Why We Need an Anti-War Government

From Planet 230

Earlier this year, Welsh Labour activist Darren Williams and Plaid MEP Jill Evans spoke at an event on the theme of ‘Why we need an anti-war government’ hosted by Cardiff Stop the War Coalition. As the nuclear threat escalates and more of the world is drawn into conflict, these authors detail their separate perspectives on the urgent struggle to establish an anti-militarist platform in mainstream politics and how their parties can respond.

Darren Williams

On 15 February 2003, I was part of a substantial contingent from Wales on the historic, estimated million-strong anti-war demonstration in London – many of them, like me, members of the Labour Party. Seeing such unprecedented numbers united in the cause of peace made me optimistic that the attack on Iraq would not go ahead. When a month later, Tony Blair, backed by a majority of Labour MPs, disregarded the demonstrators’ concerns and authorised British participation in the military attack, it was possibly the lowest point in Labour’s history. Certainly, it resulted in thousands of party members resigning – many only rejoining (if at all) within the last three years.

About the authors

Darren Williams is the Wales Political Officer of the PCS union and sits on Labour’s NEC and Welsh Executive Committee but writes in a personal capacity. He is a former Cardiff councillor and co-wrote the book, Clear Red Water: Welsh Devolution and Socialist Politics.

Jill Evans is a Plaid Cymru Member of European Parliament for Wales. She is currently a member of the Committee on Culture and Education and deputises on the Transport and Tourism Committee. She is also a member of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. She was chair of CND Cymru between 2001 and 2011 and president of Plaid Cymru between 2010 and 2013.