Robert Griffiths (politician)

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Robert Griffiths (politician)
File:Robert Griffiths, Britain Needs Socialism, 2011.jpg
Robert Griffiths in 2011
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain
Assumed office
1 January 1998
Preceded by Mike Hicks
Welsh Socialist Republican Movement
In office
1979–1982
Preceded by New position
Succeeded by Position Ended
Personal details
Born Robert David Griffiths
(1952-04-21) 21 April 1952 (age 72)[1]
Cardiff, Wales
Nationality British
Political party Communist Party of Britain
Other political
affiliations		 Plaid Cymru (1974–78)
WSRM (1979–1982)
Communist Party of Great Britain (until 1988)

Robert David Griffiths (born 1952) is the general secretary of the Communist Party of Britain. He was elected by the CPB's Executive Committee in January 1998, in place of Mike Hicks.[2][3]

Griffiths was born in Cardiff where he attended Bryn Hafod primary school and Cardiff High School.[4] Later he went to the University of Bath to study economics before taking a position as a parliamentary research officer for Plaid Cymru in 1974. He stayed in the post until 1979; it was a difficult year for the party, which had faced defeat in the Welsh devolution referendum and the loss of Gwynfor Evans' seat in the general election. With a reduced presence in Westminster the party had no need of a large parliamentary staff and Griffiths was made redundant.

In July 1979 he collaborated with Gareth Miles to publish Socialism for the Welsh People,[5][6] a pamphlet which was critical of Plaid Cymru for its "opportunism"[7] and alleged subservience to the British state. The pamphlet called for the creation of a Welsh Socialist Republican Movement,[8] which was founded by Griffiths, Miles and others in January 1980.[6] Griffiths served as the organisation's secretary and wrote for its magazine 'the Arrow' (Welsh: Y Saeth).[9]

He has also previously served as Welsh president of the AUEW-TASS union.[10]

Griffiths was a speaker at the first Communist University in Wales, and he speaks regularly at national events of the Communist Party of Britain. He has also taken part in debates at the Oxford Union,[11][12][13] Cambridge Union Society[14][15] and Manchester Debating Union.[16] In February 2013, Griffiths was among those who gave their support to the People's Assembly in a letter published by The Guardian newspaper.[17] He continues to be an active supporter of the People's Assembly nationally and is also active in his local People's Assembly in Cardiff.

Bibliography

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Elections contested

European Parliament

In the 1994 election, he stood on behalf of the Communist Party in the single-member South Wales Central constituency, winning 1,073 votes or 0.6% of the total. Later on, in the 2009 and 2014 elections, he stood as part of the No2EU electoral list in the multi-member Wales constituency.[18][19]

UK Parliament elections

All these elections were contested on behalf of the Communist Party.

Election Constituency Votes %
1997 Pontypridd 178[20] 0.4
2001 Newport East[10] 173[21] 0.6
2005 Pontypridd 233[22] 0.6
2010 Cardiff South & Penarth 196[23] 0.4
2012 Cardiff South & Penarth[24] 213[25] 1.1
2015 Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney 186[26] 0.6

Local elections

In 2008, he stood for the Splott parish council, winning 127 votes, or 3.4% of the total.[27]

References

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Party political offices
Preceded by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by
New position
 Leader of the WSRM Succeeded by
Position ended
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