It’s amazing how things happen by chance. I’d organised an event on behalf of Co-operatives and Mutuals Wales at the Customs House on June 28th 2012, which finished with a panel discussion. Someone (sorry, I can’t remember who) asked the question from the floor, “Why don’t we have a commission in Wales to look at what co-operatives and mutuals can do in Wales?”
The panel, Dr Molly Scott Cato, Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at the University of Roehampton, Derek Walker, Chief Executive of Wales Co-operative Centre, Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK and myself were enthusiastic. Derek answered that he was seeing Edwina Hart AM, the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, the following week and he’d pass the idea on. Well, the idea was put to the Minister who took it on-board and almost immediately made a public pronouncement to that effect. She recruited Professor Andrew Davies, the previous Minister, to chair the Commission and chose a group of commissioners from within the co-operative movement and outside it. These included Dame Pauline Green, the President of the ICA, the world governing body, Robin Murray from the LSE, Nick Bennett, Chief Executive of Community Housing Cymru, David Jenkins, Chair of the Wales Co-operative Centre and Molly Scott Cato. An advisory body was also set up which included Derek Walker and myself, so 3 of the original panellists were serving the Commission in some form! Continue reading
