Can municipal socialism be Labour’s defence against ongoing austerity?
*Key to these models is the belief that community and worker, not state, ownership is the key to building a better economy.
the focus is the growth of the co-operative economy as a way to fight off the worst effects of austerity by helping improve the economy and increased local engagement through democratisation of the economy.
A more exclusive focus on building the co-operative is being started in Greater Manchester where Metro Mayor Andy Burnham has launched the Greater Manchester co-operative agency.
in Emilia Romagna in Italy co-operative enterprises generate close to 40% of GDP.
Emilia Romagna is helped by a much better legal framework for the establishment and development of co-operatives. The Marcora Law gives workers the right to buy and convert a company should it plan to close, and has been credited to have saved around 14,500 jobs in the country.