Former Cynon Valley MP Beth Winter quits Labour

Martin Shipton

Beth Winter, the former left wing Labour MP for Cynon Valley, has confirmed she is leaving the party because of its “authoritarian political agenda” aimed at “serving corporate interests and protecting the ruling class”.

Ms Winter was elected to Westminster in succession to the late Ann Clwyd in 2019, but when constituency boundaries changed lost to neighbouring MP Gerald Jones in a selection battle to be Labour’s general election candidate in the new seat of Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare.

[mid-content-banner]

Honour

In a statement Ms Winter, who in the last Parliament was the only Welsh MP in the Socialist Campaign Group, said: “Today I close the door to my former constituency office for the final time.

“Heartfelt thanks to everyone, including my wonderful staff and volunteer team, for your invaluable support, encouragement, and hard work. It really has been a team effort, and I could never have managed without you.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as the MP for my home, Cynon Valley, elected on the transformative Labour manifesto of 2019. As a proud socialist I have remained committed to that manifesto’s vision for a fairer, more equal, and greener society ‘for the many, not the few’.

“Sadly, the Labour Party no longer represents that socialist vision and I have, therefore, decided today to cease my membership.

[lower-mid-content-banner]

'Authoritarian political agenda'

She added: “Today’s Labour Party is unrecognisable. I cannot in all conscience remain in a political party that is pursuing an authoritarian political agenda whose primary objective is to retain the neoliberal status quo, serve corporate interests and protect the ruling class.

“My criticisms of the Labour Party are well-documented in my parliamentary voting record, speeches, and articles. This Labour government is squandering the opportunity to effect transformative change - it has refused to lift the two-child benefit cap; scrapped universal pensioners’ winter fuel payment; is failing to take the action required to avert climate catastrophe; supports the privatisation of our NHS; thought it acceptable to accept gifts from wealthy donors.

“Last week’s Budget was a missed opportunity, including for Cymru, resulting in continued austerity, inequality, poverty, and hardship for millions of people and leaving our public services at breaking point.

“While the additional funding for Cymru is welcome, it falls far short of what’s needed: no commitment to fair, needs-based funding or to increase Welsh Government borrowing powers; a shortfall of £575m needed to make our coal tips safe; silence on devolving the Crown Estate’s assets; no sign of the £1.1bn owed post-Brexit or the £4bn owed in HS2 consequentials.

“I am sickened by this Labour government’s complicity in Israel’s genocidal onslaught in Gaza and refusal to stop ALL arms sales to Israel. Where is our humanity?

“And the Labour Party’s unprecedented persecution and ruthless treatment of its own socialist members, representatives and voters is disgraceful. In truth, the Labour Party has left me, not me the Labour Party.

“Yet I still have that hope – rwy llawn gobaith. My belief in a fairer society for all where everyone is treated with respect, dignity, and compassion doesn’t start or end with an elected position. Much of the pressure for change comes from outside Westminster and the Senedd – from people campaigning together against austerity and in support of peace and equality.

“There is an urgency for action now. The far right is ascendant, including here in Cymru, peddling their politics of hate and scapegoating migrants and social security recipients for the problems caused by neoliberalism. This should terrify us all and be a wake-up call to take action to create a fairer, more equal, greener society for all.

“It is incumbent on us to ACT NOW to bring about that future. We can start by:

* Getting Involved in our communities. Everyone’s voice counts and has a role in making change happen. We can volunteer in our local community eg local charity, foodbank or youth club; set up or join a local campaign eg home to school transport in Cynon Valley; establish a new project which not only generates wealth but reinvests and retains that wealth within our communities.

* Building alliances and working together. As a socialist, I will continue to work with all parties that share that vision for a fairer, greener, caring, and tolerant society. We must learn to work together, leaving behind narrow sectarian positions, for the benefit of all. No one political party has all the answers, and we should engage with a range of political, civic and progressive organisations to collectively bring about the change needed. We have far more in common than that which divides us. Unity is, after all, strength.

* Speak truth to power at every opportunity. The UK is the sixth richest nation in the world. Nobody should suffer poverty, hardship, or injustice. It requires the REDISTRIBUTION of wealth and power across the regions and nations of the UK. Wealth taxes are essential. Look at the 2017 and 2019 Labour Party manifestos for many of the solutions.

“That is what I will be doing - reaching out to as many people in Cynon Valley, across Cymru and beyond to build a society that is for the many, not the few. For people, peace and planet – not profit. We can save and win that world. Let’s get to it!”