The economy
For the foreseeable future, it is likely that most significant enterprises will continue to be owned by shareholders. Building a private sector more in tune with co-operative values is necessary if we are to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Through reconnecting our firms with all of their stakeholders and society we can transform the nature of business in this country – building an economy that acts in all of our interests.
As we seek to bring stability to the financial system, it is only right that we aim to do the same for the property markets. A key policy concern for the future has to be to keep growth in house prices consistent with other parts of the economy. We should use taxation to change incentives within the property market, ensuring that we incentivise the productive use of land rather than expected capital gains in an upward market.
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Move Your Money: if the banks won’t change, you can (23 Feb 2012)
Today the Royal Bank of Scotland, which also owns Natwest and is 83% owned by the taxpayer, announced bonuses of £800 million despite losses amounting to £2 billion. Meanwhile their score of -13 on Yougov’s consumer confidence index means RBS remains the least popular bank in the country. They’re not alone. Over coming days, Lloyds [...]
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Our MPs working for a fairer economy (8 Feb 2012)
Parliamentary Officer Joe Fortune outlines the work Co-operative MPs are doing in Parliament to make our economy fairer. The Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group has always sought to provide the movement a range of activity in Westminster, whether it is promoting co-operative legislation, promoting the ideas of the movement and scrutinising proposals to ensure that the co-operative angle is [...]
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Activists campaign around the country for a fairer economy (15 Oct 2011)
Campaigners around the country answered our call for a national Day of Action for our campaign The Feeling’s Mutual for a fairer economy and the re-mutualisation of Northern Rock. Take a look at some of the photos from cities up and down the UK. In Catford, South London, campaigners handed out the campaign ‘cheques’ to [...]
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Credit rating agencies remind us that the financial system needs Co-operative solutions (7 Aug 2011)
Responsibility is a core co-operative value. We need credit rating agencies, like our banks, to be responsible, to encourage others to act responsibly, and to act in the interests of investors and ordinary people. That’s why we need a co-operative credit rating agency, writes Kieron Merrett. What it must be like to be so powerful. [...]
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Cameron’s head of strategy wants to rip up consumer rights (28 Jul 2011)
David Cameron’s director of strategy Steve Hilton has put forward plans for ripping up consumer rights legislation, according to today’s press. Hilton considered the idea of scrapping consumer rights legislation for nine months, according to the Financial Times, “just to see what would happen”. Another idea allegedly touted by Hilton was to scrap maternity leave. [...]
