Co-operative Commission

However, these payments were often made at the expense of retained capital, and there was growing concern about the movements ability to fund its future development.

[6] Over nearly three years, the Gaitskell Commission held 35 meetings, carried out visits and launched formal and informal consultations[4] before publishing its final report in 1958.

In its 1967 Regional Plan, the Co-operative Union concluded that "If the serious warnings of the Independent Commission had been heeded, the Movement would be in far better shape to withstand the impact of new problems which have developed".

The letter emphasised the Co-operative Movements' community involvement and ethical principles (as laid down by the Rochdale Principles), and asked for Blair to help the movement develop and modernise to "meet the challenges of the next millennium": the Prime Minister was asked to create and sponsor a Co-operative Commission in the mould of the Gaitskell Commission, and was provided with terms of reference for the proposed group.

[1] Its members comprised: In its first meeting, the Co-operative Commission formally adopted the terms of reference set for it in the Movement leaders' original letter.

Also included was the importance of ensuring that co-operatives could strongly resist any threat of demutualisation and prevent "the liquidation of assets built up by prior generations of co-operators".

[1] Writing in the New Statesman, John Monks said: Over the past six months, as chair of the Co-operative Commission, I have been hearing evidence from organisations and individuals with a wide range of views on the direction that the movement should take.

[14]The commission met formally on nine occasions, and the final three were dedicated to drawing conclusions from all the submissions, debates and findings to decide what changes the Movement would need to make.

A series of recommendations was carefully drawn up, with the commissioners being aware that they needed to be "radical, but deliverable" if they were to have any success in the real world.

But the principles it embraces are in tune with modern thinking; the democratisation of communications offered by the internet and other technological developments could yet herald another golden age for co-operation".