Communist Party of Wales
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The Communist Party of Wales is part of the Communist Party of Britain. It should not be merely discounted as a regional division, however, as it is a vital part of the Communist movement in Britain, due to the historical strength of communism in Wales, and under the Party's own rules operates as more than such. The leader of the Communist Party of Britain, Robert Griffiths, is himself a Welshman.
In November 2004, the CPB Wales hosted a Communist University in Pontypridd, under the question "How can we challenge the 'New World Order' and create a people's Wales?", with speakers invited from across the progressive, labour and socialist movements, including:
- Robert Griffiths, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain
- George Galloway, Respect Coalition MP
- John Haylett, editor of the Morning Star
- Andrew Murray, chairman of the Stop the War Coalition
- Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru member of the Welsh Assembly.
The CPB Wales fielded six candidates in the 2004 local elections. In Shotton, the Communist Party beat the Conservative Party. The results were as follows:
| Candidate | Ward | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Rhian Cartwright | Splott (Cardiff) | 1.9 |
| Fran Rawlings | Adamstown (Cardiff) | 3 |
| Rick Newnham | Taff's Well (R.C.T.) | 3.3 |
| Nigel Maskell | Mountain Ash East (R.C.T.) | 2 |
| Roy Evans | Vaynor (Merthyr Tydfil) | 11.6 |
| Glyn Davies | Shotton (Flintshire) | 21.6 |
Average Vote - 7.2%
