2010 sees the UK in the midst of economic uncertainty and financial upheaval. The UK national public debt in April 2010 is over 62% and unemployment stands at 2.5m workers – 8% of the labour force.
In response, David Cameron and Nick Clegg have promised a ‘new era of politics’, to work together to address the country’s challenges. This move reflects the seismic shift in approach we need to address our economy’s deep rooted problems. Yet the shift is not towards a new concept but is a return to principles inherent in the human race and which already form a vital part of our economy. They are the principles of co-operation. Ever present and widely understated, co-operative principles are steeped in tradition. Today, as we find the economy searching for an alternative, they are increasingly viewed as the modern solution to our economic problems.