Peter Taaffe (born April 1942) is a British Marxist Trotskyist political activist and former leader of the Socialist Party.[1]

Peter Taaffe
Taaffe in 2006
General Secretary of the Socialist Party
In office
1997–2020
DeputyHannah Sell
Succeeded byHannah Sell
General Secretary of Militant Labour
In office
1992–1997
General Secretary of Militant
In office
1964–1992
Preceded byPosition established
Personal details
Born1942 (age 81–82)
Birkenhead, Cheshire, England
Political partySocialist Party

Taaffe was the founding editor of the Trotskyist Militant newspaper in 1964,[2][3] and became known as a leading member of the entryist Militant group. Taaffe was expelled from the Labour Party in 1983, along with four other members of Militant's editorial board.[4][5][6]

Taaffe was influential in the policy decisions of Liverpool City Council of 1983–1987, according to the council's deputy leader Derek Hatton,[7] and in the formation of the Militant tendency's policy regarding the Poll Tax in 1988–1991.[8]

Early life

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Born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, one of six children of a sheet metal worker.[9] He was recruited to what would become the Militant tendency in 1960 by Ted Grant.[6]

Liverpool City Council under Militant

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In the four-year Liverpool struggle, Taaffe was closely involved with developments, discussing with close friends and leading Liverpool Militant supporters, such as the former print worker Tony Mulhearn.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Stewart, Heather; Elgot, Jessica (11 November 2016). "Socialist party leader submits application to rejoin Labour". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  2. ^ Jimmy Deane's archive minutes.
  3. ^ Wintour, Patrick (26 March 1993). "Militant ends entryism and opens up". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  4. ^ Stewart, Heather; Elgot, Jessica (10 August 2016). "Leader of expelled leftwing group Militant expects readmission to Labour". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Expelled Militant Labour members apply to rejoin party". BBC News. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b Wade, Bob (27 July 2006). "Ted Grant (obituary)". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  7. ^ Derek Hatton Inside left, p. 32
  8. ^ Tommy Sheridan A Time to Rage, p. 45
  9. ^ Andy McSmith Faces of Labour: The Inside Story, London: Verso, 1996, p. 100
  10. ^ Derek Hatton, Deputy leader of Liverpool City Council says "the man who has had the greatest political influence on my political thinking, and on the way in which we shaped our policy in Liverpool, was Peter Taaffe". Inside left, p. 32
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Media offices
Preceded by
New position
Editor of Militant
1964–1994
Succeeded by
Nick Wrack