Tessa Jowell: Manchester’s Co-ops show us the future of public services

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

Following Tessa Jowell’s interview with LabourList last month, in which she said “mutualism is the next stage of New Labour”, the Cabinet Office minister will be in Manchester today to give a speech outlinging a co-operative future for public services.

The visit is the latest stage of her attempt to secure a greater role for mutuals – organisations owned and run by users, staff and local communities – in the delivery of public services.

Following a meeting with the Co-operative’s chief executive, Peter Marks, Tessa will hear how the company is already bringing its vision of co-operative ownership to public services, through the pioneering Co-operative Trust schools.

After meeting the principal of the new Cooperative Academy of Manchester, Tessa will visit Oldham to discuss with staff and users how mutual-type solutions are enabling them to take a bigger role in shaping their social care services, before addressing a join meeting of Progress, Co-operative Party and Manchester CLP members where she will say:

“In the wake of the credit crunch, the public have made it clear that they are less willing to put their trust in organisations that they feel are not run in their interests and operate too far outside their control. Public services will not be immune from this new public mood, either.”

“That’s why I’m here in Manchester, home of the Co-operative, to look at the lessons public services can learn from a company owned by its 4 million members. One where members have a direct influence on how the business is run, and one where corporate values – the commitment to ethical investment, the environment, human rights and fair trade – reflect the values of its members.”

“The Co-operative’s influence on public services is already being felt in the 27 new Co-operative Trust schools that are now up and running across the country. Here, the owners are parents, teachers and the local community the schools serve…In short, they are schools which reflect our belief that public services are owned by the public, so the public must have the right to influence them.”

Last month, Tessa Jowell announced the creation of an independent Commission on Ownership, supported by Co-operative Financial Services, and chaired by the economist Will Hutton.