Claire Hickson, Cardiff Central Socialist Party
My father was from a working-class neighbourhood in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, and my mum is from a factory town 45 minutes away. I grew up in a political household, Democrats to the core.
I later moved to Washington, DC, and was involved in a number of large protests during the George Bush years. We called it “the dark times”. Little did we know that sadly darker times would come.
I came to the UK and settled in Cardiff not long before David Cameron was elected Tory prime minister in 2010. I joined the Labour Party.
I slowly became disillusioned with Labour. I felt they politely disagreed with the Tories, and did not hold them to account.
Jeremy Corbyn was a real breath of fresh air. A Labour leader that said what he thought, and stood up for what he believed in.
Of course, Corbyn scared the hell out of Tory public-school fat-cat toffs, and he had to be discredited and destroyed. I quit Labour.
I joined the PCS union when I started work. On a PCS training course, I met Socialist Party member Eilonwy Awen, who is instrumental in getting me here today. We had a few chats, and she invited me to a Socialist Party meeting.
I felt welcomed from the start. The topic for the evening and what people said chimed so much with my own ideas. I went home on cloud nine!
I joined a short time later. Not far off a year later, I help organise our Socialist Party campaign stalls and promote the Socialist paper.
Cardiff Central Socialist Party has gone from strength to strength. We have very active and inspiring members, multiple stalls a week, out there talking to the public about issues, working with the trade union council, standing on picket lines, and discussing what we stand for as socialists.
I urge you to find your local Socialist Party branch and get involved. I am so glad I did. Solidarity.
