Left Party (Estmere)
Estmerish Section of the Workers' International Eastmarish Block of þe Ƿorkers' Ƿorldƿide Section estmiaise de l’internationale travallleuse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | ESWI |
| General Secretary | Ted Barnes |
| Second Secretary | Devonne Ali |
| Chairperson | Andrew Cooper |
| Founder | Ed Barton |
| Founded | May 1, 1919 |
| Split from | SDCP |
| Headquarters | ESWIHQ, 33 Mirror Avenue, Morwall |
| Newspaper | International Socialist Review |
| Student wing | Workers' Student Organisation |
| Youth wing | Ed Barton Socialist Youth League |
| Labour wing | ITUF |
| Membership (2020) |  97,000 |
| Ideology | Council socialism Anti-capitalism Soft-Euclosceptism |
| Political position | Left-wing to far-left |
| Continental affiliation | Mixed Radical Left |
| International affiliation | Workers' International |
| Colours | Red (official) Pink (customary) |
| Chamber of Commons | 21 / 600
|
| Chamber of Peers | 4 / 300
|
| Euclean Parliament | 6 / 116
|
| Folkmoot of Wealdland | 11 / 355
|
| Assembly of Flurland | 2 / 313
|
| Greater Morwall Council | 4 / 101
|
| Website | |
| eswi.org.es | |
The Estmerish Section of the Workers' International (Swathish: Eastmarish Block of þe Ƿorkers' Ƿorldƿide, Flurian: Section estmiaise de l’internationale travallleuse), also known by the abbreviation ESWI, is a left-wing to far-left political party in Estmere, which currently supports the government of Zoe Halivar.
The party was founded in in 1919 as a part of a split from the old Section, which the splitters viewed as too reformist. The council socialist wing of the old section left under Ed Barton in response to disagreements in regards to the Kirenian Revolution and the party's response to the Great Collapse. Barton believed that the revolution needed support and that the collapse was an opportunity for a revolutionary general strike in Estmere.
The party was influenced by OSAI and SGIO, and the party platform advocated for council socialism and was explicitly anti-capitalist. The party was largely sidelined in parliamentary politics as it was seen as too radical to support any government formation. The party advocated for absolute resistance to the Gaullicans during the Great War, and helped organise the Estmerish resistance. After the Great War it therefore expereinced a revival, but its connection to the Estmerish mutiny soured its appeal among voters. Throughout the post-war period, the party continually stood on a council socialist platform, and while it helped to prop up the government of Vincent Holmes, it largely stayed on the sidelines of parliamentary politics.
In reaction to the potential adoption of the Euclo in Estmere, ESWI adopted a Euclosceptic stance which lead to a revival of the party's fortunes in the 1990s. Despite the country adopting the currency nonetheless, the party emerged as one of the leading Euclosceptic parties alongside Estmere First, and secured a number of defections from the more Euclophilic SDCP. Despite this, the party was eclipsed by the Estmere as the main party of the Estmerish left-wing. It saw a rise in its seat share in the 2021 election, and subsequently supported the minority government of Zoe Halivar.
ESWI is considered one of the smaller parties in Estmere, and until recently was the largest party of the radical left, though it has not provided any post-war Prime Ministers. The party has a council socialist, anti-capitalist and soft Euclosceptic platform. Since 2019, the party has been led by Ted Barnes, a former union boss. The party supports two sister parties, BKMI and SRFSWI, in Estmere's overseas territories.