Communist League candidate Hugo Wils calls for public works and working-class action in by-election

Hugo Wils, 38, is standing as the Communist League candidate in the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election on 26 February.

A shopfloor aerospace worker and member of Unite the Union, Mr Wils describes his party as “the peace party” and says his campaign is centred on working-class organisation, opposition to war and defence of jobs and living standards.

“The march to another world war is a giant attack on the desire of working people to live in peace - and on our living standards, jobs and working conditions,” he said. “Only the working class can prevent another global slaughter by taking political power into our own hands.”

He launched his local campaign by joining a solidarity picket with striking refuse workers in Birmingham and has previously been involved in rallies against antisemitism following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel. He has also visited Cuba in solidarity with its socialist government, saying: “Defend, emulate Cuba’s socialist revolution.”

Speaking to the Tameside Reporter, Mr Wils set out his views on housing, antisocial behaviour and why he believes voters should consider the Communist League.

HMOs and the housing crisis

Residents in Denton and Gorton have raised concerns about the number of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the area, particularly around pressure on housing and the impact on established communities.

Mr Wils said the issue must be understood in the context of what he described as a wider housing crisis under capitalism.

“There’s a terrific housing crisis in this country, especially in Manchester,” he said. “That crisis is going to deepen, not get any better, because we live under class rule, the government and the state are organised for the interests of big business, not working people.”

Drawing on his own experience, he spoke about previously working at a meat factory in Tameside that was taken over by multinational firms before closing in 2023, resulting in job losses for local workers. He said this reflected a broader pattern in which working people have little control over economic decisions that affect their lives.

Rather than focusing on individual HMO developments, Mr Wils called for a mass public works programme.

“One of the things we raise - not as a promise but as a demand to fight for - is a public works programme to put millions back to work,” he said. “At the same time, it would provide the housing, schools, hospitals and roads that working people need.”

He argued that such change would not come from switching between Labour, Conservative, Reform or Green governments, but from organised action by workers themselves.

Antisocial behaviour and community issues

Asked about antisocial behaviour, including reports of young people gathering in local shopping areas, Mr Wils again framed the issue in economic terms.

He said insecurity, unemployment and cuts to youth provision contribute to tensions in communities. Rather than prioritising tougher enforcement alone, he argued that stable jobs, decent housing and properly funded public services would reduce the conditions that give rise to social problems.

“When working people have secure jobs, decent wages and a future to look forward to, you see stronger communities,” he said. “When those things are taken away, the problems grow.”

He pointed to ongoing industrial disputes, including the refuse workers’ strike in Birmingham, as examples of workers resisting what he called attacks on pay and conditions. He said building solidarity across workplaces and communities was central to improving living standards.

Local connections

Mr Wils said his background as a factory worker and trade unionist shapes his campaign and his approach to representing the constituency. He previously worked in Tameside and said he is familiar with the pressures facing working-class communities in the area.

A broader political message

Throughout the interview, Mr Wils stressed that his campaign is not primarily about parliamentary manoeuvring but about encouraging workers to organise independently of what he termed “capitalist parties”.

“These are the central issues - peace, jobs, living standards - not the media hype about turmoil within and between Labour, Conservative, Reform, Greens and others,” he said.

He argued that escalating international conflicts risk dragging Britain into further wars and that working people would bear the cost.

Voters in Gorton and Denton will head to the polls on 26 February to decide who will represent the constituency at Westminster following the resignation of former MP Andrew Gwynne.