One year ago today at 10:10Hrs, a thunderous cheer erupted from outside the Stradey Park Hotel in Furnace. The people – working-class men and women, bound not by wealth or status, but by a fierce love for their community – had won a battle that echoes across the land. On that fateful day, for over one hundred days and nights, the Stradey Park Hotel Warriors, ordinary citizens of Llanelli and beyond, took a stand. They defied the might of the establishment and halted the Home Office’s plans to transform their beloved Stradey Park Hotel into a holding camp for migrants. It was a victory forged in the heart of the people, a victory that will live forever in the annals of Welsh history.
For months, the town had been gripped in a struggle, not merely with the Home Office, but with an array of forces determined to impose their will. The corridors of power, thick with the stink of corruption, saw every arm of the establishment—from Dyfed Powys Police to Plaid Cymru, Welsh Labour, and even the Police and Crime Commissioner—align to suppress the voices of Llanelli. They saw fit to ignore the cries of the community, their elected Assembly Member and MP conspicuously absent when it mattered most. The betrayal was palpable, the people had been abandoned by those entrusted with their welfare.
But if the history of this proud land has taught us anything, it is that the heart of the working class cannot be so easily quelled. In the spirit of Rebecca’s Riots of old, where the brave sons and daughters of Wales donned women’s clothing and took up arms against the tyranny of toll gates, so too did the Stradey Park Hotel Warriors rise. They followed in the footsteps of their forebears who, in the 19th century, would not suffer the yoke of oppression. Then, it was tolls and injustice. Today, it is the planting of migrants in the heart of their community without a voice or choice.
Like a beacon, the spirit of the Stradey Park Hotel Warriors called upon the valour of ordinary people from all corners of Carmarthenshire and beyond. Together, they stood shoulder to shoulder, a people united not by hate, but by a sense of justice, fairness, and the right to determine the future of their community. This was no mob; it was the collective will of a town that had long been overlooked, and its patience had run thin.
It is said that in times of crisis, true leadership emerges not from the polished lips of politicians but from the hearts of the people. And so it was in Llanelli. The warriors of Stradey Park took up the mantle, knowing full well the forces arrayed against them. They faced not only the smugness of bureaucrats but also the corruption seeping through the ranks of Dyfed Powys Police. These so-called enforcers of the law, under the thumb of a tainted establishment, sought to silence the very voices they were sworn to protect.
And yet, despite the heavy hand of the state, they could not break the will of the people. The more they pushed, the stronger Llanelli grew. Arrests were made, threats were issued, and still, the defiant roar of the people grew louder. For every warrior that was dragged before the courts, a dozen more rose to take their place, undaunted and resolute. Today, we remember those who still stand on the frontline, facing prosecution, and those who remain on remand, paying the price for daring to speak truth to power.
The battle of Stradey Park Hotel is a reminder that when the people rise, no force on earth can crush their spirit. From the steelworks to the coal mines, and through the fires of Rebecca’s Riots, the people of Wales have never been afraid to fight for what is right. And so, on this first anniversary of that glorious victory, let us not forget the power that resides in the hearts of ordinary men and women. They fought not for glory, but for their homes, their families, and their community.
And as we celebrate, we must also ask this question—where is the money, Rob? Where is the accountability for those who have betrayed the people? The fight may have been won, but the war for justice continues.
Llanelli has spoken. The people have risen. And they will rise again if they must.
Stan Robinson
