Direct representation in Parliament was a subject that caused controversy and tension within the co-operative movement. Through an exploration of the movement’s involvement in politics, a number of wider issues can be addressed. These include why the political wing of the movement was formed and how this decision taken at the Co-operative Congress was implemented at a grass roots level. Assessing this within the broader context of local developments highlights the extent to which matters could be determined at a grass roots level. The eight societies discussed in this study provide an opportunity to consider a variety of attitudes and action taken in the aftermath of this decision. The politicisation of the movement also provides a means of exploring the role the Co-operative Party played within the wider labour movement. The relationship between the Co-operative and Labour Parties has been described as a ‘friendly association’ that ‘promoted greater understanding and unity of aim and purpose’,1 but relations were not always amicable. The political programme of the Co-operative Party not only highlights the effort made to distinguish this from the Labour Party’s, but also the contribution it made to the co-operative movement’s commitment to defend and promote the interests of consumers.