Is Co-operative Party’s new stance a backlash against New Labour takeover bid?
![Co-operative party chair and Labour MP Gareth Thomas says the party wants to be more distinctive [Image: Yui Mok/PA].](https://voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/160909-Gareth-Thomas-co-operative-chair-Yui-Mok-PA.png)
Co-operative party chair and Labour MP Gareth Thomas says the party wants to be more distinctive [Image: Yui Mok/PA].
Carers being represented on the boards of private companies providing social care services? Brilliant.
Carers working for private social care providers having a right to take over their company if it is at risk of closure or is changing hands? Top notch.
But one cannot help but feel that this is part of a backlash against the alleged plan by some anti-Corbyn Labour MPs, to take over the Co-operative Party and make it a more right-wing alternative to Corbyn’s Labour, if he wins the leadership again on September 24.
I have some bad news for Mr Thomas as well: I don’t think all Co-operative members have stayed neutral. How many Labour/Co-operative councillors signed the letter in support of Owen Smith?
The Co-operative party aims to develop some “distinctive and independent” policy stances separate from those of Labour, its chairman has said before the party’s annual conference.
The political movement, whose strapline is “politics for people”, has been allied to Labour since 1927, and 25 MPs currently sit in parliament on a joint ticket.
The party recently rejected speculation that it could be a vehicle for Labour MPs who oppose Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership to split away and form their own movement. It is staying neutral in the Labour leadership contest.
Gareth Thomas, the MP for Harrow West and Co-operative chair, said the party would be making more of an effort ahead of its 100-year anniversary in 2017 to develop a voice more of its own.
Source: Co-operative party to develop policies distinct to Labour’s | Politics | The Guardian
ADVERT
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
One can only feel that breaking away would have the same effect as the Co operative wholesale and retail groups, i.e. disintegration.
I’m a Co-operative member and was at this Conference. There’s a real distinction between our memberships of Labour and Co-operative Party’s. So whilst I openly campaign for Owen Smith in the leadership I didn’t talk about the leadership of the Labour Party at all this weekend, and certainly none of our speakers did so.
Different Party. Different Hat.
Same people though.
I do different things – I’m on the boards of two charitable organisations, I’m a member of Labour, a carer, and I write This Blog (and I’m probably forgetting a few other things). My attitudes are consistent through them all, and I would expect that of any MP. More so, in fact.