Lambeth Council is currently flying a kite about being a cooperative council. I’ve looked on their website and I really could’nt find anything to explain what that meant. Lots of mealy mouthed stuff about involving lots more people in making decisions – more consultation and lobbying – buts councils are duty bound to do this already.

I thought cooperatives were organisations where the owners are customers who make a capital investment in the organisation for a fixed rate of return. That this investment was limited to ensure no one person or group become dominant.

Then I read elsewhere that it will be a kind of John Lewis partnership Lambeth cooperative Council. That means the employees own the company and take profits between them. Do we want a council run for profit. Nope.

I can’t see these models working for a council. Apart from any legal constraint, and I can see lots of them, any council that is run for the loudest group of residents wont be run for all the communities a council covers. Sounds like more of the same. But it has earned some great headlines.

If I’ve missed the point please do get in touch.