Co-op councils mark their tenth anniversary with a look at community wealth strategies

Delegates from the Co-operative Councils Innovation Network discusses ways to drive growth and build their local co-op sectors

The Co-operative Councils Innovation Network held its tenth anniversary conference in Telford in November, looking at ways to embed grassroots co-op ideas in communities.

Steve Reed, Labour Co-op MP,  shadow justice secretary and honorary president of CCIN, said Labour was finally facing the prospect of national power – but warned that the party still has to make a positive offer to inspire voters. 

This positive offer can be found in co-op councils, he suggested. “While Labour nationally needed to rebuild trust, our best Labour councils were already doing it and also forging a new way to run public services … Our public services work better when we do things with people rather than to people.”

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