Co-operatives UK joins Prime Minister's first business talks as movement sets out offer for good growth
News item
Co-operatives UK has joined Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first meeting with business representative organisations, as leaders from across the co-operative movement set out how co-operatives can help deliver good growth, secure the essentials, empower communities and support the UK's reindustrialisation.
Co-operatives UK today joined Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first meeting with business representative organisations, where he outlined a new partnership between government and employers to drive investment, create jobs and deliver good growth across the UK.
The meeting brought together organisations representing businesses of every size and sector, including Co-operatives UK and Social Enterprise UK, to discuss how economic growth can be felt in every community.
The discussion came on the same day that leaders from across the UK's co-operative movement wrote jointly to the Prime Minister, offering to work with government to deliver its programme for good growth.
Our offer to the Prime Minister
In the letter, the movement argues that co-operatives are uniquely placed to contribute to the government's ambitions by:
- Delivering good growth through more productive and resilient businesses
- Securing essentials such as housing, care, food, energy and financial services
- Empowering communities through democratic ownership
- Supporting the UK's reindustrialisation through worker ownership, business co-operation and community investment
The letter also calls on government to build on the progress already made by improving access to business support and finance, modernising co-operative legislation and unlocking opportunities for co-operative growth across key sectors of the economy.
We'll listen, we'll act and we'll give firms the backing they need to reindustrialise Britain. In return, I want businesses to invest in their people, back their communities and help us give every young person a fair chance to find a good job.
The Prime Minister also told business representatives that government wants a stronger partnership with employers, built on greater certainty, clearer long-term direction, faster decision-making and a stronger business voice in shaping policy.
For Co-operatives UK, today's meeting and the movement's joint letter reinforce the same message: co-operatives are ready to help government deliver its ambitions, provided the policy environment enables them to thrive.
Alongside Co-operatives UK, other business representative organisations and industry groups, speaking with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, included:
- British Chambers of Commerce
- Federation of Small Businesses
- Citizens Advice
- Confederation of British Industry
- Trades Union Congress
- Small Business Britain
- Make UK
- Enterprise Nation
- Family Business UK
- Institute of Directors
- ScaleUp Institute
- Startup Coalition
Letter to the Prime Minister: Co-operatives and good growth
