The Co-operative Party

The Co-operative Party is pleased to announce the selection of two new Labour & Co-operative Parliamentary candidates.

Anna Turley, currently the co-ordinator of the Co-operative Councils Network, has been selected to fight the North East seat of Redcar, previously held by Mo Mowlam. Anna is the first Co-operative candidate at parliamentary level in the North East for several years. After a career in the civil service, Anna worked for David Blunkett and Hilary Armstrong before moving into the forefront of new thinking on local government. She is a director of her local community centre, trustee of a Sure Start children’s centre and a school governor.

Stephen Doughty has been selected as the Labour & Co-operative candidate for the Cardiff South & Penarth by-election to be held later in the year to replace Alun Michael, an existing Labour & Co-operative MP and candidate for Police & Crime Commissioner in South Wales. Stephen has a long involvement in the co-operative and international development movements and is Head of Oxfam Cymru. Stephen follows in family tradition – his father Barry is Secretary of the Barrow, Furness & South Lakes Co-operative Party and a Labour & Co-operative councillor.

Chair of the Co-operative Party, Gareth Thomas MP, said: “It is excellent news that local Labour members in Redcar and Cardiff South & Penarth have selected two strong co-operators to fight coming elections. By picking candidates with a background in new thinking on co-operative policy, we are ensuring a strong team in Parliament for years to come.”