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Co-operative Party (UK)

The Co-operative Party
Leader None
Chairperson Gareth Thomas
General Secretary Claire McCarthy
Founded 17 October 1917; 99 years ago (1917-10-17)
Headquarters 65 St John Street
London, EC1M 4AN
Youth wing Co-operative Party Youth
Ideology Co-operatism
Social democracy
Political position Centre-left
National affiliation Labour Party
House of Commons
28 / 650
House of Lords
16 / 800
London Assembly
7 / 25
Local Councillors
1,500 / 20,565
Police & Crime Commissioners
1 / 41
Scottish Parliament
7 / 129
National Assembly for Wales
11 / 60
Northern Ireland Assembly
0 / 90
Website
http://www.party.coop/

The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom supporting co-operative values and principles. Established in 1917, the Co-operative Party was founded by co-operative societies to politically campaign for the fairer treatment of co-operative enterprise and to elect co-operators to Parliament. The Party’s roots lie in the Parliamentary Committee of the Co-operative Union established in 1881.

Since 1927 the Co-operative Party has had an electoral pact with the Labour Party, with both parties agreeing not to stand candidates against each other. Instead candidates selected by members of both parties contest elections using the description of Labour and Co-operative Party. The Co-operative Party is a legally separate entity from the Labour Party, and is registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission. Co-operative Party members are not permitted to be members of any other political party in the UK apart from the Labour Party and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in Northern Ireland.

The Co-operative Party is arguably the fourth largest party in the House of Commons with 27 Members of Parliament, although as all of its MPs sit in the Parliamentary Labour Party, this distinction is not often made. It also has representatives in the House of Lords, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and local government.

In keeping with its co-operative values and principles, the Co-operative Party does not have a leader like other political parties. Instead, Gareth Thomas serves as Chair of the National Executive Committee, Claire McCarthy as General Secretary, and Gavin Shuker as Chair of the Co-operative Party Group of Parliamentarians.


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