The Co-operative Independent Commission

The Co-operative Independent Commission was set up in 1955 due to the decline in the growth of the Co-operative movement. The aim of the Commission was to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of Co-operative production and marketing in wholesale and retail. The Commission was to present a report of recommendations to the Central Executive designed to secure the greatest possible advantage to the movement from its manufacturing, wholesale, and retail resources. The chair of the Committee was deputy leader, and later leader, of the Labour Party Hugh Gaitskell, C.B.E., M.P. The secretary was ex Labour M.P. Mr C.A.R. Crosland. The other original members of the Commission were Miss Margaret Digby, O.B.E.; Professor D.T. Jack, C.B.E., J.P.; Dr. J.B. Jefferys; Colonel S.J.L. Hardie, D.S.O., LL.D.; Mr J.T. Murray; and Alderman F. Pette, J.P. Also at the request of the Commission Lady Hall became a member in December 1956. The report was conducted between 1955 and 1958.

The Commission conducted its research through visiting retail, wholesale, and various other Co-operative societies. They received written evidence from societies, circulated questionnaires to all retail societies, and also commissioned two special investigations into the sources and uses of Co-operative capital and into the pattern of Co-operative savings. The Commission was supplied with background research and statistical documents from the Co-operative Union, Co-operative Wholesale Society, and the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society. They also held formal meetings with representatives of the central executive of the Co-operative Union; Policy and General Purposes, Grocery, and Dry Goods Committees; the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society Grocery and Drapery and Furnishing Committees; the Co-operative Productive Federation; Co-operative Retail Services; the National Co-operative Managers’ Association; and the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and held informal discussions with Directors and officials of many Co-operative bodies. They held 35 full Co-operative Independent Commission meetings.

The Committee’s report and recommendations were presented to the Central Executive in 1958 alongside a minority report written by Colonel S.J.L. Hardie.

From the guide to the Papers of the Co-operative Independent Commission, 1919- 27 Jun 1958, (National Co-operative Archive)