Author | Lightnews

James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · 14d

Great to be watching @jimmcmahon.co.uk and fellow MPs discuss what government is doing, and can do, to grow the co-operative sector this afternoon:
whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal53211

Westminster Hall debate - What's on - UK Parliament

Government support for the co-operative sector

whatson.parliament.uk

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · 15d

100% agree strategic authorities should have a duty to target inclusive growth.

The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) @clesthinkdo.bsky.social · 15d

The English Devo Bill could rewire economies for people. With @sianberry.bsky.social we're tabling three improvements:

🪙 New clause 31: Community wealth building
❤️ Amendment 255: Health & wellbeing in all policies
🤝 New schedule 1 & new clause 29: Inclusive economies

✒️ cles.org.uk/blog/lets-do...

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Reposted by James Wright

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 15d

We're empowering people in Islington to kick-start co-ops with the help of @IslingtonBC.

Join a FREE workshop, 20 November, to receive 1:1 support funded by #UKSPF

Support delivered through our Business Support for Co-ops programme visit: buff.ly/HtBfmdZ

#UKSPF #coops

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · 27d

Vital that we connect co-op development to the community energy revolution

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 27d

One week to book - FREE webinar! 🌱 Discover how co-ops drive climate action with Marianne Brown (Bristol Energy Co-op) & Jonathan Atkinson (People Powered Retrofit).

📆 15 Oct, 10:30–12:00
👉 buff.ly/0w0I8oI

In partnership with the Centre for Democratic Business, funding from The Co-operative Bank.

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Reposted by James Wright

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 27d

One week to book - FREE webinar! 🌱 Discover how co-ops drive climate action with Marianne Brown (Bristol Energy Co-op) & Jonathan Atkinson (People Powered Retrofit).

📆 15 Oct, 10:30–12:00
👉 buff.ly/0w0I8oI

In partnership with the Centre for Democratic Business, funding from The Co-operative Bank.

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Sep 30

Ownership is strength. If we want a strong country we need to reclaim control of our infrastructure and services.

Common Wealth @cmmonwealth.bsky.social · Sep 16

Welcome to Rip-Off Britain.

A country remade by privatisation.

Our latest project — Who Owns Britain? — explores how a radical experiment transformed our society and shapes your life.

🧵

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Sep 29

We at #Labour Conference with the Salford Mayor and GMCA lead for housing Paul Dennett, and brilliant @cooperativesuk.bsky.social members People Powered Retrofit and Community Energy England taking about retrofit co-ops.

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Sep 28

Huge thanks to @andrewpakes.bsky.social for joining the coop and mutual crew at #Labour Conference. How do we mainstream coops and mutuals in policy? "The door is ajar, its up to us need to keep it open." Sound advice.

Reposted by James Wright

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Sep 26

We're at the upcoming Labour Party Conference and we're especially looking forward to the following events with our partners. See below and see full details in the conference programme... #labourconference #coops #CoopEconomy #memberowned #cooperatives

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Locality @locality.org.uk · Sep 25

The Pride in Place programme's investment in 330 disadvantaged neighbourhoods could be hugely significant. The answers to the problems we face are in local communities.

To unlock this potential, the government must learn lessons from previous programmes and embed community control and ownership.

Building Thriving Neighbourhoods: The Locality Manifesto - Locality

Through the new Locality Manifesto, we’re calling for a “community power revolution”. We know that local communities are best placed to transform lives and create a fairer society.

bit.ly

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Sep 26

4/ Co-operatives UK is grateful to have been part the policy process, and is eager to help with delivery

www.uk.coop/start-new-co...

www.uk.coop

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Sep 26

3/ £5bn is significant but not enough on its own. The plan is to use this money as a catalyst, to unlock the latent social and economic capital in communities. This will work, so long as the empowerment is real. That’s where co-ops really come in.

www.uk.coop/news/record-...

Record-breaking year for co-operatives and mutuals: From resilient start-ups and thriving community pubs to fairer workplaces and women in leadership

The 2025 Co-operative and Mutual Economy Report shows the power of our movement. Together, co-operatives and mutuals now generate record income of £179.2bn, serve 65.7 million memberships and employ over 1.5 million people. Beyond the numbers, the report highlights what makes us different: co-operatives survive longer, create fairer workplaces, champion equality in leadership, and reinvest in communities.

www.uk.coop

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Sep 26

2/ MHCLG has listened, on the importance of capacity building, on co-operative development, and on the centrality of shifting ownership. They’ve also drawn learning from decades of successes and failures, which is why this shows such promise.

Extract from Pride in Place strategy announcing co-op development unit

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Sep 26

1/ Pride in Place programme has massive potential to:
👭Empower communities to change things for the better
🏫Democratise ownership and control of local assets
With a major role for co-ops and mutuals
www.gov.uk/government/n...

Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride

Local communities will be handed new powers to revitalise their high streets and restore pride in their towns.

www.gov.uk

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Sep 23

And co-ops and mutuals make a outsized contribution to GDP, while paying higher wages, reducing inequality, addressing market failures and increasing resilience and social cohesion!

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Sep 23

📢 New data out today: The UK’s co-operative and mutual economy is a £179bn force for change.
10,000+ businesses. 1.5 million jobs.
Find out why our movement is doing business better - and share far and wide: www.uk.coop/news/record-... #CoopEconomy #Coops

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Reposted by James Wright

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Sep 22

📻 All about people coming together to take ownership and control of the businesses and places that matter to them.
Our CEO @rosemarley.bsky.social was excellent on BBC Radio 4 this morning.
Listen back from 7.21am: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

#Coops #CoopEconomy

Radio 4 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds

Listen live to BBC Radio 4 on BBC Sounds

bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by James Wright

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Sep 18

🚨 Urgent: The final vote on Scotland’s Housing Bill is 23 Sept.

This is the last chance to secure amendments that strengthen co-operative housing in Scotland.

📩 We're calling on our Scottish members to contact their MSPs using our template email: buff.ly/CARUrpu

#Coops #HousingBill #Scotland

Scottish Housing Bill - Contact your MSPs ahead of the final vote
Image of castle with a Scottish flag.

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Reposted by James Wright

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Aug 15

📢 Credit unions: Our new partnership with ABCUL means their members can now join Co-operatives UK at 50% off:
🛠️ Boost governance
📈 Stay aligned with PRA expectations
👥 Strengthen your Board
👉 Visit buff.ly/CwWFmzs

#CreditUnions #Coops #BoardEffectiveness #PRAready

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Aug 14

This kind of capital raising to fund expansion, is critical to a larger more impactful mutual economy. It needs to be an option for a wider range of coops and mutuals.

share.google/EHkN4F1lWNGY...

Second CCDS offer from Ecology Building Society now open

Ecology Building Society is looking to raise up to £6.5m of additional capital to support the next phase of its ambitious growth plans

share.google

James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Jun 26

Proscribing Palestine Action as 'terrorist' awful. It was criminal damage as direct action protest. Calling it terrorism is overkill and risks making the term meaningless, when it should refer to something really horrible and extreme: harming innocents to create and then leverage terror.

James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Jun 11

GMCA is very lucky to have strong local credit unions, working together through a consortium, in partnership with a pioneering local retrofit co-op. This degree of co-operative capability doesn't appear over night and needs to be nurtured.

Co-op News @coopnews.bsky.social · Jun 11

Greater Manchester #creditunions consortium SoundPound works with combined authority mayor Andy Burnham and People Powered Retrofit co-op on green home improvement loans #coops #retrofit

Soundpound credit unions work with Manchester mayor on green home loans

Greater Manchester credit unions work with regional authority and retrofit co-op to offer green home improvement loans

www.thenews.coop

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Jun 11

Today is the day. I don't expect detailed allocations of funding for co-op development in the Spending Review. But I am hoping to see statements of policy that some of the funding for business support, the British Business Bank, clean power and housing, will be used in ways that enable co-ops.

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Jun 10

👇 tomorrow is the day... #SpendingReview

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Jun 6

We're calling for bold co-operative investment in the 2025 Spending Review, delivered on Wednesday. #Coops boost productivity, build resilience & keep wealth local — but need support to have even more impact.

📝 Read a blog from our Policy Lead covering our asks of government.

🔗 buff.ly/xCg3CxV

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Reposted by James Wright

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · Jun 6

We're calling for bold co-operative investment in the 2025 Spending Review, delivered on Wednesday. #Coops boost productivity, build resilience & keep wealth local — but need support to have even more impact.

📝 Read a blog from our Policy Lead covering our asks of government.

🔗 buff.ly/xCg3CxV

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James Wright @jameslwright.bsky.social · Jun 5

Awesome to feel the Scottish coop sector get a bit more pumped about their own brilliance, and the global coop family. Helped along by @rosemarley.bsky.social

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Reposted by James Wright

Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · May 12

🗳️ Scottish co-operatives – we need your voice!
The deadline for your feedback on the Community Wealth Building Bill is fast approaching.
The Community Wealth Building Bill could boost #coops. Help shape how.
📅 Have your say by 19 May
👉https://buff.ly/LpwKhGr
#Coops #FairerScotland #CWB #CoopEconomy

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