Confusion as Your Party co-convenor in Wales Beth Winter registers new political party with herself as leader

Martin Shipton

A new twist has occurred on the political left in Wales with the registration of a new party with former Cynon Valley MP Beth Winter as its leader.

People’s Party Wales, which also has the Welsh language name Plaid Y Werin, was registered with the Electoral Commission on Wednesday November 19.

The development is confusing because together with Mark Serwotka, the former general secretary of the PCS union, Ms Winter is co-convenor in Wales of Your Party, which was set up earlier this year by ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Coventry Zarah Sultana.

It is unclear whether People's Party Wales is affiliated with Your Party, or if Ms Winter is starting an entirely new political organisation in Wales. A treasurer named as Huw Williams has also been listed as part of the registration document filed with the Electoral Commission.

The document states that People’s Party Wales intends to stand candidates in Wales, although that does not necessarily mean it will participate in next year’s Senedd election.

The birth of Your Party has been plagued by internal wrangling, including threats of legal action.

Earlier this week Ms Winter and Mr Serwotka issued a statement blaming unnamed officials in charge of Your Party UK for stalling the project, stating it was “beyond shameful” that the actions of a few officials were hindering what they were trying to achieve in Wales.

The statement followed threats of legal action relating to delays in getting money collected from thousands of members into a central bank account.

'Shocked'

It said: “Recent statements and actions at Your Party's UK level have left many of us - once genuinely hopeful about the creation of a credible left wing alternative - shocked and seriously concerned.

“This behaviour and the needless division it spreads is indefensible. It fails members, it fails supporters and it fails the country.

“In Wales, we are pleased to say that such attitudes and actions do not exist. Instead, there is a strong consensus and shared commitment to building a grassroots, community based politics that offers a democratic socialist alternative to the prevailing neo-liberal capitalist system.”

“There was strong support for the plan presented for an immediate way forward in Wales and for the development of all Wales interim and long term structures, strategic options for the Senedd election and core values and principles. These include being an anti-austerity, pro-peace and pro workers party that stands for the redistribution of wealth and power, public ownership of utilities underlined by tolerance and compassion towards others, and supporting local community developments, both economic and political.

“That we are being hampered by Your Party UK and our ability to take this enthusiasm and hard work forward in Wales is an understatement. Without the membership data, we are unable to contact everyone individually unless Your Party UK sign off on correspondence, which they have failed to do on several occasions. The inability to share this information with us here in Wales flies in the face of any commitment by Your Party UK to autonomy and self-determination for the people of Wales. We will not allow Wales to be treated with contempt, and it is beyond shameful that the actions of a few at the centre of Your Party at a UK level risks hindering what we are trying to achieve here in Wales.

“We cannot and will not allow this to happen. We want to be working in our communities here in Wales, representing and campaigning in the interests of the working people of Wales. We know we can do it given the support and information we require. 31,000 people in Wales signed up initially to the idea of a new left party. There is a clear appetite here to do things differently and to break with the established political and economic mores.” A Your Party source told Sky News it was unaware of the People's Party Wales registration.

But the source added it was not out of the question for this to be a continuation of the Your Party Wales project, as the branch was always meant to have its own autonomy.

Ms Winter has been contacted for comment.