Minnie Pallister – The Voice Of A Rebel

Pioneering South Wales ILPer Minnie Pallister was one of the most important feminists, pacifists, socialists and journalists of the 20th century. But her life and legacy have been largely forgotten in recent decades. Author Alun Burge has put that right in his new book, The Voice of a Rebel.

Alun will be speaking about Minnie’s life and work on Zoom on Monday 21 October at 7.00pm.

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In a 1970 parliamentary debate Michael Foot evoked the memory of four socialist symbols of South Wales – the Chartists, the hunger marchers, Minnie Pallister and Aneurin Bevan.

Foot claimed that when Pallister spoke from a soapbox in Tredegar, it was carried across the mountain to Merthyr, like some sort of religious icon, so it could be seen there. Bevan said that one of his first political acts was to carry a stool for Pallister to speak from, and he remembered the event throughout his life.

When Pallister died in March 1960, four months before Bevan, she was a household name. However, the importance of this feminist, pacifist, socialist, Brynmawr school teacher has been forgotten, until now.

Minnie Pallister strode on to the national stage at the 1915 ILP national conference when, given less than two minutes to prepare, her anti-war speech caused a sensation. Following that conference Keir Hardie described Pallister as a new star bursting on the horizon.

Alun worked in the Welsh government’s Department of Social Justice from 2002 and in local government. He was part of a group that published We, The People: The Case for Radical Federalism and Our Right: The People’s Convention in early 2021.

Minnie Pallister: Voice of a Rebel was published in September 2024 by Parthian Books.

For a summary of Minnie’s life go to: https://www.independentlabour.org.uk/2024/08/28/ilp-profiles-minnie-pallister-the-extraordinary-life-of-a-forgotten-rebel