Reforging the CPGB (1981-present)

A collection of articles from The Leninist and Weekly Worker that mark major chapters in the fight to reforge the Communist Party of Great Britain. Ranging from the factional struggle of the Leninists of the ‘official’ CPGB to save it from liquidation, to the fight to rebuild a genuinely Leninist organisation that mobilises the most advanced section of the proletarian class – one which deserves to be called a ‘Communist Party’.

Founding statement of The Leninist

The first issue of The Leninist was published In November 1981. Our quarterly 40 page journal located the crisis of the CPGB as being a crisis of opportunism. It stated that the logic of opportunism was “to liquidate the party organisationally”. Due to their youth, their origins in ‘official communism’ and their resulting political inexperience, the comrades who financed, wrote and produced the first edition of The Leninist devoted a whole year to ideological preparation, clarification and debate before venturing to print. Originally published in The Leninist No.1 Winter 1981/82

Leninists in Conference

Report of the First Conference of Supporters of The Leninist by Richard Hardy in The Leninist No.7 April 1984. The Conference directly counterpoised itself both politically and practically with the liquidationist 38th Congress of the CPGB, ruled by the Eurocommunist Party hijackers. The First Conference also announced loud and clear that only a Leninist challenge to the Eurocommunist liquidators could save the Party. Richard Hardy The Leninist No.7 April 1984

‘The Leninist’ ban

An excerpt from ‘Crisis of leadership’ (The Leninist No.9 June 1984) which comments on the recent ban order by the CPGB’s Executive Committee (EC), prohibiting the papers sale in Party bookshops as well as its advertisement in Party journals. This clear act of censorship showed the fear of the liquidationist EC towards open discussion and the ideological warfare put forward by The Leninist in its attempt to save the Party. An excerpt from ‘Crisis of leadership’, Roger Freeman The Leninist No.9 June 1984

To the utmost of our strength

Report of the Second Conference of Supporters of The Leninist. The financial strategy agreed at this Conference proved to be a major turning point for the paper and the organisation to follow, ‘The Summer Offensive’ first run in 1985, as been completed every year since (except for 2020 due to Covid-19) and has acted not only as a money raising exercise but also as an essential part of creating and sustaining a disciplined cadre needed for a truly Leninist Communist Party. Peter Butler The Leninist No.12 September 1984

How they try to ban The Leninist

In December 1984 The Leninist printed an exchange of letters between them, Morning Star Chief Executive Mary Rosser and CPGB General Secretary Nina Temple. Once again Temple and the Euro EC were attempting to censor The Leninist, this time in the advert section of the Morning Star. Originally published in the ‘letters’ section of The Leninist No.15 December 1984

Debates, resolutions and subsequent decisions (Supplement)

The Third Conference of the Leninists of the CPGB. On the agenda was a report of work as well as debates on the nature of the class struggle, the question of the Soviet Union, the crisis of the CPGB, the Morning Star and Turkey. We republish the resolutions as amended. The invited delegates were joined by comrades from a delegation from the Communist Party of Turkey (İşçinin Sesi) which had been appointed by the newly elected Central Committee of that organisation. Jack Conrad The Leninist No.22 July 1985

Fortnightly launch

In May 1986 The Leninist went from monthly to fortnightly, to celebrate, the Leninists of the CPGb held a rally on May 16th. We publish the report of the that meeting here. As well as Leninist comrades from the CPGB there were also special guests from the Turkish Progressives in Britain as well as David Kitson – for 20 years a prisoner of apartheid. The expansion of The Leninist to a fortnightly came at an extremely important time for British workers movement, The defeat of the Great Miners’ strike of 1984-5 showed the clear need for a Leninist Communist Party to lead the workers to victory. Originally published in The Leninist No.32 June 1 1986

Unemployed Workers’ Charter Founding statement

Founding statement of the CPGB’s Unemployed Workers’ Charter campaign. Originally published in The Leninist No.40 October 9 1986

After 70 years – The USSR needs a political revolution

Jack Conrad The Leninist No.55 November 1 1987

Hands off Ireland! Founding statement

Founding statement of the CPGB’s Hands off Ireland! campaign. Alan Merrik The Leninist No.69 September 26 1988

To the working class of Great Britain

An open letter from the new National Committee of the Communist Party of Great Britain (The Leninist) outlining a short history of the Leninist struggle in the CPGB as well as the current battle with the Euro liquidationist leadership. It is in this context that the Fourth Conference of the Leninists of the CPGB decided to form a distinct, revolutionary wing of the Party – the CPGB (The Leninist). Originally published in The Leninist No.85 (cover) December 23 1989

Fourth Conference of the Leninists of the CPGB (Supplement)

Report of the Fourth Conference of the Leninists of the CPGB. Held on December 16 1989, the Conference met amid a profound crisis of not only the Party but also of ‘official’ communism itself, it was decided that the Party’s rules and principles were rendered obsolete by the Euros and so the Conference adopted resolutions on rules as well as organisation and principles to replace those of the ‘official’ Party. The Fourth Conference also decided that The Leninist was the true central organ of the Party. In order to bring the Fight to the Euros the Conference “unanimously agreed to form a distinct, revolutionary, wing of the CPGB – the CPGB (The Leninist) – and established a National Committee”. This was a key moment in the fight for a truly Leninist Communist Party. Originally published in The Leninist No.85 December 23 1989

The old and the new (Supplement)

This is an edited version of the speech given by comrade John Bridge, National Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain (The Leninist) on December 17 1989 at a specially convened meeting in London to report the Fourth Conference of the Leninists and its results. Originally published in The Leninist No.85 December 23 1989

Fifth Conference of the Leninists

Originally published in The Leninist No.97 December 6 1990

The Leninist 100

An article written by the Provisional Central Committee of the CPGB to celebrate the 100^th issue of what was now the official party organ – The Leninist. Describing its origins and history, this short account details how against all odds, being funded only by its readership and produced thanks only to the dedication of its writers, the paper became a success. Originally published in The Leninist No.100 January 30 1990

CPGB Lives

On November 22-24th 1991 the 48th and final Congress of the ‘Official’ CPGB took place. For general Secretary Nina Temple, her gang of Euro liquidators, the bourgeoisie and its media it was the final nail in the coffin; however the Leninists and their provisional central committee this was far from the end of the struggle to reforge the CPGB on a truly Bolshevik foundation to take on a capitalism facing permanent crisis. In a rival press conference to the Congress – comrade Anne Murphy of the Leninists proudly Proclaimed that the CPGB lives! Originally published in The Leninist No.113 December 4 1991

Planting the flag

The 1992 UK General Election – the first since the eurocommunist liquidation of the Party and the collapse of the USSR – gave the CPGB a first chance in generations to promote genuine communist politics to the electorate. Standing in four constituencies (Bethnal Green and Stepney, Brent East, Rhondda and Glasgow Central) this article gives a brief outline of the candidates and the case for voting communist. The CPGB proved that not only did Leninism live – but it was fighting. Originally published in The Leninist No.117 March 28 1992

Communist Manifesto

The general election manifesto of the Provisional Central Committee of the Communist Party of Great Britain during its 1992 campaign. Originally published in The Leninist No.117 March 28 1992

Use their elections for our revolution (Supplement)

A supplement on the communist approach to parliament and the 1992 general election. Originally published in The Leninist No.117 March 28 1992

Weekly Worker 100: Our voice and organiser

The Weekly Worker celebrates its 100th issue and briefly looks back on its history, emerging out of The Leninist and the CPGB’s 1992 election campaign through the Daily worker. The article also looks to the future of the paper with a plan to increase the number of pages to facilitate greater polemical debate with the wider left and to create room for more theoretical pieces as well as supplements. Lee-Anne Bates Weekly Worker No.100 June 29 1995