How co-operatives figure in the new UK PM’s plans to improve living standards | The Business

New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared his administration will be a “cost of living government”.
Chairing his first cabinet meeting at number 10 Downing Street, Andy Burnham told his ministers that easing pressure on household budgets is the first priority.
The policy package promises to cut power and transport bills, all without extra borrowing.

He’s the first Prime Minister to come from the Labour and Co-operatives party. This week his colleague, fellow Labour and Co-operatives MP, Andrew Pakes spoke to ABC’s The Business while in Australia to sell the benefits of member-owned businesses.
The MP for Peterborough says people feel that they have been let down by the privatisation of essential services, which has seen them face higher bills. While the UK government has nationalised railways, Andrew Pakes says big public utilities such as water also need to be fixed.

He says the UK has much to learn from Australia’s national mutual economy experience, particularly the manner in which co-ops are involved in the care sector and agriculture.
“Farmers in Australia work together a lot more than they do in co-ops in the United Kingdom. Plus you’ve got some really interesting examples of social care, kind of looking after older people or vulnerable people, doing that not-for-profit, not by the state, but bringing care co-operatives into place. I think it’s going to be some really good lessons for me to take back to the new Prime Minister,” he said.
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