Tristan Gjertsen, Swansea Socialist Party

My husband and I were not planning on joining the Socialist Party on the day we came across the campaign stall by pure chance. We are both lifelong socialists, but had always felt let down when other parties that we had looked into claimed to be socialist, but never fully committed to the cause.

We struck up a conversation, and it didn’t take long for us to be quickly won over by the commitment to and practice of socialism. When showered in questions, the campaigners were quick and clear with their answers.

My husband – Robin Gjertsen – asked about the party’s stance on LGBT rights, and told me how refreshing it was to have a party that has such a clear-cut, no-tolerance stance against oppression, no matter against who or what form it takes. They also told us of the hard work they do alongside the trade unions.

It was a no-brainer to make a donation there and then. And we left with as many flyers and leaflets as we could take.

But we also left with a burning desire to take part and join the effort being made to work for a better society. It took less than a day for us to solidify our commitment, and soon we became proud members of the Socialist Party.

Due to our two young children, and my role as the full-time carer to my husband, we have not been able to fully commit ourselves as much as we have would have liked. Pair that with a lack of consistent transport to attend branch meetings, we started to feel like imposters.

But, once again, Swansea branch and its fantastic members were there to offer support, and show the kind of care and commitment that can be expected of the Socialist Party as a whole. From offering lifts to and from branch meetings, to regular check-ins on our wellbeing – not just as Socialist Party members, but as people – as well as reminders of events and goings on we might have otherwise missed out. We’ve especially enjoyed having visits to help clear up matters that were not totally clear to us.

Time and time again, I’ve been shown why the Socialist Party is the only real choice for socialism. It’s the party that cares about the working class.

After years of not feeling like I truly felt totally comfortable, I can now safely say I have found my political home.