1 | Annual Report 2015 the co-operative party the co-operative party | annual report 2015 2015 the co-operative party | annual report 2015 65 St John Street, London EC1M 4AN 020 7367 4150 2015 [email protected] @CoopParty www.party.coop Co-operative Party Limited is a registered Society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. Registered no. 30027R. About us As defined in our rules, the Co-operative Party seeks: ‘…to promote co-operative and mutual forms of economic and social organisation, which are based on the principles of mutual ownership and democratic control, and to support political action in pursuance of the Values and Principles of the Co-operative movement in the UK and internationally as defined from time to time by the International Co-operative Alliance.’ Making the co-operative difference Since it was founded in 1917, the Co-operative Party has strived to build a society where wealth and power are shared and where the co-operative movement is able to flourish. Throughout our history, the Party has worked with the co-operative movement to empower consumers, protect the environment, and to champion fair trade. We have supported credit unions, won new rights for football supporters and enabled the creation of 800 co-operative schools. We have fought to ensure that there is a legislative and regulatory environment in which co-operatives old and new are able to grow and thrive. What is a co-operative? Co-operatives are businesses and organisations owned and run by their members. Whether those members are customers, employees or residents, all have an equal say in what the business does and a receive a fair share in the profits. One billion people across the world are members of co-operatives. In this document About us 2 Operations 54 Chair’s report 5 Board Report & Financial Review 56 Strategic Objectives 8 Independent Auditor’s Report Vision, narrative, to the Members of Co-operative identity and profile 11 Party Limited 64 Co-operative policies and Statement of Comprehensive solutions 17 Income 67 Elected representatives 26 Balance Sheet 68 The Membership Experience 35 Statement of Cashflows 69 The Co-operative Movement 47 Notes to the Financial Statements 70 Operations & Governance 50 Join the Co-operative Party from just £2 per month www.party.coop/join 6 | Annual Report 2015 the co-operative party Chair’s report 2015 was a challenging and busy year for the Co-operative Party. May’s General Election result was a disappointing one. Although we were pleased that 24 Labour & Co-operative MPs were elected to Parliament, we were sorry to say goodbye to a number of our MPs, many of whom have championed the movement for many years. At the same time as campaigning in the run up to the General Election, the Party ran the ‘Keep It Co-op’ campaign. This asked members of the Co-operative Group to vote at their AGM to maintain its historic link with the Party. We took the opportunity to highlight the Party’s work and achievements, and to build a renewed consensus around the need for a co-operative voice in British politics. It was a testament to the hard work of our staff and members that Motion 10 was passed at the AGM of the Co-operative Group and we look forward to continuing our long and successful relationship. During ‘Keep It Co-op’, the Party expanded our support, with tens of thousands of members and non-members mobilising around the campaign. The Party’s campaigning energy continued into the autumn with a focus on defending the burgeoning community energy sector, which faced significant challenges as a result of changes in government policy; and our campaign for a People’s BBC. the co-operative party Annual Report 2015 | 7 In the latter part of the year, the Labour Party conducted its leadership and deputy leadership elections. The Co-operative Party engaged with all of the candidates and each provided a statement setting out their vision on the role of the co-operative sector in Britain. We hosted a hustings event, which generated a lively debate with over two hundred of our members and supporters attending. This was transmitted live by webcam to those unable to attend. The Party’s Annual Conference and AGM were held in London. Three hundred delegates and visitors came together with elected representatives, senior figures from the trade union movement and organisations from across the co-operative movement to discuss the ‘The Party, The Politics, The Movement.’ The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party met on four occasions. The final meeting of the year was a strategy weekend that produced a refreshed set of objectives on which the Party’s draft strategic plan for the next three years will be based. Members and stakeholders of the Party will be consulted on this before a final strategy is agreed. December’s election of Jim McMahon as our newest Labour & Co-operative MP was a real success. He has played a leading role in the co-operative councils’ movement and shown that there are a great many opportunities to put co-operative values at the heart of local government for the good of communities. Labour & Co-operative candidates have been selected for the forthcoming elections to the Welsh Assembly, Scottish Parliament, London Assembly and across local government. We wish all our candidates every success in 2016. One of my predecessors as Chair, Alfred Barnes MP, said that ‘political parties of necessity spring from deep and abiding causes’. 8 | Annual Report 2015 the co-operative party As we edge closer to our centenary in 2017 we also know that the Co-operative Party’s ongoing success depends on the relentless hard work and dedication of our members, party officers, elected members and staff; and the continued faith and loyalty of our large subscribing Societies – the Co-operative Group, Midcounties, Scotmid, Central England, East of England and Chelmsford Star – and those who have joined us more recently such as Enabled Works. The NEC is truly grateful for everything you do. On a final note, Karin Christiansen stepped down as General Secretary in September. I would like to thank her for her tireless dedication over the past three years as an advocate of the Co-operative Party and its values. She leaves the Party equipped to face the challenges of the future. By appointing Claire McCarthy as new General Secretary, the Party will build on the successes of the past, not least in the lead-up to the Party’s centenary in 2017. Gareth Thomas MP Chair, the Co-operative Party National Executive Committee the co-operative party Annual Report 2015 | 9 Strategic Objectives 2013–15 In 2013, the Party undertook a major review to ensure that the Party was equipped to deliver on its organizational purpose. The resulting strategic objectives shaped the Party’s work throughout the year: The Party is working to ensure that: The Co-operative Party’s vision, narrative, identity and profile are clear to all our key stakeholders, and we are shaping the national political narrative into a fundamentally co-operative one. Co-operative policies and solutions are firmly embedded in the manifestos; shadow teams are laying the ground for our policy to be implemented in government. Our politicians at all levels are the best they can be, which includes nurturing and developing co-operators from across the movement to become the politicians of the future. Co-operative Party membership is growing, sustained by the best membership experience of a political party in Britain. Our members are innovating, supporting each other, and are rooted in the co-operative movement. Our operations and governance are the best of the political parties in Britain – ethical politics in deed and fully digitally enabled. All of this can only be done in partnership with our members and the co-operative movement. We will extend the range of people and organisations we work with closely to ensure we deliver this. As a result, we hope the co-operative movement will be proud of us, even those who are not voting for our candidates. Reporting on our objectives This report covers the Party’s work in 2015, based on the objectives agreed in 2013. 2016-19 In the period from June to November 2015, the NEC carried out a comprehensive review of the objectives of the Party. The new Strategic Objectives are displayed below Members and stakeholders of the Party will be consulted on the new objectives before a Enable final strategy is agreed. the delivery Inspire, of co-operative educate solutions locally, and inform the regionally and nationally public and decision in every sector of society makers about and the economy co-operation We will promote Make the party participation & Support the empower our election sustainable by of co-operators diversifying people at all levels of funding and government growing membership Be valued by all members, including subscribing societies, as indispensable 12,079 178,000 Facebook Fans Number of times (up from 6,756 in 2014) Keep it Co-op videos 18 viewed online Labour & Co-operative 2015 candidates standing for the in numbers 17 Scottish parliament 25 Labour & Co-operative Labour & Co-operative Welsh Assembly MPs in December 2015 candidates 2 Editions of our new magazine, sent to all party members £2000 5000 Amount average employee Phone calls with Party could gain each year under members during the profit sharing Keep it Co-op policy developed by 784 campaign the Party Words in Ed Miliband’s 1133 article for Co-operative New members in 2015 News in the run-up to the General Election 2 53 Appearances by the Pages in our Agenda General Secretary on for Britain , setting out our the Daily Politics policies for the 48,579 Genral Election 200 Co-operative Group Local party branches members who voted to keep the link with the 400 Party £100m Apples handed out at The value of community the Co-operative energy schemes at risk Group AGM thanks to changes in government policy 12 | Annual Report 2015 the co-operative party Vision, narrative, identity and profile Objective: the Co-operative Party’s vision, narrative, identity and profile are clear to all our key stakeholders, and we are shaping the national political narrative into a fundamentally co-operative one.