Eastbourne Labour selects Co-operator

Congratulations to East Sussex Co-operative Party member Jake Lambert, who has been selected as Labour's prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Eastbourne.

Jake is well known to local Co-op branch members, especially for his active campaigning against payday loan companies (which have relied on the conspicuous support of local Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd).

Jake is Chair of Eastbourne Labour Party.  He is a teacher at a local secondary school, and lives with his partner Louise (also a teacher) and their dog Oscar, in Eastbourne's Old Town.

Find out more about Jake's campaign here.

Branch Meeting: November 1st

There will be a meeting of the East Sussex Branch of the Co-operative Party on Saturday 1st November, 2014 10.30am, at the Central Methodist Church, Langney Road, Eastbourne.

A G E N D A

1. Apologies for Absence
2. Minutes of the last ordinary  meeting  held August 2014
3. Matters Arising
4. Reports:
          a) Membership
          b) Treasurer
          c) Constituency Labour Parties
          d) Sussex Co-operative Party Council
          e)  Any other Reports

5. Co-operative Values in the General Election campaign- especially how we can support    campaigning in Hastings, Lewes and Eastbourne where we have branch members standing. 6. Any other business, including date of next  meeting

Tea and Coffee will be available at the meeting.

Co-op Party Policy: Have your say !

At Co-operative Party Annual Conference 2014 we'll be discussing policy in 6 key areas.

• Consumer Affairs and Co-operative Development
• Health and Social Care
• Women and Equalities
• Communities and Local Government
• Energy and Environment
• International Development

The draft policy papers that will be debated are now available by clicking the links above.  If you' have additional ideas or amendments, you can submit these through our local branch, or e-mail the Co-operative Party directly by clicking here.

Next Branch Meeting: Saturday 9th August

There will be a meeting of the East Sussex Branch of the Co-operative Party on Saturday 9th August, 2014 10.30am,  at the Central Methodist Church, Langney Road, Eastbourne.

The Agenda will be:

 

1. Apologies for Absence
2. Minutes of the last ordinary  meeting  held December 2013, and draft minutes from the May AGM
3. Matters Arising
4. Reports:  a) Membership  b) Treasurer  c) Constituency Labour Parties  d) Sussex Co-operative Party Council  e)  Any other Reports
5. Campaign Planning- especially  (a)  Credit Union for the Forces Campaign (National) and (b) Eastbourne Pier- pushing for co-operative solutions.
6. Any other business, including date of next  meeting.

All Co-operative Party members are encouraged to attend. Tea and Coffee will be provided at the meeting.

 

A Co-operative Manifesto for Labour

Last weekend, the Labour Party's National Policy Forum met, to debate the policy that will form the basis of our manifesto for a Labour victory at the 2015 General Election.

As has been the case for nearly 100 years, Co-operators will be at the heart of that Labour Government, and they were there in force at the Policy Forum, ensuring that co-operative policies are central to Labour's programme.

With wages squeezed, it's crucial that working parents have access to affordable, quality childcare - that's why at last week's Labour NPF, we won support for childcare co-ops as a key part of the solution.

With a commitment to mutual and co-operative forms of rail ownership, the Next Labour Government's plan for the railways will put passengers, staff and communities first ! 

And, building on Ed Miliband's pledge to freeze energy bills, we push for genuine co-operative solutions to take on the "big six" utility providers.
 

It's Co-operatives Fortnight !

Co-operatives Fortnight is the perfect time to come together and promote the vibrancy and strength of the  co-operative sector. Our sector is truly diverse and we are proud to offer a broad range of products and services. From childcare to cheese, wine to windpower, there really is a co-operative for everyone and every need, and Fortnight is the ideal opportunity to encourage more people to make the co-operative choice.

There really has been no better time to take part in Co-operatives Fortnight. We promise to make it fun and simple for your co-operative to get involved, so please play your part.   Large or small, online or on the high street, we want all co-operatives to take part during Co-operatives Fortnight and spread our message.

Together we really can get the message out far and wide.  Whether a retailer, service provider, federal member, or an individual co-operative supporter, we'll arm you with all the resources that you need. Our bright and vibrant campaign is guaranteed to make people smile.

Find out more by clicking here

Co-operators enjoy day out at Labour BBQ

East Sussex Co-operative Party members enjoyed a great afternoon out at Eastbourne Labour Party-  of sunshine, good food, and an inspiring speech from one of Labour's best front-bench speakers, on Saturday 29th June.

Paul and Sarah Richards welcomed us to their garden (complete with rabbits, guinea pigs and ducks) for a splendid barbecue, with a super turnout from Labour members old and new, plus guests from Brighton and Hastings.

Stella Creasy, a Labour and Co-operative  MP (pictured with our host, Paul) was the guest speaker- she talked about her work in Parliament, including spearheading campaigns against payday lenders and legal loan-sharks, and inspired us about the need to campaign and fight to make a difference for ordinary people, even when constrained by being in opposition.   Stella also revealed that she had been invited, by Billy Bragg, to speak about her anti loan-shark campaigns at the Glastonbury Festival on the same day- but had turned him down as she'd accepted Eastbourne first. How's that for dedication ?

East Sussex Co-operative Party continue to support Stella and her colleagues' campaigns against payday lenders and the legal loan sharks (while Eastbourne's Lib Dem MP, Stephen Lloyd, defends their "business model")

Eastbourne Labour BBQ with Co-op MP Stella Creasy

Co-operative MP Stella Creasy- a leading campaigner against payday loans companies, will be the special guest at Eastbourne Labour Party's Summer Barbecue, on 29th June, hosted by East Sussex Co-op Party member Paul Richards.

All East Sussex co-operators are warmly invited. Tickets are £5 (£2.50 unwaged) to cover food; bring your own drink. Donations of prizes for the raffle are also invited.

Click here to visit the Eastbourne Labour website for details on how to book.

Time for a Credit Union for Military Families

Every day, members of the armed forces make huge sacrifices to serve the UK. Military families face particular challenges, spending long periods abroad, facing frequent relocation, and their incomes fluctuating between regular pay and lump sums while deployed. These circumstances make financial planning difficult, and make it hard to secure financial services via ordinary high street banks.

Their situation makes service personnel a target for payday lenders such as forcesloans.co.uk, who charge extortionate levels of interest that can easily spiral. It’s a growing problem, with over 11,000 people calling the Royal British Legion’s Money Advice Service each year.

A CO-OPERATIVE SOLUTION: 

We’re calling for the Ministry of Defence to support the creation of a military credit union because our service families deserve better than payday lenders. 

The credit union would provide financial products such as savings, loans and mortgages, which would be designed to meet the specific needs of members of the armed forces. Membership of the credit union would be open to all serving and former members of the UK armed forces and their families. 

As a credit union, it would be owned by its members, with profits used to improve services and to offer competitive rates of interest.

WHAT IS A CREDIT UNION ?:

Credit unions provide many of the same services that you would find at your local bank, including savings accounts, loans and mortgages.

However, unlike banks which are privately owned businesses, credit unions are owned and run by their customers. This makes them well-suited to offer financial products that are tailored to the specific needs of the communities that own them.

Because they aren’t run for a profit, credit unions are also able to charge lower rates of interest than payday lenders

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN:

Visit the  campaign site here, to sign up as a supporter and to find out case studies and more information about how you can support this campaign.

2014 AGM held in Eastbourne

The East Sussex branch of the Co-operative Party held its AGM on 17th May at the Central Methodist Church in Eastbourne. 

Jean Couture was elected as Chair, with Cllr Nigel Sinden as vice chair, and Dave Brinson as Secretary/Treasurer.  The branch also nominated delegates to represent the Co-op at the local Labour Party constituencies in East Sussex.

We are keen to support Labour's campaigns in the forthcoming General Election- and especially noted the recent selection of our branch member Lloyd Russell-Moyle to take on Norman Baker in the Lewes Constituency. We also have several branch members serving as Labour councillors on Hastings Borough Council.

Special congratulations to the outgoing secretary of the Sussex Co-op Party, Lis Telcs, who has been elected to represent the South East region on the Co-op Party National Executive. 

To find out more about the work of the Co-op Party nationally, members are encouraged to visit the website here.