How Co-operative Is Labour?

Gordon Brown is a member of the Co-operative Party as well as the Labour Party. He recently stated - “As we prepare for the next election, I am keen that we draw on the enduring values that the Co-operative Movement represents — and for which Labour’s sister party, the Co-operative Party, has stood for since its foundation in 1917. I have asked Ed Miliband to work with the Co-operative Party as we draft the Labour manifesto for the forthcoming election, so that co-operative and mutual ideals are an integral part of Labour’s platform for fairness and for change.”

At its last Annual Conference, the Co-operative Party adopted its own draft manifesto entitled "A Co-operative Agenda For A Fourth Term" which is radically different from that of the Labour Party's "The Choice For Britain". If the Co-operative version is given any serious thought by Gordon Brown and the Manifesto co-ordinator Ed Miliband then we would have to see a dramatic change in Labour's election programme. But how far is this likely to happen?

We considered the nature of Labour's draft election manifesto at our last discussion meeting - see here and here. Our next meeting is on the Co-operative Movement and the Co-operative Party and it gives us an opportunity to contrast Labour's draft manifesto with that of the Co-operative Party.