English leader’s memory given weight in political group (8)

I believe the answer is:

cromwell

'english leader's' is the definition.
(Oliver Cromwell)

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

(Other definitions for cromwell that I've seen before include "He gave the Irish the choice of going ''to hell or to Connacht''" , "dictator" , "Leader of the Roundheads, d.1658" , "Thomas or Oliver?" , "His forces massacred Irish people in the 17th century" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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