Socialist Party Wales
Encyclopedia
The Socialist Party Wales or Plaid Sosialaidd Cymru is the Welsh
regional organisation of the Socialist Party of England and Wales
, a section of the CWI.
The SPW is a Trotskyist organisation that previously organised under the name Militant Tendency.
and Swansea
especially in the Young Socialists. They played a significant role in the Miners Strike of 1984-85 and numerous branches of Militant supporters were set up across the coalfield. The role of the Militant in the strike is detailed in the recent book A Civil War Without Guns by Ken Smith.
Many supporters of Militant in Wales were expelled from the Labour Party under the Kinnock
leadership. The supporters of Militant formed the Socialist Party in the mid 1990s due to the turn to big business and neo liberal politics by the Labour Party.
Due to the downturn in class struggle in the 1990s the SP/Militant in Wales shrank considerably. Despite this the Socialist Party was able to be the driving force behind the creation of the Welsh Socialist Alliance
in the late 1990s. The Alliance was successful in drawing in independent layers in a difficult period, however it soon became an area of conflict with the Socialist Workers Party undermining its democratic principles. The Socialist Party left the WSA in 2002 deciding to run its own candidates under the name of Socialist Alternative.
The party has continued this strategy standing in Cardiff and Swansea in local, General and Assembly elections. It has been heavily involved in local NHS campaigns such as CRISIS in Cardiff which led it to contest the 2007 Assembly Elections under the banner 'Socialist Alternative - Defend Our Health Service'.
There are currently 9 Socialist Party Wales branches: Bangor, Wrexham, Llanelli, Cardiff Central, Cardiff South, Cardiff West, Newport, Swansea and RCT/Caerphilly.
. Its politics are based on the Transitional Program, it fights for immediate demands for the working class while raising a revolutionary program.
Here are the policies the Socialist stands for:
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
regional organisation of the Socialist Party of England and Wales
Socialist Party (England and Wales)
The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today...
, a section of the CWI.
The SPW is a Trotskyist organisation that previously organised under the name Militant Tendency.
History
Welsh Militant supporters rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s when they put forward Marxist ideas in the Labour Party. The Militant gained significant influence in Constituency Labour Party's in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
especially in the Young Socialists. They played a significant role in the Miners Strike of 1984-85 and numerous branches of Militant supporters were set up across the coalfield. The role of the Militant in the strike is detailed in the recent book A Civil War Without Guns by Ken Smith.
Many supporters of Militant in Wales were expelled from the Labour Party under the Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
leadership. The supporters of Militant formed the Socialist Party in the mid 1990s due to the turn to big business and neo liberal politics by the Labour Party.
Due to the downturn in class struggle in the 1990s the SP/Militant in Wales shrank considerably. Despite this the Socialist Party was able to be the driving force behind the creation of the Welsh Socialist Alliance
Welsh Socialist Alliance
The Welsh Socialist Alliance was a socialist political organisation in Wales. It was closely related to, but separate from the Socialist Alliance.It was founded by the Socialist Party of England and Wales and Cymru Goch and some independents...
in the late 1990s. The Alliance was successful in drawing in independent layers in a difficult period, however it soon became an area of conflict with the Socialist Workers Party undermining its democratic principles. The Socialist Party left the WSA in 2002 deciding to run its own candidates under the name of Socialist Alternative.
The party has continued this strategy standing in Cardiff and Swansea in local, General and Assembly elections. It has been heavily involved in local NHS campaigns such as CRISIS in Cardiff which led it to contest the 2007 Assembly Elections under the banner 'Socialist Alternative - Defend Our Health Service'.
There are currently 9 Socialist Party Wales branches: Bangor, Wrexham, Llanelli, Cardiff Central, Cardiff South, Cardiff West, Newport, Swansea and RCT/Caerphilly.
Policies
The SP is a Marxist organisation that follows the tradition of TrotskyismTrotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
. Its politics are based on the Transitional Program, it fights for immediate demands for the working class while raising a revolutionary program.
Here are the policies the Socialist stands for:
- The Trade Unions to take immediate action to implement their current minimum wage demands as a step towards a legal minimum of £8 per an hour. With no exceptions. For an annual increase in the minimum wage, linked to average earnings. For a minimum income of £320 per week.
- Reject 'Welfare to Work'. For the right to decent benefits, training or a job for all without compulsion.
- Policies for full employment including: a 35 hour week without loss of pay; a massive public spending increase for health, housing, education, childcare, leisure and community facilities.
- Employment protection rights for all, from day one of employment.
- Scrapping all anti-union laws. Trade unions to be democratically controlled by members. Full-time Union officials should be regularly elected and should receive the average wage.
- No to the fat cats. Renationalisation of the utilities under democratic workers control.
Education
- Free high quality education for all from nursery to university with a living grant. Abolish fees now!
- The right of all pupils to be able to opt for Welsh or English medium education at an accessible school.
- No closure of English medium schools to create Welsh medium schools, unless demand dictates. Build new schools!
Welfare
- For a living pension for all pensioners - with annual increases linked to average earnings.
- Rebuild the NHS, free at the point of use and under democratic control.
- Defend abortion rights. For women's right to choose whether and when to have children.
- Decent housing with affordable rents. End the housing crisis.
- Major investment in a cheap, accessible, integrated and environmentally friendly publicly owned transport system.
Rights
- For the right to asylum. Scrapping of the Asylum Act and of all racist laws.
- An end to police harassment. For the abolition of the Criminal Justice Act and the so-called 'anti-terrorism bill'. No curtailment of jury trials.
- An end to discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, sexuality or disability.
- The Welsh and English languages to have equal legal rights. All major companies which provide services to the public to provide choice of use of Welsh language.
Towards a Socialist Wales
- Campaigning to form a new mass party of the working class
- Building unity of socialist, community and environmental groups in Wales.
- The Welsh Assembly to be given full legislative and financial powers, including powers to take over firms threatening redundancy.
- Take into public ownership the top companies that control the Welsh economy, under democratic workers control and management. Compensation only on the basis of proven need.
- For a socialist Wales as part of a socialist alliance of Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland.
- For solidarity of the European working class. No to Maastricht and the bosses' European Union.
- For a Socialist Europe.
External links
- http://socialistpartywales.org.uk
- http://www.swanseasocialistparty.org.uk/