New Co-op Party General Secretary: Michael Stephenson

rwendland Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 02:13:23 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

The Co-operative Party has appointed a new general secretary: Michael Stephenson. Does anyone know much about him? Googling does not show up any real info of interest.

The press release is below, but the one line summary is that he is a former senior adviser in 10 Downing Street during the Blair years.




Despite having been an inactive member for a while, I never really got to understand the Co-operative Party - superficially it seemed well aligned with the New Labour party establishment - for example supporting Foundation Hospitals, Trust Schools and City Academies (of a Co-operative  flavour). But I'm not sure if that is a fair overall assessment.

The press release is:

The Co-operative Party has appointed a new General Secretary to take office from Monday 28 July.

Michael Stephenson will be joining the Party from NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts), where he is currently Executive Director, Corporate Communications.

Michael has experience at the highest levels of government, both in the UK and Australia. He has been a senior adviser at 10 Downing Street, Chief of Staff to the Premier of Queensland and Chief of Staff to the Queensland Minister for Education. He has also taught politics at Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology.

Gareth Thomas MP, Chair of the Co-operative Party’s NEC, said,

"Michael Stephenson will be a first class General Secretary. He already has an excellent record of service to governments in the UK and Australia; and with his extensive political experience I have no doubt he will be an invaluable source of advice and support for the co-operative movement, and the Co-operative Party in particular."

(Co-op News has more, but you need a paid subscription which seems a backward approach for the internet age.)

Previous GenSec Peter Hunt left a few months ago in a "surprise announcement", seemingly to setup Westminster-based public affairs consultancy with Matt Ball, former Co-op Party parliamentary officer.



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New Co-op Party General Secretary: Michael Stephenson | 11 comments (11 topical)

Co-op Party finances (#1)

by rwendland on Wed Jun 11, 2008 at 10:21:31 PM GMT

Looks like the Co-operative Party is undergoing financial cutbacks from a scan thru their 2006 accounts: "in the light of a reduction in income from the Co-operative Group that will be applied from January 2007." In 2006 they had a £95k defecit and assets of £220k, so it looks like they'll have contracted during 2007.

FTE employees dropped from  14 to 11, from 2005 to 2006.

One interesting thing is that their accounts, unlike Labour's, gives the GenSec's remuneration. The package was £83k (£70.5k salary + £5.5k car + £7k pension). Wonder what the Labour GenSec is offered?


Re: Co-op Party finances (#2)

by swatantra on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 10:08:21 AM GMT

It would be a great pity if any financial cutbacks resulted in a halt to the significant improvements in the Coop Party in the work it has done over the past two years and, it has a much higher profile than before. The Coop Group, and others, really do need to continue supporting the Cooperative Party to bring about greater awareness of Cooperatives generally. International Cooperative Day is coming soon and various events are being planned in celebration around the country. 


[ Parent ]

Re: Co-op Party finances (#3)

by rwendland on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 11:51:14 AM GMT

Also I see that the Senior Management Team salaries' are 69% of the entire Co-operative Party payroll, according to the 2006 accounts. Suggests there is a well-paid leadership in charge of a few indians - hardly seems atune with the co-operative ideal. Put another way, the Senior Management Team remuneration package was 27% of the Co-operative Party entire 2006 income.

(Unfortunately neither the accounts nor website say who is in the "Senior Management Team", so it is not easy to find out how many employees are considered senior managers, or what they are paid - except that only the GenSec gets more than £70k.)

BTW the Co-operative Party is constituted as a Limited company, as is being considered by some for the Labour Party - currently an unincorporated association. One advantage for readers of annual accounts is that a Limited company like the Co-op party has to disclose the higher management salaries in £5,000 bands - which currently the Labour Party need not, and does not, do.

One disadvantage of the Limited company organisation is that individuals are not members of the national Co-operative Party, only of local area co-operative parties. It is the area co-operative parties, and other co-operative organisations, that are the members of the national party. And voting is largely dependent on the amount of money each member contributes to the national party.

Something to remember if it is seriously suggested that the Labour Party reform as a Limited company. The national party does have an AGM, but as the local individual members are not members of the national party, they cannot attend the national AGM.

 


[ Parent ]

Re: New Co-op Party General Secretary: (#4)

by Wiseman on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 12:11:50 PM GMT

The party needs to expand and recruit young progressives, I am trying to do that!!

The membership is about 7,000 nationally.

John Wiseman
Executive
Greater Manchester Co-operative party
Vice-Chair Warrington Co-op party


Re: New Co-op Party General Secretary (#5)

by pftinnion on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 12:50:07 PM GMT

The Party became a federal Industrial & Provident Society in January 2006. Abolishing national individual membership was not a necessity: it was a deliberate decision. Other I&P Societies, including one of which I am the chair, are "hybrids", having both corporate and individual membership.  The Co-operative Group is a hybrid.  The new structure is baffling to members and unsuitable for a political party.  National individual membership should be restored, the sooner the better.


Re: New Co-op Party General Secretary (#6)

by rwendland on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 05:55:38 PM GMT

pftinnion, Do you know why national individual membership was excluded? Was it to do with the logistics/costs of running an AGM that all members could attend?


[ Parent ]

New Co-op Party General Secretary (#7)

by pftinnion on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 11:52:05 PM GMT

No.  Having individual membership doesn't necessarily mean that every member has an individual vote at the annual meeting.  Co-op Group members are represented through a democratic structure of area committees and regional boards.  Party members could have been represented through their local parties.  I was told privately by one leading figure that the reason for excluding national individual membership was to prevent individuals thinking that they had "ownership of the Party".  I was not impressed!


Re: New Co-op Party General Secretary (#8)

by rwendland on Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 11:01:21 AM GMT

Do you think my suspicion that the national party is in the control of a New Labour oriented group has some truth to it? "prevent individuals thinking that they had "ownership of the Party"" sounds so New Labour.

And is the vote per £25 new to the latest reorganisation?

10.13. On a card vote, each Local Party and society member shall have ten votes, plus one additional vote for every £25 or part of that amount paid to the Party during the previous financial year.

It seems like a way of ensuring ultimate control is not with ordinary members, which again sounds New Labourish.


[ Parent ]

New Co-op Party General Secretary (#9)

by pftinnion on Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 01:26:31 PM GMT

I don't think it's about new or old Labour.  It's about having a sensible, comprehensible structure.  The voting system hasn't changed.


Co-operative Party is about ideas not structures (#10)

by Timothy Godfrey on Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 05:49:32 PM GMT

The Co-operative Party is not about money or structures it is about ideas, about the very basic issue of putting Co-operative and mutual ideas into action. The Co-operative party did not 'support' foundation trust hospitals it was pushing, lobbying and engaging with people across the movement to get them to do these policies in the first place. Even when a 'structure' is not co-operative or mutual, the principles and ideas of co-operation and mutual benefit can be fully adopted.

The Co-operative Party puts forward practical solutions that empower people and communities - harnessing innovation and collective action. 

and business issues from football supporters owning their own clubs to care co-operatives, housing co-operatives, telephone co-operatives - the list goes on

More details from www.party.coop


Re: New Co-op Party General Secretary: (#11)

by Wiseman on Sat Jun 14, 2008 at 08:19:26 PM GMT

well said

John Wiseman
Political Officer
Greater Manchester Co-op


New Co-op Party General Secretary: Michael Stephenson | 11 comments (11 topical)