Communist Party of Britain
Encyclopedia
The Communist Party of Britain is a communist
political party in Great Britain
. Although founded in 1988 it traces its origins back to 1920 and the Communist Party of Great Britain
, and claims the legacy of that party and its most influential members Harry Pollitt
and John Gollan
as its own.
(CPGB), including the editorship of the Morning Star, largely supporters of the "Communist Campaign Group" (CCG). The founders of the CPB 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 next year, the leaders of CPGB formally declared that they had abandoned the party's programme British Road to Socialism. Members of the CPB perceived this as the CPGB turning its back on socialism
.
Membership of the CPB was boosted after the dissolution of the CPGB in 1991 and its reformation 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.
This split within the Communist Party of Great Britain was not the first. The Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
was established in 1968 by a leading engineering union official, Reg Birch
, who had been a prominent member of the CPGB and at that time a supporter of the Beijing line in the Sino-Soviet dispute. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, ideological differences between party members led to the establishment of the New Communist Party (formed in 1977), who also opposed 'eurocommunism
'. The splitting up of the Communist Party of Great Britain resulted in bitter divisions. The CPB's account of its history claims "the ruling class worked to undermine it from within" which "the old Communist Party leadership failed to recognise and withstand ... It succumbed to reformist ideas, drifting away from its class basis, even attacking the leadership of the 1984-85 miners’ strike and expelling many of the Party’s finest militants".
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 CPB was founded in 1988. In January 1998 Hicks was ousted as general secretary in a 17 - 13 vote moved by John Haylett (who was also editor of the Morning Star) at a meeting of the CPB's Executive Committee. Hicks' supporters on the Management Committee of the Morning Star followed 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
and continue to hold prominent positions at the Marx Memorial Library
in London.
At the 2001 general election
, the CPB ran six candidates whose total vote came to 1,003. This went up slightly in the May 2005 election
when six CPB candidates polled a total of 1,124 votes (average 0.3 per cent a seat). In the 2004 local elections
, however, on one occasion a CPB candidate, Glyn Davies (Shotton, Flintshire), polled just over 21 per cent though his total vote was only 99. In the London Assembly election, 2008
, it stood as part of Unity for Peace and Socialism, an electoral alliance with the British domiciled sections of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
, the Communist Party of Bangladesh
and the Communist Party of Greece
(KKE). UPS won 0.26 percent of the vote in the election. The party did enjoy an electoral success in 2008 when Clive Griffiths, a former Labour councillor who joined the party, was re-elected unopposed to Hirwaun
and Penderyn Community Council
as a Communist. In the 2009 European Parliament elections
it was part of the No to EU – Yes to Democracy platform led by the RMT union.
The CPB has always been actively engaged in the labour
and trade union
movement in Britain. It is part of the Stop the War Coalition
; the movement's chair, Andrew Murray
is a Communist Party of Britain member. Another party member, Kate Hudson
, is currently chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
. Prior to the formation of the Respect - The Unity Coalition, headed by George Galloway
and supported by the Socialist Workers Party
, the CPB engaged in a major debate about whether to join an electoral alliance with Galloway and the SWP. Those in favour, including General Secretary Robert Griffiths, Andrew Murray and Morning Star editor John Haylett, were however defeated at a Special Congress in 2004.
;
In accordance to what is said above, the general consensus throughout the CPB is that the positive features of the Soviet Union and what the party continues to call the 'former socialist countries' outweighed the negative ones.
The CPB supports what it regards as existing socialist states and has fraternal relationships with the Cuban, Chinese and Vietnamese Communist Parties.
, which regulated the use of symbols on ballot slips and electoral material, the Communist Party of Britain is the only British political party entitled to use a stand-alone hammer and sickle
in such cases. The Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
, which is also registered, uses a hammer and sickle within a five pointed star. The CPB tends to use the hammer and dove (adopted when the party was established in 1988) 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.
.
The basic party body is the branch. These are normally localities (towns or counties, for example), 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 (EC) 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 (PC) 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, LGB rights, anti-racism, anti-fascism, civil service and international affairs.
The current general-secretary is Robert Griffiths
, who was also a leading member of the Welsh Republican Socialist Movement (WRSM) in the 1970s. The WRSM was closely linked to the According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission
in the year ending December 31, 2004, it had an income of £75,692 (of which over half was membership dues) and expenditure of £72,150. It spent £37,871 on salaries.
organisation, whose main policies are set out in the Alternative Economic and Political Strategy, the third section in the party's manifesto, Britain's Road to Socialism.
Within this document the party calls for:
While the Morning Star
newspaper is owned by a co-operative, its editorial line reflects Britain's Road to Socialism, the CPB's programme endorsed by the co-operative's annual general meetings. CPB rules state that Party members must read and do all they can to increase the circulation of the newspaper.
The CPB publishes the free Communist News, a regular newsletter for its members and Communist Review, a theoretical and discussion journal for members and non-members, costing £2. The International Department of the CPB also publishes .
In addition to this, it has also published numerous pamphlets and booklets, including but not limited to:
There is also a journal produced by the Young Communist league
, called Challenge
.
According to the party's accounts for the year 2005, it had income and expenditure around the £100,000 mark, of which £34,000 is spent on staff salaries.
The most recent figures available are from 2010. The Statement of Accounts submitted to the Electoral Commission following the party congress in 2010 reports a party membership of 931 and and annual income of £112,660.
, 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 CPB 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.
and British communist university events in 2004. The Communist University of Britain has become an annual three-day event from 2005, joined by weekend universities in Scotland
and Wales in 2006 and with plans for a Communist University of the Midlands - to be organised jointly with the Association of Indian Communists (Marxist) - in 2007. Among the speakers at the Communist University of Britain at Ruskin House in November 2006 were Labour
MP John McDonnell
, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
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.
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
political party in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Although founded in 1988 it traces its origins back to 1920 and the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
, and claims the legacy of that party and its most influential members Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt was the head of the trade union department of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the General Secretary of the party for more than 20 years.- Early life :...
and John Gollan
John Gollan
John Gollan was a leader of the Communist Party of Great Britain .Born in Edinburgh, Gollan joined the CPGB and the Young Communist League aged sixteen. He became a signwriter but was soon imprisoned for distributing an anti-militarist leaflet...
as its own.
History
The Communist Party of Britain (CPB) was formed in 1988 by a disaffected segment of the Communist Party of Great BritainCommunist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
(CPGB), including the editorship of the Morning Star, largely supporters of the "Communist Campaign Group" (CCG). The founders of the CPB 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
Young Communist League (Britain)
The Young Communist League is the name of both the youth wing of the former Communist Party of Great Britain and the current youth wing of the Communist Party of Britain ; an organisation that sees itself as the successor to the Communist Party of Great Britain.-Original Young Communist League...
, had collapsed, and the Morning Star was losing circulation.
The next year, the leaders of CPGB formally declared that they had abandoned the party's programme British Road to Socialism. Members of the CPB perceived this as the CPGB turning its back on socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
.
Membership of the CPB was boosted after the dissolution of the CPGB in 1991 and its reformation as the "Democratic Left
Democratic Left (United Kingdom)
Democratic Left was a post-communist political organisation in the United Kingdom during the 1990s, growing out of the Eurocommunist strand within the Communist Party of Great Britain and its magazine Marxism Today...
". Many members of the Straight Left
Straight Left
Straight Left was a left-wing newspaper. The phrase was also the generic name given to a political faction of the Communist Party of Great Britain who disagreed with the leadership's emerging Eurocommunist politics, and were responsible for the production of the newspaper...
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.
This split within the Communist Party of Great Britain was not the first. The Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Britain is a British communist political party. The small party was formed in 1968 by Reg Birch as a split from the Communist Party of Great Britain, siding with the Communist Party of China...
was established in 1968 by a leading engineering union official, Reg Birch
Reg Birch
Reg Birch was a British Maoist trade unionist.Born in Kilburn, Birch became a toolmaker and joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union . He became active in the union and also in supporting the Republican government of Spain against the fascist invasion and coup...
, who had been a prominent member of the CPGB and at that time a supporter of the Beijing line in the Sino-Soviet dispute. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, ideological differences between party members led to the establishment of the New Communist Party (formed in 1977), who also opposed 'eurocommunism
Eurocommunism
Eurocommunism was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties to develop a theory and practice of social transformation that was more relevant in a Western European democracy and less aligned to the influence or control of the Communist Party of the Soviet...
'. The splitting up of the Communist Party of Great Britain resulted in bitter divisions. The CPB's account of its history claims "the ruling class worked to undermine it from within" which "the old Communist Party leadership failed to recognise and withstand ... It succumbed to reformist ideas, drifting away from its class basis, even attacking the leadership of the 1984-85 miners’ strike and expelling many of the Party’s finest militants".
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 CPB was founded in 1988. In January 1998 Hicks was ousted as general secretary in a 17 - 13 vote moved by John Haylett (who was also editor of the Morning Star) at a meeting of the CPB's Executive Committee. Hicks' supporters on the Management Committee of the Morning Star followed 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
Marxist Forum
Marxist Forum was a discussion group established by members of the Communist Party of Britain who were either expelled or resigned in the wake of the 1998 Morning Star dispute...
and continue to hold prominent positions at the Marx Memorial Library
Marx Memorial Library
The Marx Memorial Library in London holds more than 43,000 books, pamphlets and newspapers on Marxism, Scientific Socialism and Working class history. The library also features the fresco The worker of the future upsetting the economic chaos of the present by Jack Hastings, painted in 1935. It is...
in London.
At the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, the CPB ran six candidates whose total vote came to 1,003. This went up slightly in the May 2005 election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
when six CPB candidates polled a total of 1,124 votes (average 0.3 per cent a seat). In the 2004 local elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2004
The United Kingdom local elections of 2004 were held on 10 June, as part of the 2004 set of elections along with the European elections and the London mayoral and Assembly elections.-About the elections:...
, however, on one occasion a CPB candidate, Glyn Davies (Shotton, Flintshire), polled just over 21 per cent though his total vote was only 99. In the London Assembly election, 2008
London Assembly election, 2008
An election to the Assembly of London took place on 1 May 2008, along with the London mayoral election, 2008. The Conservatives gained 2 seats, Labour gained one seat, the Liberal Democrats lost two seats, and United Kingdom Independence Party or One London as they became were wiped out...
, it stood as part of Unity for Peace and Socialism, an electoral alliance with the British domiciled sections of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
, the Communist Party of Bangladesh
Communist Party of Bangladesh
The Communist Party of Bangladesh is a Marxist-Leninist political party in Bangladesh, founded in 1968 as the Communist Party of East Pakistan.- History :...
and the Communist Party of Greece
Communist Party of Greece
Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :...
(KKE). UPS won 0.26 percent of the vote in the election. The party did enjoy an electoral success in 2008 when Clive Griffiths, a former Labour councillor who joined the party, was re-elected unopposed to Hirwaun
Hirwaun
Hirwaun is the name of a village at the northwest end of the Cynon Valley in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The village of Hirwaun is from the town of Aberdare, and comes under Aberdare for postal reasons...
and Penderyn Community Council
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
as a Communist. In the 2009 European Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
it was part of the No to EU – Yes to Democracy platform led by the RMT union.
The CPB has always been actively engaged in the labour
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
and trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
movement in Britain. It is part of the Stop the War Coalition
Stop the War Coalition
The Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
; the movement's chair, Andrew Murray
Andrew Murray (campaigner and journalist)
Andrew Murray is a British campaigner and journalist who has been Chair of the Stop the War Coalition from its formation in 2001. In this capacity he presided at the concluding rally of what is claimed as the largest political demonstration in British history, against the Iraq war in 2003...
is a Communist Party of Britain member. Another party member, Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson (activist)
Katharine Jane Hudson is a UK academic and political activist.Kate Hudson is currently the General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Prior to her appointment to the post, she had served as Chair of the organisation from 2003 to 2010...
, is currently chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
. Prior to the formation of the Respect - The Unity Coalition, headed by George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
and supported by the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (Britain)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities...
, the CPB engaged in a major debate about whether to join an electoral alliance with Galloway and the SWP. Those in favour, including General Secretary Robert Griffiths, Andrew Murray and Morning Star editor John Haylett, were however defeated at a Special Congress in 2004.
The Party's stance on 'existing socialist states' and the USSR
The CPB's stance on the former Soviet Union is summed up in their manifesto, Britain's Road to SocialismBritain's Road to Socialism
Britain's Road to Socialism is the programme of the Communist Party of Britain and is adhered to by the Young Communist League and the editors of the The Morning Star...
;
In accordance to what is said above, the general consensus throughout the CPB is that the positive features of the Soviet Union and what the party continues to call the 'former socialist countries' outweighed the negative ones.
The CPB supports what it regards as existing socialist states and has fraternal relationships with the Cuban, Chinese and Vietnamese Communist Parties.
Symbology
Under the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998Registration of Political Parties Act 1998
The Registration of Political Parties Act 1998 , or An Act to make provision about the registration of political parties was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to set up a register of political parties in the United Kingdom. Previously there had been no such register, and political...
, which regulated the use of symbols on ballot slips and electoral material, the Communist Party of Britain is the only British political party entitled to use a stand-alone hammer and sickle
Hammer and sickle
The hammer and sickle is a part of communist symbolism and its usage indicates an association with Communism, a Communist party, or a Communist state. It features a hammer and a sickle overlapping each other. The two tools are symbols of the industrial proletariat and the peasantry; placing them...
in such cases. The Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
The Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain is a British communist political party. It was originally named the Communist Party of England , until it was reorganised after rejecting Maoism. The party's thinking is based on the politics of Hardial Bains, who died in 1997...
, which is also registered, uses a hammer and sickle within a five pointed star. The CPB tends to use the hammer and dove (adopted when the party was established in 1988) 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 of Britain describes itself as a "disciplined and democratic organisation" and operates on a model of democratic centralismDemocratic centralism
Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party...
.
The basic party body is the branch. These are normally localities (towns or counties, for example), 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 (EC) that carries out a presidium
Presidium
The presidium or praesidium is the name for the heading organ of various legislative and organizational bodies.-Historical usage:...
-like function, including decision-making and policy-formation whilst congress is not in session.
The EC also elects a Political Committee (PC) 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, LGB rights, anti-racism, anti-fascism, civil service and international affairs.
The current general-secretary is Robert Griffiths
Robert Griffiths (politician)
Robert Griffiths is the general-secretary of the Communist Party of Britain . He was elected by the CPB's Executive Committee in January 1998, in place of Mike Hicks, who, along with others, subsequently left the party he had a major role in founding....
, who was also a leading member of the Welsh Republican Socialist Movement (WRSM) in the 1970s. The WRSM was closely linked to the According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
in the year ending December 31, 2004, it had an income of £75,692 (of which over half was membership dues) and expenditure of £72,150. It spent £37,871 on salaries.
The Party's ideology and main policies
The CPB describes itself as a Marxist-LeninistMarxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
organisation, whose main policies are set out in the Alternative Economic and Political Strategy, the third section in the party's manifesto, Britain's Road to Socialism.
Within this document the party calls for:
- An economy based on a combination of workers' co-operatives and state-owned enterprises run on behalf of the people.
- The nationalisation of industry in order to boost the economy and raise general standard of living.
- Massive investment by the state into key areas of the economy with the aim of ending unemployment and increasing production.
- A substantial increase in social welfare spending in education, healthcare and recreational facilities.
- A planned economyPlanned economyA planned economy is an economic system in which decisions regarding production and investment are embodied in a plan formulated by a central authority, usually by a government agency...
, said to be designed to increase the standard of living of working people. - The tax burden to be shifted onto the rich, with direct taxes on working people's incomes reduced.
- The confiscation of wealth from the rich and windfall taxes on company profits.
- The eventual 'withering away' of the socialist state, and the complete emancipation of the working class through to the higher phase of communism.
- The importance of democracy and freedom in everyday life, and the placement of particular emphasis on the freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
- The full separation of church and state, with religion treated as an entirely private matter.
Publications
While the Morning StarThe Morning Star
The Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
newspaper is owned by a co-operative, its editorial line reflects Britain's Road to Socialism, the CPB's programme endorsed by the co-operative's annual general meetings. CPB rules state that Party members must read and do all they can to increase the circulation of the newspaper.
The CPB publishes the free Communist News, a regular newsletter for its members and Communist Review, a theoretical and discussion journal for members and non-members, costing £2. The International Department of the CPB also publishes .
In addition to this, it has also published numerous pamphlets and booklets, including but not limited to:
- A World to Save - the Party's response to environmental issues
- Defeat New Labour - the Party's aims at defeating New Labour policies within the labour movement
- No to the Euro - the Party's reasoning against the introduction of the single European currency in Britain
- Women & Class - the Party's attitudes towards female issues
- Britain's Road to Socialism - the Party's complete programme (see above)
- What We Stand For - the Party's basic introduction to its principles
- Wages, Price & Profit - one of Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
's works, published by the party's Economic Committee - Halting the Decline of Britain's Manufacturing Industry by the Morning Star's economic expert, Jerry Jones, published by the party's Economic Committee
- Manifesto of the Communist Party - one of Karl Marx & Friedrich EngelsFriedrich EngelsFriedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
works, published by the party's Political Committee - Case for Communism - by the Party's International Secretary John Foster, covering the rise of Anti-Communism and the record of socialist countries
- Education for the People - the Party's attitudes towards developments in the Education system
- The Future of Pensions - How we can ensure a decent retirement for all by the Morning Star's economic expert, Jerry Jones, published by the party's Economic Committee
There is also a journal produced by the Young Communist league
Young Communist League (Britain)
The Young Communist League is the name of both the youth wing of the former Communist Party of Great Britain and the current youth wing of the Communist Party of Britain ; an organisation that sees itself as the successor to the Communist Party of Great Britain.-Original Young Communist League...
, called Challenge
Challenge (Communist journal)
Challenge is the name of organisational publications of two separate known communist groups.The first is a magazine periodical produced by the British Young Communist League, the youth wing of the Communist Party of Britain. The first issue came out in March 1935...
.
Size
The CPB claimed that it had some 830 members at its Congress in 2004, at its congress in May 2006 said this number had risen to 902 and by the end of the year (in its annual statement of accounts) it had 923. At November 2007, membership had risen to 1026 but at its Congress in 2008 it reported that its UK membership was 941.According to the party's accounts for the year 2005, it had income and expenditure around the £100,000 mark, of which £34,000 is spent on staff salaries.
The most recent figures available are from 2010. The Statement of Accounts submitted to the Electoral Commission following the party congress in 2010 reports a party membership of 931 and and annual income of £112,660.
Headquarters
At the beginning of November 2004, the CPB and its youth organisation, the YCLYoung Communist League (Britain)
The Young Communist League is the name of both the youth wing of the former Communist Party of Great Britain and the current youth wing of the Communist Party of Britain ; an organisation that sees itself as the successor to the Communist Party of Great Britain.-Original Young Communist League...
, moved out of its temporary headquarters in Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
after receiving notice to quit because of redevelopment. The building was owned by AKEL, the Cypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
communist party. Ruskin House
Ruskin House
For the re-generation plan for the centre of Croydon, see Ruskin SquareRuskin House, situated in its own grounds on Coombe Road, Croydon, South London, has been an important centre of Britain's progressive movements for a century...
in Croydon was chosen as the new Party headquarters, with its long history in the progressive movement as centre of the Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
and also local Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and co-operative groups. The CPB 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.
Communist University
The CPB's Communist University movement has developed since the WelshWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and British communist university events in 2004. The Communist University of Britain has become an annual three-day event from 2005, joined by weekend universities in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Wales in 2006 and with plans for a Communist University of the Midlands - to be organised jointly with the Association of Indian Communists (Marxist) - in 2007. Among the speakers at the Communist University of Britain at Ruskin House in November 2006 were Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP John McDonnell
John McDonnell (politician)
John Martin McDonnell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington since 1997; he serves as Chair of the Socialist Campaign Group, the Labour Representation Committee, and the "Public Services Not Private Profit Group"...
, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is a trade union in the United Kingdom which unionises transport workers. It has more than 80,000 members, and its current general secretary is Bob Crow...
general secretary Bob Crow
Bob Crow
Robert Crow , who is better known as Bob Crow, is a British trade union leader, the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and a member of the General Council of the TUC...
, CND chair Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson (activist)
Katharine Jane Hudson is a UK academic and political activist.Kate Hudson is currently the General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Prior to her appointment to the post, she had served as Chair of the organisation from 2003 to 2010...
, Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
vice-president Jarvis Tyner
Jarvis Tyner
Jarvis Tyner is an American activist and the current Executive Vice Chair of the Communist Party USA. He is a resident of Manhattan, New York City. In 1972 and 1976, he ran for Vice President of the United States of the CPUSA.-Biography:...
, French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
economist Paul Boccara and Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
ambassador Dr Noha Khalef.
Articles
- The crisis at the Morning Star (1998)
- The Morning Star and the CPB's special congress
- Why the new unity coalition must be considered John Haylett
- Why the communists won't join Respect
- CPB decides against Respect
External links
- Communist Party of Britain Main Homepage
- Communist Party of Britain Midlands Homepage
- Communist Party of Britain Northern Homepage
- Communist Party of Britain Scotland Homepage
- Communist Party of Britain South West and Cornwall Homepage
- Communist Party of Britain Wales Homepage
- Young Communist League