Communist Party of Britain


The Communist Party of Britain is a communist political party in Great Britain committed to Marxist–Leninist theory. The party emerged from a dispute between Eurocommunists and Marxist-Leninists in the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1988.
Ex-members included General Secretaries of three organisations: Bob Crow of the RMT union), Ken Gill of the Manufacturing, Science and Finance, and Kate Hudson of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

History

The Communist Party of Britain was established in April 1988 by a disaffected section of the Communist Party of Great Britain ; a majority of CPGB members instead largely embraced Eurocommunism. The disaffected section included the editorship of the Morning Star newspaper, including Tony Chater, the paper's editor. They were largely supporters of the Communist Campaign Group, formed to oppose the party's new direction. The founders of the new party attacked the leadership of the CPGB for allegedly abandoning 'class politics' and the leading role of the working class in the revolutionary process in Britain. The youth wing of the CPGB, the Young Communist League, had collapsed, and the Morning Star was losing circulation.
The following year the leaders of CPGB formally declared that they had abandoned its programme, The British Road to Socialism. Many members perceived this as the party turning its back on socialism. The CPGB dissolved itself in 1991 and reformed as the Democratic Left. Many members of the Straight Left faction who had stayed in the CPGB formed a group called "Communist Liaison" which later opted to join the CPB. Others remained in the Democratic Left or joined the Labour Party.
The party still has members who were active in the CPGB, some of whom were active in the Anti-Apartheid Movement and trade union disputes such as the Upper Clyde work-in or the miners' strike of 1984–1985.
The CPB was largely the creation of the Communist Campaign Group and one of its prominent leaders, Mike Hicks, was elected to the post of general secretary when the party was founded in 1988. In January 1998 Hicks was ousted as such in a 17 – 13 vote moved by John Haylett at a meeting of the party's Executive Committee. Hicks' supporters on the Management Committee of the Morning Star responded by suspending and then sacking Haylett, which led to a prolonged strike at the Morning Star, ending in victory for Haylett and his reinstatement. Some of Hicks' supporters were expelled and others resigned in protest. They formed a discussion group called Marxist Forum, which is now defunct.
The party is part of the Stop the War Coalition; the movement's chair, Andrew Murray was a Communist Party member until late 2016. Prior to the formation of the Respect – The Unity Coalition, with the support of the Socialist Workers Party, the party engaged in a debate about whether to join an electoral alliance with Respect and George Galloway. Those in favour, including general secretary Rob Griffiths, Andrew Murray and Morning Star editor John Haylett, were, however, defeated at a Special Congress in 2004.
In 2009, the party was one of the founder organisations of the No2EU electoral alliance alongside the RMT and a number of other left parties. The aim of the alliance is to stand in European Parliament elections on a platform of opposition to the European Union, which it considers undemocratic and neo-liberal.
The party was a founder of the People's Assembly Against Austerity in 2013, along with a number of other political and campaign groups, to create a broad organisation in opposition to austerity policies of the major political parties of Britain and of the European Union. The People's Charter, which the Communist Party had helped create several years earlier, was subsequently voted to be incorporated into the People's Assembly.
At the 2017 general election, the party fielded no candidates and gave its support to the Labour Party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. The CPB said it was the first election at which neither it nor the CPGB had fielded any candidates. In March 2018, Susan Michie, a leading member of the CPB, said that the party would no longer stand against Labour in general elections. CPB members should be "working full tilt" for the election of Corbyn as prime minister, she said. In the 2019 general election, the party again fielded no candidates and gave its support to the Labour Party.

General secretaries

Ideology and summary of main policies

The party's main policies are set out in the Alternative Economic and Political Strategy, contained within this is the Left Wing Programme which comprises the following fourteen key policies:
The party supports what it regards as existing socialist states, and has fraternal relationships with the Cuban, Chinese, Lao and Vietnamese communist parties, as well as with other ruling communist parties around the world. It is affiliated nationally to the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign.
The party's stance on the Soviet Union is summed up in Britain's Road to Socialism:

Symbology

Under the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998, which regulated the use of symbols on ballot slips and electoral material, the Communist Party is the only British political party entitled to use a stand-alone hammer and sickle in such cases. The party tends to use the hammer and dove in conjunction with the hammer and sickle in publications and on other material, with the hammer and dove normally taking primacy.
The party's official flag consists of a golden-outlined, five-pointed red star above and slightly to the left of a hammer and sickle design in red with a golden outline in the flag's canton. The words "Communist Party" appear in gold along the bottom of the flag.

Organisation

The Communist Party describes itself as a "disciplined and democratic organisation" and operates on a model of democratic centralism.
The basic party body is the branch. These are normally localities, although workplace branches also exist. In England, branches are grouped into coherent geographical areas and send delegates to a biennial District Congress which elects a District Committee for its area. Similarly, the Welsh and Scottish branches send delegates to their own national congresses where each elects an Executive Committee. These congresses also decide the broad perspectives for party activity within their districts and nations.
The all-Britain national congress is also held biennially. Delegates from districts, nations and branches themselves decide the party's policy as a whole and elect an Executive Committee that carries out a presidium-like function, including decision-making and policy-formation whilst congress is not in session.
The EC also elects a Political Committee to provide leadership when the EC is not meeting. Advisory Committees also exist to provide in-depth information on an array of subjects, including committees dedicated to women, industrial workers, pensions, public services, education workers, economics, housing, rails, science technology and the environment, transport, Marxist-Leninist education, LGBT rights, anti-racism, anti-fascism, civil service and international affairs.

Young Communist League

The YCL is the autonomous youth group of the Communist Party, with its own internal organisation. It carries out work alongside the party, while maintaining its own branches, activities, and events such as an annual summer camp. Young members of the party are automatically enrolled into the youth wing, however membership of both organisations is not synonymous, as it is possible to independently join the YCL without joining the party.

Coordinating Committee of Communist Parties in Britain

The CCPiB is a bureau within the Communist Party which meets with overseas communist parties that have significant memberships in Britain.
These include:
The Committee meets regularly to exchange political assessments, to organise joint theoretical discussions and to plan events of international commemoration.

Size and electoral information

From 2006 to 2014 the party held a membership of over 900 members. In 2015 this figure dropped significantly to below 800 members, although it has since recovered with significant growth in the Young Communist League. The party continues to maintain branches in most major cities.
The statement of accounts submitted to the Electoral Commission following the 55th congress in 2018 reported a total annual income of.

General election results

At the 1997 general election, the party ran five candidates whose combined vote came to 911. At the 2001 general election, the party ran six candidates whose combined vote came to 1,003.
In 2005, the party fielded six candidates whose combined vote came to 1,124.
CandidateConstituencyVotes%
Robert GriffithsPontypridd2330.6
Glyn DaviesAlyn and Deeside2070.6
Martin LevyNewcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend2050.6
Monty GoldmanHackney South and Shoreditch2000.6
Geoffrey BottomsCrosby1990.5
Elinor McKenzieGlasgow Central800.3

In 2010, the party fielded six candidates whose combined vote came to 947; it also supported John Metcalfe and Avtar Sadiq who stood as part of electoral alliances. Metcalfe stood on behalf of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition in Carlisle and won 365 votes, or 0.9% of the total vote. Sadiq stood on behalf of Unity for Peace and Socialism in Leicester East and won 494 votes, or 1% of the total vote. Unity for Peace and Socialism is a domestic alliance between British domiciled sections of the Communist Party of India of which Sadiq was a member, the Communist Party of Bangladesh and the Communist Party of Greece.
CandidateConstituencyVotes%
Marc LivingstoneGlasgow North West1790.5
Martin LevyNewcastle upon Tyne East1770.5
Robert GriffithsCardiff South and Penarth1960.4
Ben StevensonCroydon North1600.3
Steve AndrewSheffield South East1390.3
Gerry SablesDevon North960.2

In 2015 the party fielded 9 candidates, whose combined vote came to 1,229. Laura-Jane Rossington stood for the party in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport; at just over 18, she was the youngest candidate to stand in the general election in England.
CandidateConstituencyVotes%
Robert GriffithsMerthyr Tydfil and Rhymney1860.6
Andy ChafferBirmingham Hodge Hill1530.4
Mark GriffithsTorfaen1440.4
Zoe HennessyGlasgow North West1360.3
Mollie StevensonNewcastle upon Tyne East1220.3
Steve AndrewSheffield Central1190.3
Gerry SablesDevon North1380.2
Ben StevensonCroydon North1250.2
Laura-Jane RossingtonPlymouth Sutton and Devonport1060.2

In the 2017 general election, the party fielded no candidates.

Other election results

The party runs candidates in elections on the local, national and European level.
PositionYearVotes%Misc.
London Assembly20007,4890.4%London-wide list
London Assembly20041,3781.1%North East constituency only.
Welsh Assembly20073,7080.4%
London Assembly20086,3940.3%As "Unity for Peace and Socialism", London-wide list.
Mayor of Hackney20102,0332.2%
Scottish Parliament20112561.1%Only contesting Glasgow Anniesland
Welsh Assembly20112,6760.3%
Welsh Assembly20162,4520.2%
Scottish Parliament20165100.2%Only contesting North East Scotland
Mayor of the West Midlands20175,6961.1%

In local elections in 2008 the party gained one councillor, Clive Griffiths, a former Labour councillor who joined the party and was re-elected unopposed to Hirwaun and Penderyn Community Council as a communist.
In the 2009 and 2014 European Parliament elections the party supported the No2EU alliance led by the RMT union. The party also ran in the Welsh Assembly elections in 2007 and 2011. In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election the party stood Marc Livingstone as a candidate.
In April 2019, the party called for a "People's Boycott" of the 2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom, which was the first time in its history that the CP had called for a boycott of an election in Britain.

Publications

The party publishes a wide variety of literature and material.

''Communist Review''

This is a theoretical and discussion journal published on a quarterly basis. It takes its name from the old journal published by the CPGB and is edited by Martin Levy. The content of the journal covers book reviews, feature articles, letters and sometimes poetry.

''Challenge''

This is a magazine published by the Young Communist League. It mainly covers news, feature articles and political reports. It runs a Back 2 Basics series which explains the basic foundations of Marxism-Leninism in an accessible way. Occasionally it publishes music, film or video game reviews alongside other light content such as comic strips. It's aimed at young people and tends to be less academic than Communist Review.

''Communist News & Views''

This is an email bulletin which summarises the party's recent statements, resolutions, reports and policies. It also brings attention to campaigns and events being promoted by the party. It is open to the public and can be subscribed to on the party website, if someone makes an enquiry to join the party they can choose to be subscribed to the email list.

''Country Standard''

A journal for rural communities, produced since 1935. It is produced annually and is run by an editorial collective of Communist and Labour members, environmentalists and trade unionists. The paper supports the Countryside Charter with the following aims:
The party publishes books under the Manifesto Press imprint. it has a total catalogue of 25 titles and also sells 2 titles which are published separately by Hetherington Press. The books cover historical, political and social topics and are edited by Nick Wright.

''Unity!'' and ''Solidarity''

Unity! is a short booklet focused around labour issues and often distributed for free at trade union events. Solidarity is a bulletin published by the international department of the party, it covers the party's foreign policy and the activities of the Co-ordinating Committee of Communist Parties in Britain. The editor is Anita Halpin.
In addition to this the party publishes many miscellaneous pamphlets under its own name. The Classics of Communism series are reprints of classic works such as The Communist Manifesto or . The Our History series aims to re-tell 'history from below' and covers historical events from a working class perspective. The party also publishes congress reports, the party programme, briefing notes and other documents.

Headquarters

At the beginning of November 2004, the party and its youth organisation, the YCL, moved out of its temporary headquarters in Camden, North London after receiving notice to quit because of redevelopment. The building was owned by AKEL, the Cypriot communist party. Ruskin House in Croydon was chosen as the new party headquarters, with its long history in the progressive movement as centre of the Anti-Apartheid Movement and also local Labour Party and co-operative groups. The party rents the top floor of four offices at Ruskin House which also allows it plenty of room to hold its congresses and other important meetings, including an annual industrial cadre school and the Communist University of Britain. In Scotland, the party also makes use of an office in Glasgow.

Conferences and festivals

Congress

The party holds a biennial congress with delegates from districts, nations and branches. The last congress as the Communist Party of Great Britain was the 43rd congress and was held in 1991. The 44th congress, as the Communist Party of Britain, was held in 1997. Since 2000 the congress has been held every two years apart from a special congress held in February 2004. The 29 member governing Executive Committee of the party is elected at congress.

Events

In November 2004 the party organised Communist University events in Wales and England, these were further developed to form a national three-day event which ran annually from 2005 to 2010. This was accompanied by regional weekend universities in Wales, Scotland and the Midlands. Among the speakers at the Communist University at Ruskin House in November 2006 were Labour MP John McDonnell, RMT general secretary Bob Crow, CND chair Kate Hudson, Communist Party USA vice-president Jarvis Tyner, French Communist Party economist Paul Boccara and Palestine Liberation Organization ambassador Dr Noha Khalef.

21st Century Marxism

In 2011, the national Communist University event was renamed to "21st Century Marxism" and the format was changed slightly from a festival to a conference. The style of the event has changed widely over the years as the organisers experiment with different venues and speakers.
DateVenue
26 to 27 November 2011Bishopsgate Institute
21 to 22 July 2012Bishopsgate Institute
2 to 3 November 2013Marx Memorial Library
26 to 27 July 2014Marx Memorial Library

The party's political education strategy also includes trade union and political cadre schools, party-building schools and dayschools.