Anthony Slaughter: The punk pioneer making Senedd history for the Greens

Anthony Slaughter: The punk pioneer making Senedd history for the Greens7 days agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMark PalmerWales politics assistant editorBBCAnthony Slaughter with fellow members of Cape Town punk band Riot Squad SAWales' Green leader Anthony Slaughter is a record maker in more ways than one as he sees his party sit in the Welsh Parliament for the first time in its history.Slaughter, who takes one of two Green seats in the Senedd, was the singer in a South African punk band, Riot Squad SA, who were the first-ever band from the country to release a punk record in the UK.The anti-apartheid campaigner came to the UK in the 1980s to avoid conscription to the "apartheid army" where he became part of the "anarchist squatting scene".The punk rock republican says he can be the "Kingmaker" as Plaid Cymru looks to lead the next Welsh government with Rhun ap Iorwerth as first minister.Slaughter came into the election promising to introduce rent controls to help bring down living costs.He says his party would freeze rent for a year before giving councils powers to apply caps on what tenants pay.He also pledged to cap bus fares to £1 for most people, with free travel for under 22s and to replace council tax.It will be interesting to see if any these policies become part of any talks about supporting Plaid Cymru.Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth: From party disarray to brink of powerDan Thomas: The ex-London council leader in charge of big Senedd opposition groupBorn in Yorkshire in 1962, Slaughter emigrated as a child first to Australia and then South Africa.Slaughter says growing up in apartheid South Africa gave him "a real grounding in what politics is and what power is about".It was while living in Cape Town he formed the punk rock band Riot Squad SA.Aligning themselves with the anti-apartheid movement, they released the 7" vinyl EP "Total Onslaught".This went on to be banned by the South Afri...