Mariam Kamish, Rhondda Cynon Taf Socialist Party
Corbynista Labour MP Beth Winter’s ‘Right to Food’ march and rally – organised in coordination with the local trades union council – drew 100 people in Pontypridd. Trade union flags from Unite, GMB, Bakers’ Union and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) were out in strength.
Tony Winter spoke witheringly of waving his father off to London in 1936 on a march just like this. “We should not still be doing this in 2024”.
Beth Winter is popular, and well beyond her own constituency too. She describes herself as a ‘socialist’. The crowd was clearly aware she’d been deselected by the Labour Party in favour of a Keir Starmer stalwart. We think Beth should stand as an independent socialist at the next election.
Our Socialist Party petition on Gaza – ‘Help us stand candidates against Starmer’s warmongering Labour’ – went down well. A couple of people donated fivers to support what we’re doing.
“Without a doubt, we need a new party”, one woman told me as she bought a copy of the Socialist.
