Labour Co-operative

Labour and Co-operative Party (often abbreviated Labour Co-op; Welsh: Llafur a’r Blaid Gydweithredol) is a description used by candidates in United Kingdom elections, standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties. Labour and Co-operative Party is registered with the Electoral Commission by both parties as a joint description.

Relationship with Labour Party

Although many Labour Party candidates, and over 200 of the current (2015–2020) Parliamentary Labour Party, are members of the Co-operative Party, only those candidates who have been officially endorsed by both parties may use the designation Labour and Co-operative Party. In the 2015 general election 42 candidates stood using the Labour and Co-operative Party description, of which 24 were elected. Only Labour and Co-operative Party MPs and peers belong to the parliamentary Co-operative Party group.

At a local level, where wards may elect more than one councillor, only those where all candidates are supported by the Co-operative Party may use the designation on ballot papers and leaflets. In the list systems used for elections to the European Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and London Assembly, the designation has not been used. This convention has been adopted to avoid confusion between a mix of candidates that could lead to a reduction in the Labour vote. Nevertheless, there have been Labour and Co-operative candidates in the single-member constituencies in those bodies and the Co-operative Party continues to support and promote constituency and list members of those assemblies and the House of Lords.

Logo

Labour and Co-operative Party candidates can use Labour Party emblems on ballot papers, although a variety of hybrid logos have in the past been used on promotional literature.

See also

• List of Labour Co-operative Members of Parliament