At the county council election in Kent on May 2nd six of the eight Labour & Co-operative candidates standing were elected.
Manifesto launch
The Labour Party manifesto for the KCC elections was launched today, 24 March, at the Russell Hotel in Maidstone. The Kent Co-op Party sponsored the launch and many Co-op Party members and Lab/ Co-op candidates were present at the well attended event.
There were speakers from across Kent including the Labour PPC for Dover & Deal Clair Hawkins and Ellie Reeves from Labour’s NEC. The manifesto itself was well received and includes many policy ideas submitted by Co-op Party members.
Pictured below are Ellie Reeves, Ashford Lab/ Co-op candidate Derek Smyth, and Clair Hawkins.
Fairtrade fortnight
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Donation to Carers Trust
Kent Co-op Party raised £30 at our last Party Council meeting for the Cares Trust – the Co-op Group’s charity of the year.
Towards co-operative councils
The Co-operative Councils Network has set out their vision to share power and decision-making more equally to achieve the best outcomes for citizens and their communities.
In a joint foreword to an essay collection published today by the network, the 21 leaders of Labour’s Co-operative Councils call for a wider definition of public ownership than is traditionally understood, and the modernisation of the concept of the co-operative.
See http://www.councils.coop/2013/01/16/co-operative-councils-set-out-policy-agenda/
and click on Download ‘Towards co-operative councils: empowering people to change their lives’ here
New policy making
The Kent Party Council was pleased to welcome Bob Harber to our meeting held on 8 December. Bob, NEC member for the South East gave members an update of issues and outlined the policy topics for 2013 that will be debated at national conference in September. These will be:-
- The Economy
- Housing
- Education
- Transport
- Culture, Media and Sport
- Young People
Bob Harber pictured below chatting to members after the meeting.
Freedom from fear campaign
Co-op Party members helped union Usdaw with their campaign against violence and abuse to shop workers. Caroline Flint MP joined campaigners outside a Co-op store to get the message across.
End legal loan sharking
Stella Creasey MP dropped in to help Kent members with the campaign to end legal loan sharking. Stella chatted to shoppers in Dover’s Market Square about high interest rates being charged by loan companies.
IYC reception
The Dover & Deal branch held a reception to mark the International Year of Co-operatives on Monday 17 September which was opened by the Mayor of Deal, Cllr Marlene Burnham.
The reception was followed by a discussion on credit unions with guest speaker John Pritchard from the Thanet Credit Union.
Annual conference 2012
This year’s Co-operative Party conference was held over the weekend of 7-9 September in Manchester. Kent delegates Derek Smyth and Clair Hawkins are pictured.
At this year’s Conference Ed Balls MP spoke on a new economy based on co-operative values and Johann Lamont MSP on how Labour in Scotland is putting co-operative ideas at its heart. Our Kent Party had three motions to conference, Clair Hawkins is pictured here on the stage delivering a speech moving a motion on co-operative councils.
