Former MP Beth Winter playing key role in Corbyn’s new party
Martin Shipton
Former Cynon Valley Labour MP Beth Winter has emerged as a key figure in the new left-wing party launched by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.
Ms Winter is one of the three directors of a company called MoU Operations Ltd, which was set up in April and is managing the data provided by supporters who sign up to what has provisionally been named Your Party. She lost a selection battle to MP Gerald Jones when her constituency was merged with his before last year’s general election.
Her two fellow directors are Jamie Driscoll, the former North of Tyne Mayor who was blocked by Labour from standing as its candidate for North East Mayor because he had conducted a public interview with film director Ken Loach, and Andrew Feinstein, the former South African politician and campaigner who stood against Keir Starmer at last year’s general election.
Supporters
More than 500,000 people have registered as supporters of Your Party, enough to make it the UK’s biggest political party if they all became members.
A source associated with the new party told Nation.Cymru: “A lot of discussions have been taking place over the last few months about how the party can operate in Wales. There’s a feeling that there’s a need to challenge the Labour Party at next year’s Senedd election, offering a left-wing alternative to what the party has become. This is very important, given the challenge posed by Reform.
“Now that the party has been launched, I expect things will move forward to the next stage.”
One former Welsh Labour council leader is among those who have already joined Your Party.
Hedley McCarthy led Blaenau Gwent council for two periods, most recently between 2012 and 2015.
In 2022 he was expelled by Labour, allegedly for liking antisemitic posts on social media. He insists the posts were not antisemitic, but anti-Israel.
In February he told Nation.Cymru: “I believe the time has come to form a new party that will be strong enough to counter right wing populism.
“Keir Starmer and his cronies have moved the fulcrum of British politics to the right and is partly responsible for the shift that has led to Reform’s surge in popularity.
“The Labour Party is no longer a democratic socialist party , Starmer and his friends have purged socialists from all levels of the party on trumped up charges or for daring to defend Labour values.
“Labour is led by an establishment stooge with very little political experience and the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) with a few honourable exceptions, is full of careerists who have next to nothing in common with the constituencies they represent. What exists now is a PLP lacking in commitment, conscience and courage which can’t even spot the issue, let alone be progressive enough to oppose populism.
“Here in Wales we have a First Minister who is also a member of the House of Lords. Looking at the Senedd’s legislation it is as a rule authoritarian, and does things to people not for people. It is expanding its membership of paid Senedd Members without any recourse to the electorate.
“What we need now is a party of unity that can build bridges with like minded progressives. One that embraces democratic socialists inside and outside of the Labour Party and across other parties and those in no party, among trade unionists, pensioners, students and others. A party that can work with progressive elements within the Greens, SNP, Plaid Cymru and progressive Independents. A party that respects diversity and equality irrespective of race, creed, colour or gender united in common policy arrived at democratically by open debate.”
He added: “I have noticed a great deal of interest on Facebook in the idea of setting up a new party along the lines of what I am suggesting, and believe it’s time to take the idea forward.”
Socialist values
Now that the new party has been announced, Mr McCarthy said: “I am very pleased that a party with socialist values is being established and like so many others have already signed up. I know a number of people who have done the same.
“A lot of people I know in the Valleys have said they feel very let down by the Labour Party. I think the new party will offer people an alternative not just to Labour, but also to Reform, which has been picking up support because it’s seen as a protest party. The fact is that Reform is just another version of the Conservative Party, and has no concern for ordinary people.
“I can’t wait to get involved in a local branch of the new party.”
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“There’s a feeling that there’s a need to challenge the Labour Party at next year’s Senedd election, offering a left-wing alternative to what the party has become.” Well there goes the election to Reform, unless something drastic happens. There’s already the Greens and Plaid offering a left wing alternative, who were both poised to have strong results next year. Now it’s inevitable this new party will pull votes from both and dilute the left wing vote further. I don’t see how they can claim to be taking on Reform when their campaign, cobbled together at the last minute, will only… Read more »
You’re making a lot of unevidenced assumptions here. A new party has yet to be constituted in Wales, so you’re just speculating about its strategy for the Senedd election. Personally, and from some early discussions, I doubt there will be much desire to stand candidates in circumstances where that could reduce the electoral chances of good socialists from other parties, whether Plaid Cymru, Green or even Labour (if any make it through their processes). But there will be some constituencies where this does not apply. Not all Plaid or Green candidates are on the left. The new electoral system further… Read more »
You do realise the Senedd election is on a super-constituency Proportional Representation system, yes? I’m sorry, but if it stands it’s inevitably going to pull votes from the Greens and Plaid. Which, given how close polling is between Reform and Plaid, is going to boost Reform’s chances of coming top. It’s obvious, unless you’re going to claim that 0% of the new party’s potential votes will be pulled from either Greens or Plaid. I also think putting together a Welsh policy platform, from nothing, in less than 12 months isn’t achievable or credible; especially when it can’t even decide on… Read more »
This party is not being formed just to fight the Senedd election. As I said, the new electoral system complicates matters. On your logic, either Plaid Cymru or the Greens should dissolve.
Once a new party has been formed its members will determine its policy. The existing parties are failing to stop the rise of the far right.
Deflection.
My points are specifically in regards the Senedd Election, which this article refers to indications this party is going to stand.
My logic is that this third party will pull votes from the Greens and Plaid, thus making Reform more likely to win the Senedd Election. Thought I’d been pretty clear,
Plaid is/was poised to have a strong chance of beating Reform, so to say the current left wing parties are failing is patently not true.
If the party stands in this Senedd Election then the direction of travel looks pretty obvious to me.
The new party will have one of the largest memberships (perhaps the largest) of any party in Wales when it is properly launched. So it is far from obvious why we should be the ones to stand aside in all cases.
If Plaid Cymru or the Green Party wish to talk to us about who should stand aside in which constituency, then we will listen.
I’m not saying stand aside, I’m saying just be honest about the impact you’ll have.
You’re more likely to help Reform win by pulling votes away from Plaid, pulling votes from the main rival to Reform won’t stop Reform.
And you’re not offering “the left wing” alternative to Labour as said in the article, you’re offering another left wing option to the two well established parties already in that space.
It would be more accurate to say that Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have both left and right wings.
Zack Polanski, a candidate for the Green leadership, has said he is open to working with the new party, but his rivals have not.
Plaid pitches to the left of Welsh Labour (not hard) but many of its members are hostile to socialism. Plaid abstained on banning Palestine Action.
As I’ve said, this is not just about elections. Lianne Wood and Beth Winter are working together on their Community project. We need more of such collaboration.
Beth Winter addressed the Yes Cymru rally in Carmarthen last year. It would be interesting to know if she still supports Welsh independence, but my own feeling is that any ‘British’ party will support the the same old ‘Unionism’ which keeps Wales under the thumb.
The brit left’s ‘internationalism’ has never extended to Wales (or Scotland). This is a brit left party – and it will be dominated by its membership in England – there’s no way it will support Welsh independence. Any supporters of Welsh indy who might be considering joining – or voting for – this party needs to be aware it will have the same blind spot when it comes to Wales the british left has always had.
Exactly this. Zarah Sultana voted against devolving the crown estate earlier this year, so no idea why there’s people lining up to say this party will support Welsh independence.
Zarah Sultana got that wrong. A new socialist party in Wales will commit to autonomy and self-determination.
How can you say that when it’s self-appointed co-leader is actively voting against that in Westminster?
She is not the co-leader of the party (which does not yet exist), although she has played an important role in helping to make it happen. This will be a democratic party in which policy for Wales will be made by its members in Wales.
Beth Winter addressed the rally in Carmarthen but never came out in support for independence and neither will Corbyn’s new party. Beth would have been very welcome in Plaid but has chosen to join a London based party instead, which is a shame. The reply from David Richards perfectly sums up the position of many in Labour or who hold “labour/socialist views” … independence for everyone … except the countries they controle as part of the UK.
The joint statement by Beth Winter and Mark Serwotka supporting the new party clearly commits to ‘autonomy and self-determination’ for Wales.
Much of what Hedley McCarthy says about Keir Starmer and the UK labour party is certainly true ie. its a tory-lite party. But to be clear he’s mistaken when he says there was “no recourse to the electorate’ over expanding the senedd – both labour and plaid included a commitment to a bigger Senedd in their manifestos for the 2021 senedd election. Im also frankly surprised to hear a figure involved with this new party parroting Reform and tory anti-devolution dog whistles about Senedd expansion.
Agree completely.
A lot of people on the hard left are anti-devolution because they want a centrally planned state.
Senedd should be enlarged, but the party list system foisted on us by Labour and Plaid Cymru takes power away from the electorate.
Agree – im not a supporter of closed lists. Personally I think the enlarged Senedd should be using open lists and STV to elect people.
‘Former Cynon Valley Labour MP Beth Winter has emerged as a key figure in the new left-wing party launched by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.’
I hadn’t anticipated that, but now that it’s happened I can see that it was something which we might have expected!
So where does this new left-wing party stand on Wales’ membership of the English Union?
Where does Plaid stand is a good question?
Another forgotten Corbyn assistant who failed in the democratic process is running something similar; the self elected Peoples Assembly. As if they themselves have decided that they and their opinion is more important than democracy.
I’d say 99%+ of the population are blissfully unaware that they exist, which is the norm for anything so extreme that it will never be more than a protest rant. Que Your Fruit and Nut Party.
As half a million people have signed up to support this new party, the number doing so in Wales may well already exceed the membership of Plaid Cymru.
A party (for me) needs to be pro EU, support electoral reform (no FPTP), support autonomy or independence for Scotland and Wales. Support the recognition of Palestine. Be less US centric.
Not asking for much then……Have you ever considered an alternative stance ? Like seeking independence then allowing the democratic process to shape and form the kind of politics and society that serves our future. Some kind of constitutional convention could produce a more useful electoral system but our current crop of politicians are dead keen on those closed lists. I wonder why.