This is the text of the response I gave to delegates following on from the Policy Debates on Health and International Development. The Policy Documents are on the Coop Party website and we hope they will form a signioficant part of the Labour Party’s Policy Platform at the next General Election:
Chris Bain Annual Conference Speech
I want to thank you all so much for your contributions to the policy debates this morning.
I would especially like to thank both Wes Streeting and Preet Gill for giving excellent speeches and taking part in our policy debates.
What does it say about where we are as a Party that we have had the Shadow Secretaries of State for Health and Social Care and for International Development taking part and hearing our members contributions in these areas?
My special thanks to both of you for giving up your time when I know you are both so busy.
My thanks also to my friend and NEC colleague Rosa Bolger for her excellent chairing of the International Development Debate
I also want to thank our Branches, our Party Councils, our Individual members and networks for their hard work and inputs over several months earlier in the year
So many of them have made such an enormous contribution to the development of the draft policies we have been debating today
It is the commitment, involvement and participation of our members and supporters that is the beating heart of the Co-operative Party.
It is also about our committed staff. Dan Monaghan and Anna Birley who have done so much to bring it all together
It is through all of your efforts that we have emerged with such a strong policy platform
A policy platform that (I hope) fully reflects the lived experiences and expertise of those who have helped to shape it.
This morning our debates focussed on health and international development,
I sensed a real determination to create the best possible policy for these issues, at a time when Britain and the world face many different crises – from climate change through to health inequality.
We heard some great contributions didn’t we?
In the Health debate.
We heard a lot about Mental Health services. An underfunded Mental Health system failing far too many people, especially younger people. Some harrowing examples from H. Too many tragedies.
We need parity of esteem for physical and mental health services. Perhaps with ringfenced mental health budgets.
Delegates also felt that we need to do more to ensure good care for people with disabilities. Put an end to cruel assessment systems which deny support and care to people.
There are great examples of where Labour and Cooperative politicians in power and making a real difference. We heard from Paul Sweeney and the fantastic work they are doing in Scotland such as the Drug Death Prevention Bill.
We also heard about the amazing work happening in Wales and Northern Ireland
I was particularly taken by West Streeting saying that he wanted to be the “Shop Steward for Patients”. That will stay with me.
On the International Development debate
AH spoke so movingly about the need to provide solidarity to LGBTQ+ communities globally. We heard some great examples of where Coops are working with LGBTQ+ communities such as in Malawi.
Delegates also pointed out that development spending is primarily directed at static communities, and we should think about diverting resources to those in transit fleeing persecution and conflict.
Delegates also felt that we needed to raise awareness in the UK on the importance of international development and multilateral work on global issues
Finally a number of contributions focussed on the issue of women’s rights. Very strong agreement on the need to promote women’s rights in all areas of international development policy.
We heard such a rich a rich range of contributions across both debates and I want to assure members that we have taken careful note of all contributions and none will be lost.
We have been determined from the beginning that our Policies should be living documents, continuously evolving as times change
We hope that our new policy papers will be a valuable resource for the Labour Party’s policy development going into the next general election.
We also need to look forward
We will be launching a new policy development process for 2023 over the next few months.
We will soon be publishing details of the process and will once again be asking for inputs from our party branches, networks, and members.
As co-operators we know the co-operative values and principles can provide solutions to some of our biggest challenges.
Using approaches such a Community Wealth Building and Nothing About Us Without Us
By working together and campaigning for a Labour & Co-operative Government we can build a more co-operative Britain.
On behalf of the NEC, thank you for being part of this debate. Together, only together, we can move our country from crisis to cooperation.
I commend the Policy Documents to Conference
Chris Bain 