Retro Coop Party - not in a nice way

DenDen Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 07:28:57 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

The Co-operative Party is 90 this year - but on the evidence of its literature doesn't deserve to reach 91.



A flyer to members received today, entitled Getting ready to be 90! - (presumably meant to reach us in December!) - has a montage of 24 photos on the front and back. There's two things striking about these.

First, the number showing Peter Hunt, the Co-op Party General Secretary. This is of interest only to insiders who are calculating the days until he gets a job in Government - but not as a Special Advisor, he couldn't afford the paycut!

Second, and much more important, the ratio of men to women. There are at least 45 men pictured, and 5 women! There you have it, the modern Co-operative Party putting its policy on equality into action. I suppose it never ocurred to them to consider how this appears in today's world.

Shall we be charitable? - perhaps they were trying for the 1917 retro look!
 


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Retro Coop Party - not in a nice way | 4 comments (4 topical)

Re: Retro Coop Party - not in a nice way (#1)

by swatantra on Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 10:31:49 PM GMT

Ouch! Don't be so hard on the Coop Party and the Coop Movement. It is we who started and are leading the way on fairer trading and ethical enterprises.
Our values and priciples are being 'stolen' or adopted by all the major parties. In fact Labour has much to learn about business. There is still  sizeable chunk of Labour members who fear business and criticise enterpreneurship. The fools; its all about wealth creation, which this country needs. Labour has to learn to love Business, partuicularly the small business man/woman. We need to win their trust if we are ever to win a 4th Term.
Just you wait, the Coop is rebranding iself and updating its image. Be surprised and do join the Coop Party. You might learn something!.


Re: Retro Coop Party - not in a nice way (#2)

by DenDen on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 11:43:29 AM GMT

I am a member of the Co-operative party, have been for around twenty years. Which is why I'm pretty fed up with the flyer 'flying' in the face of the party's policies about equality between the sexes.

I didn't mention the Co-operative movement, only the Co-operative party.

I agree that the co-operative/mutual sector has much of value for Labour. However we will not be able to influence others when literature the party produces refuses to take the contribution of women seriously.  
 


Re: Retro Coop Party - not in a nice way (#3)

by swatantra on Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 01:34:25 PM GMT

I haven't recieved the flyer yet but, you're right, we have still a long way to go when it comes to equality, in all parties and in all walks of life. Can we make Coop Party HQ aware of our deep concerns. Perhaps they can take steps to put it right before the celebratory conference in September.


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Re: Retro Coop Party - not in a nice way (#4)

by ballyman on Sat May 26, 2007 at 05:28:33 PM GMT

Whether or not sexism is indeed rampant within the Party's HQ, one has to question whether Hunt and his crew are really an effective vehicle for the promotion of true co-operative values - after all, considering the National Secretary's craven sucking up to Blair over the last eight years, could the Co-op Party be regarded as anything other than a vehicle for this strange fellow's personal ambition? Why on earth should an unelected bureaucrat figure so prominently on the Party's promotional literature? Bizarre stuff. Perhaps the Co-op Group could find a more effective way to spend its money.


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Retro Coop Party - not in a nice way | 4 comments (4 topical)