A round-up of expert advice from our recent live discussion on what the co-operative sector wants from politics
Dave Boyle – co-operative business consultant, Principle Six
Enterprises that deliver public goods are entitled to benefits: co-ops, like charities, provide public benefits, and it's reasonable that they be encouraged on that basis. Investment in co-ops is vital so tax breaks would be a start.
There's an overarching problem: none of the three mainstream UK parties can take co-ops seriously because they're fundamentally wedded to an ideology that rejects pretty much everything co-ops stand for and promote.
We need ministers who don't praise a mixed economy, but praise the co-operative economy as better for society: the British state is astonishingly centralised so co-ops, which usually start small and local, have to seek support or assistance from units of government that have little power or discretionary funds to aid them.
We've had far too many warm words and far too many unbuttered parsnips: we've had generations of politicians who have seen success as having more co-ops, but very few for whom failure was to not achieve this.
I want just one thing from each of the three main Westminster parties: a policy commitment by them that's solid, transformational and grounded in a clear preference for co-ops (and rejection of alternatives).
Helen Barber – head of co-operative advice and policy, Co-operatives UK
There is always a co-operative solution to the big issues that the UK faces: the best climate to advance the co-operative cause would be recognition by all parties that co-operatives can have a mainstream role in every sector of the economy.
Chris White MP – social value ambassador, Conservative Party
We need a change in culture and mindset: there is no single policy that will put co-operatives into the centre of government thinking, MPs, councillors and other politicians need educating so they understand the co-operative sector.
It will take time and patience to make significant changes: we need to look carefully at the barriers in their way and develop a strategic approach linking co-operatives into all parts of our economy.
We need to be bold and not try to pigeonhole co-operatives: the co-operative model can and does work across a range of sectors, and we need a broad-based approach which seeks to remove the barriers to co-operatives in general.
Gareth Thomas MP – chairman, Co-operative Party
Energy co-ops need to be championed: given our need for renewable energy and the high cost of traditional energy the chance for communities, with government support, to own their own energy could be very powerful.
We need to move to a much more diverse economy and society: co-operatives and mutuals should have a greater role to play as we need different solutions in different areas.
An opportunity was missed to begin to change the culture: when the government refused to accept that the new regulators should have a duty to promote diversity in financial services.
The three things I'd like to come out of the four party conferences: a determination to expand the credit unions movement, a recognition of the need to encourage co-op housing, and real debate about how to encourage more co-operatives across our economy and society.
Molly Scott Cato – former director, Cardiff Institute for Co-operative Studies
The state needs to support co-operatives: we should have a tax break for co-operatives in the UK, and for co-operative businesses specifically rather than just for ESOPs, where employees can buy shares in their own firms but not manage them.
It is not enough to rely on 'spreading the word': the reason that co-operatives are flourishing in the USA, that well-known bastion of capitalism, is that they are given tax advantages.
EU state aids rules are a problem: they enforce an unrealistic model of "fair competition" which actually favours the large corporations.
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