Policy Update for Plunkett UK Members – July 2025

Plunkett UK and member Oxton Community Shop were directly mentioned in the House of Commons last month by John Lamont MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk. We were delighted that the amazing work that Oxton does in John’s constituency was highlighted.

Alongside this, Plunkett’s Impact 2025 Report was referenced.

Further Parliamentary Questions were then asked by South Norfolk MP, Ben Goldsborough who enquired about the support by the Department for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for rural community-owned businesses like those in Plunkett UK Membership. You can see the full questions and answers here.

Thank you to John and Ben for highlighting the importance of support required for community businesses to flourish and UK co-operatives to double in size, as per the Government’s ambitions. It is really encouraging to see the work of Plunkett and its members acknowledged in Parliament.

We have also arranged for a number of MP visits to Plunkett member businesses over the coming months – Members of Parliament are really keen to meet with the local groups behind community businesses that give so much back to the towns and villages in which they are based.

Showcasing your business to your local MP builds relationships with key decision makers and helps to ensure an increase in advocacy for the community-owned business movement. Furthermore, it is a chance to explain the challenges that need to be overcome to take ownership of a community asset.

There are several community groups at early stages of the process whom Plunkett UK are supporting; your experiences in telling these stories could be crucial for obtaining future financial backing.

Plunkett’s Chief Executive James Alcock was also invited to 10 Downing Street in June for a reception that brought together the co-operative movement. Business Secretary of State, Jonathan Reynolds MP, reiterated the Government’s commitment to the Labour party’s manifesto ambition to double the size of the co-operative sector.

This point was reiterated when James later met with Business Minister, Alex Norris MP, who was introduced to the work that Plunkett does. Through our support for rural community owned businesses, we at Plunkett UK are proud to represent over 10% of all independent co-operatives trading in the UK; this is the fastest growing segment of the sector with an average of 35 opening each year.

Our Membership Manager, Laura Olver, and the Plunkett team released the Future of Rural Retail report in June. This important and unique work highlights how rural retail must adapt to continue to flourish in a changing world. It includes work from Mary Portas and the Earl of Devon, and a forward by Minister of State Daniel Zeichner.

The Minister writes that “the Government is committed to supporting Plunkett UK to take forward its recommendations and ensure a sustainable future for rural retailers.”

Plunkett’s work stretches across the country, and it supports remote community businesses in the highlands and islands in Scotland. We have a strong partnership with the Scottish Rural Network, part of Scot Gov, and Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon will be visiting Lochranza Country Inn on the Isle of Arran to see a community-owned business in action.

Plunkett UK will be working closely with stakeholders from both the Welsh Senedd and Holyrood ahead of next Spring’s devolved parliament elections; to push for community-owned business support in party manifestos, and ensure the importance of these businesses to rural economies and societies are appreciated by political stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Plunkett UK are also engaging in several consultation responses on behalf of its membership network, including the Committee for Business and Trade’s Small Business Strategy Inquiry, and we have met with five of the MP committee members and several Committee Officials both in person and remotely. We encourage you to directly engage with this consultation also, citing your community business, to help ensure that our sector is considered.

Finally, in June the Chancellor announced the Spending Review. Plunkett’s Chief Executive James Alcock’s response can be found here.

Although disappointing that no Community Ownership Fund replacement, or reintroduction was announced, we do welcome the commitment to introducing a ‘strengthened community right to buy’, but we are yet to find out when this will happen and what details it will contain that will benefit rural areas.

The Government has promised to double the size of the co-operative movement. That is a positive ambition; however, for this to become a reality, an essential funding support package for the sector is a necessity.

Written by David Lydiat, the new Head of External Affairs.