   peter taaffe' (born 1942) is a british political activist and journalist. he is the general secretary of the socialist party of england and wales and member of the international executive committee of the committee for a workers' international (cwi), which claims sections in over 35 countries around the world.socialistworld.net: website of the committee for a workers' international. retrieved 21 march 2009. http://socialistworld.net taaffe was the founding editor of the militant newspaper in 1964,jimmy deane's archive minutes. and became known as a leading member of the militant tendency. taaffe was expelled from the labour party in 1983, along with four other members of militants editorial board taaffe was influential in the policy decisions of liverpool city council of 1983â87, according to the council's deputy leader derek hatton,derek hatton inside left, p32 in the formation of the militant tendency's policy regarding the poll tax in 1988â1991,tommy sheridan a time to rage, p.45 and the militant tendency's 'open turn' from the labour party in the late 1980s, becoming general secretary of militant's eventual successor, the socialist party in 1997. == early life == born in birkenhead, cheshire, one of six children of a sheet metal worker,andy mcsmith faces of labour: the inside story, london: verso, 1996, p.100 taaffe first joined the campaign for nuclear disarmament, before joining the labour party where he was attracted to the radical element in the liverpool labour party. in an interview for the bbc radio 4 programme the party's over, taaffe gave a few biographical details: {{cquote|shaun ley â "why was liverpool so important in the development of militant?" pt â "i come from a working-class background. it was an area of a high degree of poverty, and still is unfortunately. "it is also a seaport with a very rad
1942_births British_Marxists British_Trotskyists British_antianuclear_weapons_activists British_political_writers Committee_for_a_Workers\'_International Living_people Marxist_writers Militant_tendency_supporters People_from_Birkenhead Socialist_Party_(England_and_Wales)_members