The elimination of political demands: Ordoliberalism, the big society and the depoliticization of co-operatives

This paper focuses on the British state’s attitude towards co-operatives, focusing mainly Thatcher (1979–1990) and Cameron (2010–2015) governments. After 2008 crisis, Cameron-led government, under umbrella of its Big Society project, developed measures to shift responsibility society for development co-operative model as a contribution self-help, pursuit economic growth rebuilding social bonds. We trace origins these efforts governments, where attitudes workers’ cooperatives were consolidated. In so doing, we find concept ordoliberalism rather than neo-liberalism alone, particularly useful explaining nuances governments’ relationship with cooperatives; including symbolic backing co-operatives their perfect embodiment self-help entrepreneurial spirit, integrating them into policy total competition constant legislative financial control state support. exemplified operationalized larger governmentality later also pursued by coalition, aimed at entrenching competitive order bourgeois spirit self-sufficiency through deployment agenda popular capitalism. Both in ordoliberalism, instrumentalized part project that sought govern reshape depoliticize it. was an attempt simultaneously eliminate society’s political demands while recasting role is expected play policy.