Co-operative Press

Co-operative Press is a Manchester-based publishing co-operative whose principal activity is the production of Co-op News, a monthly magazine and digital news service serving the international co-operative movement. The society describes its mission as connecting, championing and challenging co-operatives, and its membership is closely linked to the subscribers of Co-op News. It is one of the oldest surviving publishing institutions associated with the co-operative movement and traces its roots to the nineteenth-century development of co-operative journalism in Britain. The organisation was founded in Manchester in 1873 as the Co-operative Newspaper Society. It was established by co-operative societies to assume responsibility for publishing The Co-operative News, a title that had first appeared in 1871. Printing was initially undertaken by the separate Co-operative Printing Society. In 1921, the organisation merged with the Scottish Co-operative Newspaper Society and adopted the name National Co-operative Publishing Society. It also acquired the radical Sunday newspaper Reynold's Illustrated News during that year. The society took its current name, Co-operative Press, in 1935, at a time when new financial support from federal bodies in the co-operative sector enabled a substantial reorganisation. During the interwar period, the Press was regarded by some observers as an important example of democratic and non-capitalist newspaper management. Its editorial and publishing work reflected the social, political and cultural concerns of working-class co-operators. S. R. Elliot edited the principal publication until 1942, while Mary Stott edited its women's and children's section from 1933 to 1945 before her later career at the Guardian. Alfred Barnes, a former Labour member of Parliament, chairman of the Co-operative Party and transport minister, served as chairman around this period. The organisation maintained operations in Manchester and London and received representation on the National Co-operative Authority after its creation by the Co-operative Congress in 1932. By the 1950s, Co-operative Press was described as the largest publication organisation in the co-operative business sector. Its historical activities extended beyond journalism into commercial printing and periodical publishing. In the 1960s, its Manchester printing operations were based at the Veno Building, later renamed Progress House, in Old Trafford. The associated Trafford Press printed magazines, general commercial work and Manchester United football programmes. A prolonged industrial-relations dispute followed the planned introduction of web-offset printing technology in the mid-1960s, involving competing claims by several printing unions over staffing and work jurisdiction. The dispute was eventually settled in July 1966 and the new press entered operation. The society expanded and consolidated its printing interests in the early 1970s. It took over the co-operative Birmingham Printers in 1971 and merged with the Co-operative Printing Society in 1972. It also had premises in Newcastle during that period. These activities made Co-operative Press both a publisher and a significant production organisation within the British co-operative sector, although the business later became more concentrated on specialist co-operative journalism and related publishing. Its central publication is now known as Co-op News. The title covers co-operative enterprise, mutuals, social economy organisations, policy, international development and movement affairs. More than half of its readership has been reported as being outside the United Kingdom, giving the publication a wider international role than its Manchester base might suggest. In 2011, the International Co-operative Alliance announced the launch of The Hub, a multilingual news service administered by Co-operative Press. The society remains connected to the wider movement through board representation and institutional relationships. The Co-operative Group and Co-operatives UK have held representation on its board, alongside organisations including Central England Co-operative, Midcounties Co-operative and Scotmid. A strategic review undertaken in 2019 identified the need to diversify income, improve digital member services and strengthen the organisation's international reach. In 2020, the Co-op Group announced that it would end unrestricted funding for the Press from 2021, creating pressure for further revenue diversification. Co-operative Press continues to publish movement-focused journalism and books, including works addressing co-operative history, theory and institutional failures.

Co-operative Press emerged from the nineteenth-century British co-operative movement's need for an independent communications platform. Although its best-known publication, The Co-operative News, began in 1871, the publishing society itself was founded in Manchester in 1873 as the Co-operative Newspaper Society. A group of co-operative societies created the organisation to take over publication of the newspaper, while the Co-operative Printing Society handled much of the printing work. The society's institutional structure changed as the movement grew. In 1921 it merged with the Scottish Co-operative Newspaper Society and became the National Co-operative Publishing Society. The same year it acquired Reynold's Illustrated News, a popular radical Sunday newspaper. In 1935 it adopted the name Co-operative Press. That reorganisation was supported by significant funding from federal bodies in the movement and helped the newspaper develop a more substantial editorial and managerial operation. The Press had an influential role in interwar co-operative culture. Its publications addressed the practical, political and social questions facing co-operative societies and their members. S. R. Elliot served as editor of the main publication until 1942 and attracted notable contributors. Mary Stott edited the women's and children's section between 1933 and 1945; she later became associated with the Guardian. Alfred Barnes, a Labour politician and former chairman of the Co-operative Party, served as chairman around the same period. The organisation had offices in Manchester and London and gained representation on the National Co-operative Authority after that body was established by the Co-operative Congress in 1932. The democratic structure of the organisation was both a defining feature and a management challenge. Historical commentary praised the Press as an example of non-capitalist organisation, but also argued that elected committees without specialist knowledge of newspaper production could make operational decisions difficult. The tension between member accountability and professional publishing management remained part of the society's institutional history. By the 1950s, Co-operative Press was considered the largest publication organisation in the co-operative business sector. Its activities included periodical publishing and commercial printing. During the 1960s its printing operation occupied the Veno Building on Chester Road in Old Trafford, later called Progress House. The building housed Trafford Press, described as the printing arm of the co-operative movement, which produced magazines, general print work and Manchester United match programmes. Technological change produced a major labour dispute in the 1960s. Co-operative Press planned to introduce a web-offset press to produce periodicals and eventually a tabloid newspaper. Several printing unions disputed which grades of workers should operate the equipment and how assistants should be allocated. The new machine remained unused while negotiations continued, and the issue was referred through industrial conciliation structures. An agreement was finally reached in July 1966, allowing the press to begin operating. The organisation continued to consolidate its production capabilities in the 1970s. It acquired the co-operative Birmingham Printers in 1971 and merged with the Co-operative Printing Society in 1972. It also maintained premises in Newcastle. Over time, however, its identity became increasingly centred on co-operative journalism, specialist publishing and movement communications rather than large-scale general printing. The principal publication is now Co-op News, a monthly magazine and website focused on the global co-operative movement. It covers co-operative businesses, mutual organisations, social enterprise, public policy and international movement affairs. The publication has an international audience, with more than half of readers reported to be outside the United Kingdom. In 2011, the International Co-operative Alliance announced The Hub, a multilingual news service administered by the Press. Co-operative Press is governed through its co-operative membership model, with subscribers to Co-op News forming the society's membership base. The Co-operative Group and Co-operatives UK have had board representation, as have several regional co-operative societies. A strategic review in 2019 called for more diversified income, stronger digital services and a larger international presence. The Co-op Group's 2020 announcement that unrestricted funding would cease from 2021 made those priorities more urgent. The society's later publishing has included books such as Paul Gosling's 2018 account of the Co-operative Bank crisis and Ian Adderley's 2025 work on the relationship between co-operative theory and practice.

• 1972

  Merger with Co-operative Printing Society

  [1]Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Co-operative Press merged with the Co-operative Printing Society, consolidating related co-operative publishing and printing operations.

• 1971

  Birmingham Printers acquired

  [1]Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The society took over the co-operative Birmingham Printers.

• 1966

  Web-offset labour dispute resolved

  [1]Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org

  A dispute among printing unions over staffing and work jurisdiction was settled, enabling the new web-offset press to operate.

• 1935

  Current name adopted

  [1]Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The National Co-operative Publishing Society adopted the name Co-operative Press during a major organisational reorganisation.

• 1932

  Representation on the National Co-operative Authority

  [1]Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Following the authority's creation by the Co-operative Congress, Co-operative Press received representation on the body.

• 1921

  Merger and acquisition

  [1]Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The society merged with the Scottish Co-operative Newspaper Society and acquired Reynold's Illustrated News.

• 1873

  Co-operative Newspaper Society founded

  [1]Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org

  A group of co-operative societies founded the Co-operative Newspaper Society in Manchester to publish The Co-operative News.

• 1871

  The Co-operative News begins publication

  [1]Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The publication that would become Co-op News first appeared as The Co-operative News, predating the formal creation of Co-operative Press.

A member-oriented specialist publisher and news organisation for the co-operative and mutual economy, combining movement journalism with historical publishing and digital services.

• News magazine and digital publication · 1871

  Co-op News

  Co-op News is the principal current publication of Co-operative Press. It is a monthly magazine and website covering co-operative enterprises, mutual organisations, social economy policy, movement institutions and international developments. First published in 1871 as The Co-operative News, it is presented as the oldest newspaper dedicated to the co-operative sector. Its readership extends well beyond Britain, with international co-operative organisations forming an important part of its audience.

• Multilingual digital news service · 2011

  The Hub

  The Hub was a multilingual news service announced by the International Co-operative Alliance in 2011 and administered by Co-operative Press. It extended the society's role from print journalism into international and multilingual digital communications for the co-operative movement.

• Sunday newspaper

  Reynold's Illustrated News

  Reynold's Illustrated News was a popular radical Sunday newspaper acquired by the society in 1921. In 1936 it was renamed Reynold's News, and in 1962 it was relaunched in tabloid form as The Sunday Citizen. Falling sales led to its publication ending in 1967.

• Cultural magazine · 1905

  Millgate Monthly

  Millgate Monthly was a cultural periodical first published in 1905. It carried articles by co-operators on social issues as well as poetry and reviews. The title was shortened to The Millgate in 1928 and publication ended in 1953.

• Books

  Co-operative movement books

  Co-operative Press publishes books related to co-operative history, governance, theory and practice. Identified twenty-first-century examples include Paul Gosling's The Fall of the Ethical Bank: The Inside Story of the Co-operative Bank Disaster, published in 2018, and Ian Adderley's Co-operatives: Linking Practice and Theory, published in 2025.

• Specialist periodicals

  Other historical periodicals

  The Press has historically published additional periodicals, including The Scottish Co-operator, Co-operative Youth, Our Circle and Sunshine Stories. These titles served specialist, regional, youth and family-oriented audiences within the movement.

• 2020

  Co-op Group to end unrestricted fundingStrategy

  Background

  The Co-operative Group had provided unrestricted support to Co-operative Press, but announced a change in funding arrangements.

  Action taken

  The Co-op Group announced that unrestricted funding for the Press would cease from 2021.

  Aftermath

  The decision increased the importance of the Press's plans to diversify income and strengthen digital and international activity.

  Source

• 2019

  Strategic review focused on diversification and digital developmentStrategy

  Background

  The society reviewed its operating model amid the changing economics of specialist publishing and the need to serve a more international, digitally connected membership.

  Action taken

  The review identified priorities including broader revenue streams, improved digital services for members and expansion of the organisation's international base.

  Aftermath

  The recommendations became more significant after the Co-op Group later announced that unrestricted funding would end from 2021.

  Source

• 1964

  Introduction of web-offset printing technologyOther

  Background

  The Manchester printing operation planned to introduce a web-offset press for periodicals and a future tabloid newspaper, replacing or supplementing rotary letterpress production.

  Action taken

  Management established proposed staffing arrangements and notified unions that the press would begin operating under locally approved conditions while broader negotiations continued.

  Aftermath

  The equipment became the subject of a prolonged jurisdictional dispute among printing unions and did not enter service until an agreement was reached in July 1966.

  Source

1. 1Co-operative Pressen.wikipedia.org