4 February 2021 Ollie

The Leninist archive

The Leninist was a factional publication in the ‘official’ Communist Party of Great Britain, published from 1981 until 1992, and the predecessor both to today’s CPGB and the Weekly Worker (https://weeklyworker.co.uk). Its purpose was to carry on an open polemical struggle against the opportunists who ultimately liquidated the official party, and reforge the CPGB as a principled Marxist organisation.

The politics of our organisation have evolved considerably since 1981, but were formed by the struggles of that decade. We re-publish the full run of The Leninist below – warts and all – as a historical record of those times, and our role in them.

A brief history of The Leninist can be found in ‘Before this, there was that’, by the journal’s co-founder Jack Conrad.

A copy of The Leninist archive is also available on the Marxist Internet Archive

Also available on the archive


The Leninist no.1

Published in Winter 1981/2

  • Founding Statement of The Leninist – The Communist Party, the crisis and its crisis (Available in text format here as part of our ‘Reforging the CPGB’ series)
  • The Road from Thatcherism, or the road from Marxism? Frank Grafton
  • Ireland and the Opportunists James Marshall
  • What’s happening in Poland Gus Hall

The Leninist no.2

Published in Spring 1982

  • After the Congress (Editorial)
  • The Polish Crisis, The Role of Imperialism, and the Fight for Proletarian Internationalism James Marshall
  • The Paradox of Afghanistan James Marshall
  • The Economic Crisis and its Political Effects in Britain [Part 1] Frank Grafton
  • Liberation and the Class Struggle: The Real Link for Women Liz Calvert
  • Reviews (The Labour Party A Force for Revolution or Reaction?; The Irish Working Class: Past and Future; Austrian Lessons)
  • Letters (Leninist Inspiration; Women’s Oppression; Fighting Revisionism; Supporting Irish Liberation)

The Leninist no.3

Published September 1982

  • A Call to All Communists The Editor
  • The Economic Crisis and its Political Effects in Britain [Part 2] Frank Grafton
  • Should We Stand in Elections? James Marshall
  • Lessons of the Falklands War Bill Cobban
  • From Millerandism to Mitterandism Le Communiste (with an introduction by Michael McGeehan)
  • Reviews (Women’s Freedom and Sweet Revolution; Whose Revolution in Ethiopia?)
  • Letters (French Letter; John’s Collective; [unnamed letter]; ‘Party’ Games; Spart Out)

The Leninist no.4

Published April 1983

  • The Party Crisis and the ‘Morning Star’ Crunch The Editor
  • Some Thoughts on the British Road to Socialism James Marshall
  • The General Crisis and the World Balance of Forces Frank Grafton
  • Answering the Call Proletarian; Royston Bull, The Workers Party
  • Reviews (Revolution in Turkey; Poland: After the Brink)
  • A Survey of the Party The Leninist supporters, London District Congress [The first page of this article is missing from the archive]
  • YCL Congress Thomas Wright, The Leninist YCL Group
  • YCL in Danger? The Leninist YCL Group
  • Letters (An open letter to Bill Dunn from John Chamberlin; PCP Harmony; Fighting for the Line; Labour Disgust; Sincere Colleagues)

The Leninist no.5

Published August 1983

  • Open the Fight Against Liquidationism on All Fronts The Editor
    • [Appendix I] Letter to Comrade Chater James Marshall, for The Leninist
    • [Appendix II] Preparing for Congress (Statement) The Leninist
  • Britain: Before and After the Election James Marshall
  • The Crisis of the ‘Morning Star’ and the Communist Party Frank Grafton
  • The Struggle Against Unemployment (Review) Michael McGeehan
  • Letters (Colin Roach; The Tower Hamlets Party; YCL 1; YCL 2; Edinburgh Review; Hackney and the Election; A Straight Perhaps?)

The Leninist no.6

Published January  1984

  • The Fight for the Party has Only Just Begun The Editor
  • The Crisis of Capitalism in Turkey and the Differences in the Communist Party William Hughes
    • [Appendix I] The Fourth Programme Is the Start of a Victorious Future R. Yürükoğlu
    • [Appendix II] The People of Turkey Deserve Democracy R. Yürükoğlu
  • On Democratic Centralism Rebecca Sachs
  • The ‘Charlie Woods’ pamphlet and the Hypocrisy of Straight Leftism James Marshall
  • Letters (Channel Four; Women’s Conference; ‘Straight Left’ danger; Delegation on Ireland; Now for the remedy; Glen Again)

The Leninist no.7

Published April 1984

  • Comrades Rebel! Roger Freeman
  • ‘The Leninist‘ goes monthly! The Editor
  • Letters (Open Letter to ‘Straight Left’; Grist to the Mills; )
  • Leninists in Conference Richard Hardy (Available in text format here as part of our ‘Reforging the CPGB’ series)
  • A Tale of Three Funds William Hughes
  • REFORGE OUR PARTY James Marshall
  • The Flaw in the Jewel Michael McGeehan
  • Reviews (“Questro” and the Crisis of Straight Leftism; Workers’ Self Defence; Women Take Sides)
  • Pacifism or Revolution Frank Grafton

The Leninist no.8

Published May 1984

  • The Miners’ Fight Is A Fight For All Workers (Statement)
  • Our Method and Aim The Editor
  • Letters (Congratulations; Marxist Contemplation; Hackney Chaterites; What is ‘The Leninist‘?; lenin and Israel)
  • The Miners and the Three Cardinal Sins of Opportunism James Marshall
  • Hot up the Rebellion in the CPGB Roger Freeman
  • WORKERS’ MILITIAS (Supplement) Richard Hardy
  • The YCL: the failure of Eurocommunism Rebecca Sachs
    • Comradely exchange Le Barricade
  • Grenada: A Revolution on Trial Michael McGeehan
  • Reviews (The Poverty of the ‘New’ Communist Party; The Roots of Liquidationism)
  • For a Genuine Communist Paper Frank Grafton

The Leninist no.9

Published June 1984

  • Strike Back with the Miners James Marshall
  • The PPPS AGM – How to Vote The Editor
  • Letters (Ireland and Ward; Centrist Bankruptcy; RCG; Bettaney)
  • A Crisis of Leadership Roger Freeman (An excerpt is available in text format here as part of our ‘Reforging the CPGB’ series)
  • The backward March of Eurocommunism Michael McGeehan
  • Past Possibilities and Future Prospects (Supplement) James Marshall
  • Open Ideological Discussion Richard Hardy
  • EEC Elections (Statement)
  • Bowing to Anti-imperialist Spontaneity (Review) Frank Grafton
  • What Should be the Role of the ‘Morning Star‘? Frank Grafton

The Leninist no.10

Published July 1984

  • Beat the Tory War of Attrition with the UNITED WORKERS’ OFFENSIVE James Marshall
  • Polish Coal The Editor
  • Letters (Trotskyism; I Chose the CPGB)
  • The Mines – ‘Our’ Industry? Frank Grafton
  • Bettaney: The More the Better William Hughes
  • Merseyside CP – Less militant than Militant Tony Coughlin
  • 1939 – a critique  (Supplement) Richard Hardy
  • TURKEY SOLIDARITY Chris Stevenson
  • The Revolutionary Communist Party – Prepared to Defend Workers’ Power? James Marshall
  • (Page 11 – which contained 3 reviews – is missing from the archive)
  • The Morning Star – Break the Stalemate Frank Grafton

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