Vaughan's speech: 2014 commemoration of the 1911 Llanelli Rail Strike & Uprising

Brothers, sisters, friends and comrades – thank you for allowing me to speak here today.

The causes 103 years ago were many not least poor wages, a 70 hour working week and compulsory overtime whenever management felt they needed it. The workers being exploited to an all too familiar one in Wales. There is a tipping point in all of us, and clearly that tipping point had been breached and a stand had to be taken – we will only take so much.

The Llanelli area has a proud record of people fighting injustices. Individuals such as Eileen and Trefor Beasley of Llangennech demanding a bill in Welsh, their mother tongue took their call to arms half a century after the momentous events here in Llanelli in 1911. Togetherness runs deep in Wales along with loyalty and brotherly-love, helping others in need – many qualities we celebrate today in modern Wales.

Support for the railway strikers from their brothers and sisters in the local communities was obvious. Wales is indeed a community of communities. This is clearly proven by the fact that neither of the men killed were railway workers.

In the aftermath of the dramatic events of 1911 in, the government and media made haste to cover things up. They used public disquiet about the rioting as a way of covering up the original act of violence – the shooting dead of two men and injuring of others – that provoked the riot in the first place. But you cannot lie to a whole town or nation – the truth will always out.

Why is it important to remember what happened? The stories of 103 years ago are relevant today, in modern Llanelli, Carmarthenshire and Wales indeed across the world. Whether it be John ‘Jac’ John or Leonard Worsell injustices remain today. It is said that time is a healer, but time will never mask an injustice, time will never conceal the truth from the people. In essence, people were being exploited – this still happens today, we have modern slavery, people being bought and sold like cheap currency.

Today we have zero hour contracts giving the workers no stability; these contracts aren’t just unfair they are immoral. As a socialist what I find upsetting and confusing is the fact that Labour MP’s, many Welsh ones indeed, voting in favour of the benefit/welfare cap. The cap described by Diane Abbott as a blunt mechanism that would not take into account changes in people’s circumstances and economic factors such as rising rents.

Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales is now the only elected party which completely rejects austerity. We have and will continue to oppose oppressive policies such as the Bedroom Tax. This unjust and unworkable policy must be scrapped. We will continue to campaign for a no-evictions policy in order to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

It is as usual those with the least who are expected to give the most, and those with the most who are giving the least. Comrades, the priorities of this and previous governments have been all wrong, rushing to war, wasting billions of pound to bolster America’s flagging ego. Wasting billions of pounds on weapons of mass destruction such as TRIDENT!

Brothers, sisters, friends and comrades – we must continue to work and fight! We must tackle ignorance, racism, abuse and exploitation at every turn. We must ensure that the poor are protected, the weak become strong, the vulnerable are valued and the disabled are not destitute. Morally, we must fight injustice whatever hideous form it takes, whatever its modern name. The stand shown in Llanelli over a century ago is an inspiration to us all today. It drives us to fight for what is right and just. Friends, in solidarity we trust!