As a Labour and Co-operative councillor, I was a delegate to the recent Co-operative conference. The theme was “From crisis to co-operation”.
We had our Labour government-in-waiting speaking – and here are some of the highlights.
Lisa Nandy highlighted the Conservative government approach to delivering “growth by the few for the few” – and contributions by ordinary people being erased.
People are the great untapped asset and everyone has the right to contribute and share in the outcome of their efforts.
She committed to rebuilding social housing stocks and ending no-fault evictions. She finished with her strongly held view that central and local government, business, community and co-operative societies will need to rebuild the country together.
Rachel Reeves started her speech with the question of who is the country run for? Sadly, this government’s attitude is “know your place”.
She framed the cost-of-living emergency as a housing crisis and a climate crisis. She is promising a green industrial revolution, powered by GB Energy.
Funding will come from a new business tax model which includes online retailers, taxing non-doms and pushing for a global minimum rate of corporation tax.
Wes Streeting, our Shadow Health Secretary, was highly critical of the so-called “revolutionary” demands by “Lightweight Liz” promising “GP appointments within two weeks and urgent care within the same day”.
The NHS needs an urgent 10-year plan of change and modernisation. Labour will introduce a workforce plan which includes doubling training places, recruiting more mental health professionals and 5,000 more health visitors.
Labour will also encourage more co-operative providers in social care services.
The NHS needs to transform from a responsive to a preventative model using technology to deliver a modern, efficient, and caring NHS.
Preet Gill said that Labour wants a fairer, greener global economy. We champion the fair-trade mark and oppose modern slavery through procurement and supply chain management.
Sadly, conflict around the world is growing and the climate emergency can only exacerbate this.
There is a choice about what international development is for – supporting small, local community projects, often led by women, makes a much greater difference.
Labour will restore the 0.7 per cent of GDP and bring back an independent Department for International Development which will have a brief to target green development and climate change.
Councillor Carmen Appich is the joint Labour opposition leader on Brighton and Hove City Council.
