Co-operative Party

The British party of the co-operative movement, founded in 1917, allied with Labour since 1927.

Overview

The Co-operative Party was founded in 1917 to represent the consumer co-operative movement in Parliament after retailers faced discriminatory taxation. Since 1927 it has stood in electoral alliance with Labour, sponsoring joint Labour and Co-operative MPs who now number dozens in the Commons. The party advances mutual ownership, credit unions, community energy, and consumer protection, and its candidates include cabinet ministers. It is the fourth largest party in the Commons by sponsored members, though invisible on ballot papers as a separate force. Its existence preserves a distinct strand of British socialism: ownership by customers rather than state or union.