Swansea disability campaigner to head Senedd party list

The Welsh Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) has announced its candidates for the Senedd elections.

In Gŵyr Abertawe, the lead candidate is Ben Golightly, a member of the Socialist Party and one of the elected coordinators for Disabled People Against Cuts Cymru.

Ben says his driving force in standing for election is “Fighting the UK government disability cuts - and the Welsh Labour MPs voting for them and designing them. We need a Welsh Government that stands up for us - not a first minister who says ‘it’s up to MPs’.”

“But the challenge for me is not to be pigeon-holed as just a disabled activist, but to fight this election on a rounded-out programme for the working-class as a whole.”

One important issue for Ben is providing a positive alternative to Reform UK. He says that stopping ‘lesser evilism’ isn’t enough. “People are right to complain about the lack of affordable housing, healthcare, services, and the cost of living. Reform UK argues about who should be first in the queue – but the problem is the queue itself, the rationing of services. While we squabble over our place in the line, big business gets away with looting our public services.

“Without a socialist alternative on offer, things will only get worse, and working-class people could grow more divided and pay the price for the bosses’ crisis. We need trade unions to boldly confront the issues and build a new workers’ party to cut across racism and division.”

Joining Ben on the TUSC party list for Swansea & Gower is Mark Evans, a long-standing Unison trade unionist, Socialist Party member, and Secretary of Swansea & District Trades Council.

Mark played an important role in winning TUC Cymru, which represents 400,000 workers in Wales, to the position of calling on councils to adopt legal needs-led budgets to defend council workers, service users, and residents, from cuts and council tax rises.

Ben concluded: “Welsh Trade Unionist and Socialist candidates will be the only option on the ballot paper supporting policies like those, and the only candidates with the track record to back it up.”

All Welsh Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidates have pledged that, if elected, they would forgo the full £76,380 Senedd member salary, and take home only a worker’s wage.

The coalition is also standing three candidates in Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf.

Pub worker to head Cardiff election campaign

 The Welsh Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) has announced its candidates for the Senedd elections.

In Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, one candidate is John Williams, a young hospitality worker, LGBT+ activist, Socialist Party member, and chair of the Cardiff general branch of Unite the union.

He says “I know that a lot of people in my industry think that politics isn’t for them, that the establishment parties aren’t offering anything different to help with our living conditions. But we need people like us in the Senedd, elected to fight for our class.”

“I’m standing because workers need guaranteed hours with no loss of pay, and flexible hours - decided by the workers not by the bosses. I’ve been involved in campaigns to make sure that hospitality workers keep all their tips - it’s disgraceful that the UK Labour government has retreated on that.”

Prior to the 2024 general election, Labour had pledged to give workers control over how tips would be allocated, but dropped the proposals in office - a move the general secretary of John’s union slammed as “insulting.”

And it’s not just UK Labour, John says. “Look at the health workers at Cwm Taf Morgannwg, taking their fight for fair pay to Labour at the Senedd, or the recent struggle of Cardiff bin workers against bullying culture and union busting behaviour by a Labour council.”

John is joined on the party list by Helen Perriam, a nurse at Llandough Hospital, and Dave Bartlett, secretary of Cardiff Trades Union Council.

Helen says she has “seen first hand what Labour and Tory cuts and privatisation have done to our NHS” and “will stand up in the Senedd to fight every cut and speak up passionately for more resources to allow nurses and health workers to provide the services we need.”

Dave helped lead the campaign that saved health facilities at Cardiff Royal Infirmary.

He says that “campaigning in our communities isn’t enough, we need a voice for the working class in the Senedd. It is time for the trade unions to end the funding of Labour and to form a mass new workers’ party instead.”

All Welsh Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidates have pledged that, if elected, they would forgo the full £76,380 Senedd member salary, and take home only a worker’s wage.

The coalition is also standing two candidates in Gŵyr Abertawe.

END

References for claims made:

Labour climbdown on fair tips
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/january/unite-labour-climbdown-on-fair-tips-will-hurt-hospitality-workers

Health visitors march to the Senedd
https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/march/health-visitors-crank-up-pressure-on-cwm-taf-health-board-with-eight-more-weeks-of-strikes

Cardiff bin workers

https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2022/march/cardiff-council-workers-vote-for-strike-action-over-toxic-bullying-culture-within-waste-services-department

Welsh Socialist election campaign launched

The Socialist Party has announced today that it will be standing in the 2026 Senedd elections under the banner of the Welsh Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC).

The party says that its candidates are proven campaigners in their workplaces and communities, and that it is standing to make the case for trade unions to take the lead in forming a new workers party to address what it calls “the crisis in working-class political representation.”

It says its key policies are “for democratic public ownership; a future for young people without debt, war or climate disaster; and a united fight for jobs, homes and services to combat racism and division."

In Gŵyr Abertawe, the lead candidate is Ben Golightly, one of the elected coordinators for Disabled People Against Cuts Cymru, a high profile campaign fighting disability cuts.

Joining him on the TUSC party list for Swansea & Gower is Mark Evans, a long-standing Unison trade unionist, and Secretary of Swansea & District Trades Council.  Mark has been a consistent campaigner against local government job cuts, council tax increases, and cuts to services.

The party is also standing three candidates in Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf.

John Williams is a hospitality worker, LGBT+ activist, and chair of the Cardiff general branch of Unite the union.

He says he is “proud to have supported striking workers across Cardiff and South Wales, including ambulance staff, nurses, and bin workers. I’m proud also to have stood shoulder to shoulder with reps facing anti-union tactics from Cardiff Council, and of my work bringing trade union solidarity to Trans Day of Remembrance and Trans Pride.”

Helen Perriam is a nurse at Llandough Hospital. She is a Unison member and trade union campaigner.

She says she has “seen first hand what Labour and Tory cuts and privatisation have done to our NHS” and “will stand up in the Senedd to fight every cut and speak up passionately for more resources to allow nurses and health workers to provide the services we need.”

Dave Bartlett is secretary of Cardiff Trades Union Council and a leader in the campaign that saved health facilities at Cardiff Royal Infirmary.

He says that “campaigning in our communities isn’t enough, we need a voice for the working class in the Senedd. It is time for the trade unions to end the funding of Labour and to form a mass new workers’ party instead.”

All Welsh Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidates have pledged that, if elected, they would forgo the full £76,380 Senedd member salary, and take home only a worker’s wage.

The coalition is also standing nearly 200 candidates in the English council elections.

Open letter to 'Your Party' from TUSC Cymru

Dear Maria

I am writing to you on behalf of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) in Wales.

Firstly, let me congratulate you on your election to the Central Executive Committee of Your Party, representing Wales.

TUSC is an alliance of socialist groupings and individuals that aims to provide a socialist option for voters at elections. For many years, we have campaigned for the formation of a new mass workers party based on the trade unions, and we welcomed the formation of YP from the start. In fact, before YP had registered its name with the electoral commission, we offered to hand over TUSC’s registration to YP, should they wish to use it.

In Wales, our supporters have consistently advocated that YP stands as widely as possible in the Senedd election. It is now clear that YP has not chosen that path. We believe that is a missed opportunity, both to challenge the pro-capitalist parties with a socialist alternative, and to build the public profile of YP.

We believe that standing as an independent will do nothing to build the socialist alternative that is sorely needed.

We note that the YP proto branches in both Cardiff and Swansea voted in principle to stand in the Senedd election but did not receive the necessary support. In the circumstances, TUSC has taken the decision to stand where our limited resources allow, and to date we have selected candidates to stand in two constituencies, namely Gwyr Abertawe and Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf. Ideally, we would like to stand in more seats.

We are here making an offer to any member of YP who wishes to stand for the Senedd to approach us with a view to either joining the TUSC list for Gŵyr Abertawe or Caredydd Ffynnon Taf, or to stand in another seat under the TUSC description.

All TUSC candidates must agree to a set of core policies but are free to develop a fuller manifesto in their own area. This is because TUSC is a coalition, not a political party, and there is scope for variation beyond the core policy platform. The core policies, which we believe are consistent with YP policies and values are shown in the annex.

Even at this late stage, we are prepared to stand down if YP chooses to stand in a constituency that we have targeted.

May we wish you and YP the very best in your future endeavours.

Dave Warren

(Secretary TUSC Cymru)

8/3/26

email: info@tusc.org.uk

ANNEX

TUSC Cymru Core Policies for the 2026 Senedd election.

• Refuse to vote for any cuts to jobs, public services, benefits and workers’ terms and conditions and demand that the Welsh Government uses its reserves and borrowing powers to ensure no cuts in public services

• Campaign for the end of anti-union laws

• For public ownership and against privatisation of all public services including public transport - bring all services in-house

• For a mass council house building programme – for rent controls and end to evictions

• Campaign for a £15 an hour minimum wage with no exemptions and a ban on zero hour contracts and casualisation of employment - for implementation in all services funded by the Senedd including public procurement

• For free education – scrap tuition fees

• For united working-class struggle against racism and all forms of oppression

• Socialist change to prevent climate change

• For the right of national self-determination for Wales