Labour And Co-operative
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Labour and Co-operative Party (often abbreviated Labour Co-op; cy, Llafur a'r Blaid Gydweithredol) is a description used by candidates in United Kingdom elections who stand on behalf of both the Labour Party and the
Co-operative Party 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 campaign politically for the fair ...
. Candidates contest elections under an
electoral alliance An electoral alliance (also known as a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral pact, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc) is an association of political party, political parties or individuals that exists solely to stand ...
between the two parties, that was first agreed in 1927. This agreement recognises the independence of the two parties and commits them to not standing against each other in elections. It also sets out the procedures for both parties to select joint candidates and interact at a local and national level. There were 26 Labour and Co-operative Party MPs elected at the December 2019 election, making it the fourth largest political grouping in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
, although Labour and Co-operative MPs are generally included in Labour totals. The chair of the Co-operative Parliamentary Group is
Preet Gill Preet Kaur Gill (Punjabi: ਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਕੌਰ ਗਿੱਲ, born 21 November 1972) is a British politician serving as Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development since 2020. A member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, she h ...
and the vice-chair is
Jim McMahon James Robert McMahon Jr. (born August 21, 1959) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. McMahon played college football at BYU, where he wa ...
.


Description

''Labour and Co-operative'' is a joint description registered with the
Electoral Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
, appearing alongside a candidate's name on ballot papers. When elected, the designation is officially Labour and Co-operative Party, with elected representatives often meeting together in addition to being part of an official Labour group. For example, MPs and peers are members of the Co-operative Parliamentary Group. Most Labour and Co-operative candidates use the joint description but some stand under another version, particularly for local government elections and elections in Scotland, Wales and London that use a list system. In this case only one description will be used to avoid voters thinking Labour and Co-operative candidates are standing against Labour candidates; however, joint candidates are still recognised as part of the Labour and Co-operative Group if they are elected. Labour and Co-operative candidates and representatives also use a joint logo on their printed materials and websites.


History

The Labour Party was founded in February 1900, followed in October 1917 by the Co-operative Party. Initially both parties operated independently, but saw each other as part of a broader movement, appealing to a similar voting base. At a local level, the parties began working together, with informal pacts to stand agreed candidates to maximise the vote for centre-left candidates. The first Co-operative Party MPs also took the
whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
of the much larger Labour Party upon entering the House of Commons. Moves toward a formal national partnership began in 1925 with the creation of the 'Joint Committee of the Executive Committees of the Co-operative Party and Labour Party'. This Joint Committee drafted a formal agreement between the two parties that was ratified at the June 1927 Co-operative Congress at Cheltenham, becoming the first 'National Agreement', also known as the 'Cheltenham Agreement'. The Agreement was updated a number of times throughout the twentieth century, deepening the partnership between the two parties and gradually removing restrictions that formed part of earlier versions, such as a limit on the number of joint candidates in elections. The most recent National Agreement was signed in 2003 and sets out the process for selecting candidates and how the two parties can work together locally and nationally.


See also

* Labour Party *
Co-operative Party 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 campaign politically for the fair ...
*
List of Labour Co-operative Members of Parliament This is a list of United Kingdom Labour and Co-operative Party MPs. It includes all Members of Parliament (MPs) elected to the British House of Commons representing the Co-operative Party from 1918 to 1927, and Labour and Co-operative Party si ...


References

{{Authority control Co-operative Party Centre-left parties in the United Kingdom Organisation of the Labour Party (UK) Political party alliances in the United Kingdom