Prime Minister hosts Co-op birthday celebration

Brighton Labour and Co-operative MP David Lepper was one of the guests of Tony and Cherie Blair recently at a celebration at 10 Downing Street to mark the start of the 90th birthday celebrations of the founding of the Co-operative Party.

David said:
" Not only is the Co-op party the fourth largest party in the House of Commons but there is good evidence that the constituency I represent in Parliament is the birthplace of the Co-operative movement in the UK.

"A co-op shop and a workingmen's institute run as a co-operative were set up in West Street, Brighton, in the early 1820s. A plaque in Regency Square marks the home of Dr William King one of the Co-op pioneers.

"The Co-op party now works with the Labour party which has the co-operative principle that ‘by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone´ at the heart of the Labour Party's constitution.”

In Parliament the Prime Minister has set up a commission to look at the future of the co-operative movement and last year Ed Balls, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, promised a review of the law on co-ops, provident societies and credit unions like the successful one in Brighton and Hove.

Co-op MPs have also taken a lead in legislation on climate change and across the country social enterprises run by local people are often at the heart of community regeneration.

David added:
"It was great that the Prime Minister paid tribute to the Co-operative movement with this event in Number 10."