Nick Crofts

Nick Crofts (born 24 June 1975) is a British local politician. He is president of the Co-op Group National Members' Council,[1] a Liverpool City Councillor and former Co-op Party National Executive Committee member.[2] In April 2017, Crofts was named as one of the UK's 'Top-Ten Inspirational Leaders' in the NatWest LGBT Awards.[3] In July 2019 he was re-elected for a third term as the Society's president.

In October 2019, Crofts was controversially excluded from the longlist of candidates in the Labour Party's selection process for Liverpool West Derby, a safe Labour Parliamentary seat, leading to 150 members writing to the Party's General Secretary to have him reinstated.

Co-op career

An elected member of the Co-op since 2009, Crofts joined the North West and North Midlands Regional Board in 2011, before the capital crisis in the Co-operative Bank[4] overtook its owner, the Co-operative Group in 2013. The crisis resulted in a governance reform process led by newly-appointed Independent Non-Executive Director, Lord Paul Myners.[5] The initial version of the Myners Report[6] saw "mounting opposition", resulting in his resignation from the board.[7] A further proposal was developed, including 'Member Nominated Directors' to be elected to the Group Board. These proposals were presented to a Special General Meeting in 2014 and were approved.[8]

The new governance arrangements provided for the establishment of a National Members' Council (NMC) and on an interim basis the former members of the seven Regional Boards comprised a transitional Council. As the NMC came out of transition, after its inaugural elections of May 2015, Crofts became a candidate for the Presidency and was subsequently elected President in July.[1]

Crofts played a public role in the promotion of the Society's charity partnership with British Red Cross, announcing them as the winner of the 2015 colleague and member vote with CEOs Richard Pennycook and Mike Adamson.[9] He has represented the Society at a number of international conferences and was a speaker at the International Summit of Co-operatives in Quebec in October 2016.[10]

In April 2017, Crofts was named as one of the UK's 'Top-Ten Inspirational Leaders' in the NatWest LGBT Awards.[3] He topped the poll in the North West constituency in elections for the NMC that followed in May 2017 and was re-elected unopposed as President in July of that year.[11]

Co-operative Party

Crofts was elected as a Labour and Co-operative party Councillor for the Knotty Ash ward of Liverpool City Council in 2012 and re-elected in 2016.[12] He also served as a member of the Co-op Party National Executive Committee for four years, initially as the 'OMOV' (one member one vote) man in the UK-wide constituency and then in the North West Constituency. Crofts resigned his position on the National Executive Committee in July 2015, following his election as President of the Co-op.[13]

Other roles

Crofts is a trustee of both the Co-operative Heritage Trust[14] and Merseyside Law Centre and serves as Deputy Chair of the Board of Liverpool-based social landlord Cobalt Housing.[15]

References
  1. Perrett, Michelle. "Nick Crofts elected president of The Co-operative Group's Members' Council". TheGrocer.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  2. "Nick Crofts | The Co-operative Party". The Co-operative Party. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  3. "LGBT+ Inspirational Leaders 2015 – British LGBT Awards".
  4. Treanor, Jill (30 April 2014). "Co-op Bank report hits out at poor management and overambition". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  5. Quinn, James (12 December 2013). "Lord Myners appointed to Co-op board to review governance". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  6. "HR news, jobs & blogs | Human resources jobs, news & events - People Management". www2.cipd.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  7. "Lord Myners resigns: Co-op left floundering after shock departure". The Independent. 11 April 2014. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  8. Miller, Joe (17 May 2014). "Co-op approves governance shake-up". BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  9. "British Red Cross and Co-operative Group join forces to help tackle social isolation and loneliness". www.redcross.org.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  10. "Nick Crofts". International summit of cooperatives (in Canadian French). Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  11. "AGM 2017 results". Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  12. "Election results for Knotty Ash, 5 May 2016". 5 May 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  13. "Annual Report 2015" (PDF). The Co-operative Party. 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  14. "Charity Details". beta.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  15. (http://www.forepoint.co.uk), Forepoint. "Governance | Cobalt Housing". cobalthousing.org.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
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