The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals held its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 24 March 2026 in Westminster. At the meeting, Gareth Thomas MP was elected Chair of the Group.
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals will take place on Tuesday 24 March, 12:00–13:00 in Room W3, Westminster Hall. The principal business of the meeting will be the election of officers and the completion of the formal requirements necessary for the Group’s continued registration. If you are a Parliamentarian, please contact…
Law Commission review of Friendly Societies legislation
The Law Commission has been asked to review the Friendly Societies Acts of 1974 and 1992, to ensure that they fit the nature and needs of friendly societies and that the regulation is proportionate and predictably certain. The Commission’s consultation paper was published recently and as part of its consultation process, the Commission’s review team will…
APPG to meet with Nationwide Chair
On 21 January APPG members will meet with Kevin Parry OBE, Chair of Nationwide, the UK’s largest Building Society. This meeting offers an opportunity to hear directly from Mr. Parry about Nationwide’s recent merger with Virgin Money, its future business plans, and his role as Chair of the Business Council for Mutuals and Co-operatives, recently…
New APPG Chair elected
Following the General Election earlier this year, the APPG for Mutuals reconstituted yesterday (10 December, 2024) with Andrew Pakes MP elected as Chair. A full work programme will commence in the new year.
Inaugural General Meeting
The AGM of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals will be held on Tuesday 10th December 2024 in Room U, Portcullis House, 3:30 – 4:15pm. As this is the inaugural meeting, the session will mainly be dealing with the election of officers and other tasks that are required for official registration as an All Party…
The 2024 General Election and the APPG for Mutuals
Following the 2024 General Election, the APPG for Mutuals is being reconstituted. The information on this website applies to the Group’s previous composition. Once the Group is reconstituted this website will be updated. If you are a Member of Parliament, and would like to join the group, please contact mark@mutuo.coop.
Law Commission review of the Co-operatives and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
Session II: International Legislative Comparisons The APPG for Mutuals will hold the next of its hearings in relation to the Law Commission review on Tuesday 14th May 2024, 15.00 -17.00, in Committee Room 2A, House of Lords. To attend, please contact: appg@mutuo.coop
APPG for Mutuals calls for Written Submissions: Law Commission Review into the Co-operatives and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
Session 1: Key legislative reform issues for co-operatives28th February 2024, 15:00-17:00, Room C, 1 Parliament Street, House of Commons Written submissions: The announcement of separate Law Commission reviews into both the Co-operatives and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and the Friendly Societies Act 1992 presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to seek to establish…
APPG Lunch Hosted by Royal London and Gareth Thomas MP
On 9th January, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals met in Parliament for lunch hosted by Gareth Thomas MP and Royal London, the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company. Lord Kennedy of Southwark chaired the session and Kevin Parry OBE, Chairman of Royal London as well as Society Chairman of Nationwide Building Society, addressed the APPG. Mr…
All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Mutuals to lead mutual sector in responding to Law Commission review of co-op law
Speaking at the FTT Mutuals conference, Gareth Thomas MP today announced that the APPG for Mutuals will spearhead a major campaign to co-ordinate a cross mutual sector response to the Law Commission’s review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. Starting in January 2024 for six months, the APPG will conduct hearings where the…
Letter from the FCA to Gareth Thomas MP
On 28th July 2022 the FCA sent a letter to Gareth Thomas MP about the attempted demutualisation of LV=.
APPG for Mutuals AGM 2022
The Annual General Meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals will be held on Tuesday 22nd March, 15:30 – 17:00 in Room W1, Westminster Hall. The session will hear from Martin Shaw, Chief Executive of the Association of Financial Mutuals about lessons learned/actions needed following the attempted demutualisation of LV= To attend, please…
A victory for mutuality as members reject the private equity raid
The decision by LV= members to reject the proposed sale to Bain Capital is a major boost for mutuals everywhere. Members voted to support their customer-focussed business purpose, and reject a transfer to profit-maximising private equity owners. It’s a vote of confidence in mutual, equitable, business, and sends a warning to potential corporate raiders that…
Letter from Gareth Thomas MP to LV= Chairman, Alan Cook
Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals, Gareth Thomas MP has today written to LV= Chairman, Alan Cook. You can view the letter here.
Sign the petition: Stop the demutualisation of LV=
Over 1,000 people have now signed the petition to stop the demutualisation of LV= Please visit change.org to sign
APPG to meet with LV= Chairman
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals will meet with LV= Chairman, Alan Cook, on 29th October at 11:00am. The meeting will be held via Zoom and follows on from the Group’s inquiry into the planned demutualisation of LV=. Contact us for further information.
APPG Chair, Gareth Thomas MP, secures Commons adjournment debate on the future of LV=
Gareth Thomas MP, chair of the APPG for Mutuals, spoke in Parliament yesterday evening about the demutualisation of LV=. He argued that in the case of LV=, there has never been “a clear, easy to understand, reason why demutualisation is needed. The business is well capitalised; indeed, it recently sold its general insurance business for…
Update on LV= from Gareth Thomas MP
APPG Chair, Gareth Thomas MP, has written to LV= members updating them on the APPG’s work. You can view a copy here.
Meeting with Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen MP
The APPG for Mutuals will meet with the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen MP, on Monday 21st June, 10:00 – 11:00. The meeting will be held via Zoom. If you are a member of the Group and wish to attend, please contact the Group Secretariat.
Response letter to the APPG from the Governor of the Bank of England about LV=
Read the response letter from Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England.
Gareth Thomas MP raises LV= demutualisation in Parliament
Earlier this week Gareth Thomas, Chair of the APPG for Mutuals and Labour MP for Harrow West raised the issue of LV=’s demutualisation in the House of Commons.
Response from LV= Chairman to Gareth Thomas MP
Read the response from LV= Chairman, Alan Cook, to the APPG for Mutuals.
APPG for Mutuals new report: Inquiry into the planned demutualisation of LV=
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals [APPG] has today released a new report into the planned demutualisation of LV=. LV=, one of Britain’s biggest financial mutuals, founded in 1843 and trading for most of its life as Liverpool Victoria, is well known across the UK. In December 2020 LV= announced that it had reached an…
Inquiry into the planned demutualisation of LV=
The APPG for Mutuals inquiry is underway with sessions being held as follows. A final report will be produced in due course. Tuesday 2nd March Martin Shaw, Chief Executive, Association of Financial Mutuals John Gilbert, Friendly Societies and Mutual Insurance legal expert Monday 15th March Private briefing from Barry O’Dwyer, Group CEO, Royal London Monday…
Potential sale of LV= to Bain Capital
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Mutuals is today [8th February] announcing an inquiry into LV=’s recent decision to sell to Bain Capital. LV=, one of Britain’s biggest financial mutuals, founded in 1843 and trading for most of its life as Liverpool Victoria, is well known across the UK. The inquiry will consider whether LV=’s proposals are…
Impact, Responsibility and Business Purpose – How Co-operatives and Mutuals Embody Sustainable Business
Increasingly, investors are concerned with the environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards of the companies they invest in. This briefing note explains some of the latest developments in relation to ESG and how co-operatives and mutuals around the world are uniquely suited to matching and exceeding ESG criteria. View the briefing note (PDF format)
Capital in Co-operatives and Mutuals
Co-operatives and mutuals must be able to play a full part in an economy with diverse corporate ownership, without being at a disadvantage to proprietary firms. A lack of corporate diversity both reduces competitive pressure from the operation of different business models in the same market and adds greater systemic risk to the economy. This…
APPG for Mutuals AGM 2021
The Annual General Meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals will be held on Tuesday 19th January, 14:00 – 15:00 via Zoom. The deadline for registering to attend this meeting is 18:00 on 18th January. Chief executives from national trade bodies will also provide updates of current issues as well as the challenges and…
Parliamentary Group launches Mutual Economy Report
Parliamentary Group launches Mutual Economy Report Purpose-driven businesses top £130 billion income per annum Co-operative and mutual businesses account for over £133.5bn of income annually and touch the lives of 1 in 3 people in the UK, according to a new report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals. These businesses have a distinct…
Annual General Meeting
The APPG for Mutuals will be holding its AGM on 27th November 2018 in Parliament. For more details please contact appg@mutuo.coop
Campaign to exempt health cash plans from Insurance Premium Tax
Insurance Premium Tax in the UK In the last three years the rate of Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) in the UK has risen from 6% to 12%, with the total tax collected from insurers now exceeding that from the bank levy. The tax was primarily increased to raise revenue from quasi-compulsory insurances, such as motor…
Cross-party group of MPs: New legislation and better regulation is required for financial mutuals
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals has challenged the way that government and financial regulators work with mutuals. The Group has called for a series of reforms that will enable building societies, friendly societies and mutual insurers to compete on a fair basis with PLCs.
Time to get tough on football authorities, say MPs
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals has called on the Government to take urgent action to improve the way that football club owners behave towards supporter groups. In a report that is critical of the attitudes the Football Association, Premier League and Football League exhibit towards the ownership of clubs, MPs have called for them…
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals Launch
Yesterday (20th May 2013) saw the launch of the new APPG for Mutuals at a Parliamentary Reception in Westminster. The launch was attended by MPs from each of the main parties as well as experts from across the mutual sector. The purpose of the new All-Party Group (APPG) is to discuss and support mutuals in…
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals
Following the October 2012 AGM of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Building Societies and Financial Mutuals, it has been agreed to widen the remit of the Group to cover all types of mutual organisation and to create the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mutuals.
Fostering Diversity: Promoting Mutuals
How can the Government best develop a policy strategy to implement the Coalition’s commitment to promote mutuals? The Group accepts that the Coalition Government has been in power for just over a year and so there are limitations to how easily one can gauge their success in promoting mutuality over such a limited period of…
Windfalls or Shortfalls? The true cost of demutualisation
An All-Party Parliamentary Group examining the true cost of demutualisation among life companies and building societies has recommended that legislation is introduced requiring an independent check on “windfalls” to ensure members’ interests are being protected. The report, “Windfalls or Shortfalls? The true cost of demutualisation”, is based on the group’s short Inquiry, held in November.…