Message from our Honorary President

Steve Reed OBE MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice of the United Kingdom
Member of Parliament for Croydon North

• Email Steve Reed

The Co-operative Councils Innovation Network is showing in practical ways how we can reshape public services around citizens and communities.  The benefits of this are enormous.  Making services directly accountable to the people they serve delivers better value for money and gives people back more control over their own lives.  This isn’t about cuts or austerity, it’s about supporting people to be more self-reliant so they can dream bigger dreams and realise their aspirations for themselves and their families.   At the same time, we can strengthen the bonds and relationships within communities and make them more resilient to the many challenges we all face in a fast-changing world.

The Network is driven by the values of fairness, opportunity and solidarity that have always inspired progressive politics, and is showing how we can use those values today to do better for less.  Rather than a think tank, this is a do-tank and these councils are demonstrating how we can unleash the creativity, innovation and leadership of our own communities to meet the challenge of our times.

Steve Reed OBE MP