December 2012) Scotland Jim O’Neill P, D South Bob Harber A, D, CAC, P South West Linda Gilroy P, S West Midlands Paul Kalinauckas P Wales Rt. Hon Alun Michael P Yorks & Humber Neil Rhodes P Youth Ian Adderley P, D OMOV (M) Nick Crofts A, P OMOV (F) Alex Baker D, S, P, D Co-operatives UK Clive Fraser (until March 2012) P John Anderson (from March 2012) The Co-operative Group Rev Paul Flowers P, S Stuart Ramsay (Vice Chair) A, S, P The Westminster Parliamentary Group Chris Leslie MP Cathy Jamieson MP Key to Sub Committee memberships: A Audit Sub Committee D Dispute Sub Committee S Staffing & Remuneration Sub Committee C Conference Arrangements Committee P Policy Sub Committee Sc Scottish Committee 4 | Annual Report 2012 the co-operative party The Party Staff in 2012 General Secretary Michael Stephenson (until April) Karen Wilkie (acting, April to September) Karin Christiansen ( from September) Parliamentary Officer Joe Fortune Policy Officer Peter Jefferys (until June) Head of Development & Communications Martin Tiedemann Party Support Officer Joseph Russo (until October) Party Support & Campaign Officer Rebecca Mattingly (from August) Office Manager Dorota Kseba Deputy General Secretary Karen Wilkie Administrative Assistant Cheryl Andrews Secretary, Scottish Co-operative Party Jim Lee Administrative Assistant Linda Mylet Membership Administrator Sylvia Hanlon Party Membership(As at 31 December) Region 2011 2012 Eastern 778 806 East Midlands 635 664 London 1819 758 National Party 29 24 North East 357 346 North West 1007 1041 Scotland 1019 950 South East 853 856 South West 586 609 West Midlands 578 575 Wales 477 463 Yorks & Humber 551 575 Brussels 9 9 Northern Ireland 32 38 Total 8730 7714 the co-operative party Annual Report 2012 | 5 The Co-operative Party Highlights of the year The Co-operative Party based its activities over the last year on 5 strategic priorities: To be recognised by all sectors of the co-operative movement as indispensable; to be protected and defended, politically and financially To influence public policy at all levels To secure the election of effective co-operators to all levels of government To achieve a growing, diverse, active and engaged membership To make the Party organisationally sustainable The following sets out what we have achieved in the last 12 months for each of those priorities: 1. To be recognised by all sectors of the co-operative movement as indispensable; to be protected and defended, politically and financially This means not just acting in the interests of the movement, but getting better at conveying to the movement what we do and why it is important. The Party held a number of events to support the International Year of Co-operatives celebrations in 2012 including Parliamentary events and holding our annual conference in Manchester and Rochdale. We joined the global co-operative movement at Co-operatives United in the autumn with a stall and event. Our family of websites highlighted the IYC branding and local parties were encouraged to hold local celebrations. Our Westminster Parliamentary work reflected key movement priorities, such as financial mutuals, banking transparency, international development, energy co-ops and housing co-operatives. We held a Co-operative Party exhibition at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, which ran for the duration of the Co-operative Party and Labour Party conferences. The Co-operative Party Conference reception was held there in September. We held a Fairtrade Fortnight event in Parliament bringing together parliamentarians with Fairtrade producers from Palestine, the Chief Executive of Divine Chocolate and the Co-operative Group. Another event highlighted the work of energy co-operatives, specifically Brixton Energy and the Energy Saving Co-operative, to a packed committee room in Parliament. Fringe meetings at the Annual Conference included an event on the new co-operative sector, with Andy Walsh from FC United of Manchester and Colin Wilkes on Co-operative Schools, an event with Agamemno Otero of Brixton Energy, an event on Fairtrade with Zaytoun and the Co-operative Group, an 6 | Annual Report 2012 the co-operative party event on housing with Rochdale Borough Housing and Nic Bliss of the CCH, and an event on banking with Barry Tootell of the Co-operative Bank. We have produced a regular newsletter for member societies and regularly met with Boards and senior executives. We do need to communicate more effectively with our societies though, and would welcome suggestions on how to do this. The recruitment of 1,600 new members of the Co-operative Party in the last 12 months. Our successful recruitment drive has provided not only new members of the Co-operative Party but also boosted membership of co-operative societies. Our aim is to make sure our new members become activists across the entire co-operative movement, not just the Party. 2. To influence public policy at all levels This applies not only to Westminster, but to Cardiff and to Holyrood, to the GLA and to scores of local councils across the country. To have Labour and Co-operative politicians in Government in Westminster is important to us, but it isn’t everything. And even in opposition there is work to be done to protect legislation previously fought for and to introduce new measures to defend the movement. There is strong representation for the Co-operative Party in the Shadow Cabinet. Three Co-operative parliamentarians (Ed Balls, Stephen Twigg and Lord Bassam) are in the Shadow Cabinet and a further 14 Co-operative Party MPs and peers serve as shadow ministers. Also, three Co-operative MPs are Chairs of Parliamentary Select Committees. Four Private Members Bills were introduced: ‘The Co-operative Housing Tenure Bill’; ‘Banking Disclosure and Education Bill’; ‘Energy Generation (Community Right to Invest)’; and ‘0.7% GDP for International Development’. Four Westminster seminars brought together a wide range of Members of Parliament, co-operative movement and public policy experts: Mutual Railways; Fairtrade; Financial Transparency and food prices; Co-operative Energy and community energy development. There was considerable work on the Financial Services Bill, including the promotion of issues such as financial education, financial inclusion, data transparency, high cost of lending and increasing the number and membership of financial mutuals.