The Co-operative Party has released figures showing its membership has grown faster than the other main UK-wide political parties since the 2019 general election.
Labour List reports that the Party grew its membership by almost a fifth to more than 13,000, a percentage growth exceeding that of parties including the its sister party Labour, the Conservatives and Lib Dems. Electoral Commission figures show the Party’s membership grew 19.5% between 2019 and 2022, from 11,040 to 13,194.
The pParty also doubled its total number of elected representatives in the same time period, from 700 to more than 1,600.
“With the country still battling with the cost-of-living crisis, too many people feel powerless over their everyday lives,” said general secretary Joe Fortune said.
“People don’t just want change – they demand change. It’s no surprise then that the Co-operative Party is growing faster than any other UK-wide political party.
“Born out of a need for change, the values and principles of the co-operative movement puts power into the hands of communities – something which is desperately needed right now
“From communities owning their own energy to giving local people a say and stake in their local assets, people are buying into our co-operative vision for the country. Together with the Labour Party, we’re working towards the next general election to build a fairer, greener Britain which works for everyone.”
The study compared membership to parties with elected MPs in parliament whose membership figures are publicly available. It found that Conservative Party membership rose 7.5% since 2019, while Labour membership has fallen 23.4%.
