Time for a new era of co-operation?

Co-operatively owned public services, energy companies, rural broadband services and pubs are some of the ideas that Co-operatives UK want to see political parties adopt ahead of the general election.

Ed Mayo, secretary general of the representative body for co-operatives, launched the 'co-operative call to action' yesterday.

He said: 'As the UK is now technically out of recession the time really has come for a new agenda of co-operation.

'There is increasing evidence that people are co-operative as much as they are also competitive and we wish to see the next government make a commitment to encourage a diverse economy where the co-operative business model features strongly.'

The key requests for the next government include:

• a clear policy framework to define how co-operatives can deliver public services
• an 'emergency support service' for struggling pubs, enabling people to save their pubs from closure using the co-operative model
• a wholesale review of energy markets to hand greater power and control to users of energy through co-operatives
• a programme to encourage rural communities to take control of digital services by promoting community ownership and implementation of fibre-optic broadband access to rural communities in the UK
• a clear vision for supporting the development of co-operatives.

Mayo said: 'As businesses with a member and community focus co-operatives are able to deliver both in a strictly financial terms but also as an important alternative to a solely investor led model.'

Co-operatives UK contributed to the Mutuals Manifesto, published by Mutuo.