What are the Greens up to now?

The Co-operative Group funds the Co-operative Party with about £800,000 (about 80%) per year. The Co-operative Party is a partnership party and should seek to support the best candidates to support co-operative economic and social development.

The South East Region calls on the Co-operative Group to tie funding to ensure all Co-operative Group members can become members of the Co-operative Party, and not be limited to the Labour Party as the choice of partnership. This is to ensure that members of other co-operative supporting political parties are included in the co-operative political process. This motion seeks to expand the reach of; and ability within co-operative politics.

The motion was proposed by David Walker, who it turns out is the Brighton & Hove Green Party Fundraising Co-ordinator. On February 28th of this year, Walker emailed his Green Party colleagues to say:

“I’m trying to get the Co-op Group’s funding to the Co-operative Party tied to the opening up of the membership and financial support to other co-operative supporting political parties; obviously with an eye on gaining significant benefit to the Green Party.”

Walker was unsuccessful – this time – losing the vote by 115 votes to 89. But the Greens have pledged to try again next year, as they try and secure more funds for their party – and take it from the pocket of the Co-op Party in the process.

As the Co-op Party has a long standing electoral pact with the Labour Party – and the money the Green Party would make from such a deal would likely be spent funding candidates against Labour/Co-op candidates, this is one to keep an eye on…