Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
Encyclopedia
The Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) (CPB(M-L)) 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
. Originally planned as the "British Marxist Leninist Organisation", the party published the Worker from 1969 until 2000, when it became Workers. In 1976, the Communist Workers' Movement split from the CPB(M-L), later joining its main British rival, the Revolutionary Communist League of Britain
.
The CPB(M-L) sided with Enver Hoxha
in the Sino-Albanian split
, and came to support the Soviet Union
for a period in the 1980s, before dropping this line over Mikhail Gorbachev
's reforms.
More recently, the CPB (M-L) has developed a national line for Britain. The party is strongly opposed to the European Union
. Like the New Communist Party of Britain
, the CPB(M-L) encouraged its supporters to vote Labour
in elections to bring about the removal of the Margaret Thatcher
government. After she was ousted, it reverted to its line of 'Don't vote, organise'.
CPB(M-L) has an extremely low public profile, with its members focusing on work in the labour movement.
It should not be confused with the Communist Party of Britain
, the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
, nor with the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. The small party was formed in 1968 by 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...
as a split from 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:...
, siding with the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
. Originally planned as the "British Marxist Leninist Organisation", the party published the Worker from 1969 until 2000, when it became Workers. In 1976, the Communist Workers' Movement split from the CPB(M-L), later joining its main British rival, the Revolutionary Communist League of Britain
Revolutionary Communist League of Britain
The Revolutionary Communist League of Britain was a Maoist political party in Great Britain. Its origins lie in the Joint Committee of Communists, founded in 1968 by former Communist Party of Great Britain members and from various youth organisations...
.
The CPB(M-L) sided with Enver Hoxha
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
in the Sino-Albanian split
Sino-Albanian split
The Sino-Albanian split in 1978 saw the parting of the People's Republic of China and People's Socialist Republic of Albania, which was the only Eastern European nation to side with the PRC in the Sino–Soviet split of the early 1960s.-History:...
, and came to support the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
for a period in the 1980s, before dropping this line over Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
's reforms.
More recently, the CPB (M-L) has developed a national line for Britain. The party is strongly opposed to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. Like the New Communist Party of Britain
New Communist Party of Britain
The New Communist Party of Britain is a communist political party in Britain. The origins of the NCP lie in the Communist Party of Great Britain from which it split in 1977.-Formation:...
, the CPB(M-L) encouraged its supporters to vote 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...
in elections to bring about the removal of the Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
government. After she was ousted, it reverted to its line of 'Don't vote, organise'.
CPB(M-L) has an extremely low public profile, with its members focusing on work in the labour movement.
It should not be confused with the Communist Party of Britain
Communist Party of Britain
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...
, 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...
, nor with the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Great Britain is a British communist party which has a close relationship with the Workers' Party of Korea.-History:The party was founded on July 3, 2004 in London...
.
See also
- List of Communist Parties
- List of political parties in the United Kingdom
- Sino-Soviet splitSino-Soviet splitIn political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...