Communist Renewal Meeting the Challenge, Building the Party and the Movement Bulletin 1 March 2016 Renewal
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n the face of the still escalating ruling class offensive, and its vicious response to the revival of interest in socialism, millions of working class people are looking for a way forward, but as yet with no clear political direction or strategy. The Party has a central and unique role to play, working in a positive, strategic, unifying and inspiring way, at our most determined, united and effective levels. One of the great truths of Marxism is that “everything is in a state of continuous movement and change, of continuous renewal and development, where something is always arising and developing, and something always disintegrating and dying away.” It is the struggle between these two aspects – the new and the old, the positive and the negative – that drives things forward. This is as true of the Communist Party as anything else. The Party is now at the start of a conscious process of Communist Renewal.
What does it mean for our work? We will proudly identify the strong and positive work being done by Branches and comrades around Britain and in all parts of the working class and progressive movement. We will share this throughout the Party. We also need to also honestly identify things that are holding us back, and work out together how to overcome them. Each stage of Communist Renewal will involve comrades in….
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Discussion and study Activity in the working class and progressive movement Building and strengthening alliances Morning Star activity. Party Building – public profile & visibility, recruitment, Communist Education, cadre development Enhancing a social “Party Life”, strengthening friendship, comradeship and real solidarity Review and reporting on progress
…..most of which, most Branches, Districts, Nations and comrades are already doing. We are asking Branches to use the Communist Party Handbook when discussing these, even if you’ve read our “workshop manual” before!
Discussion and study To get the discussion underway, the recent Party Line circular carried these five questions 1. The role of a CP in the working class movement is to analyse the situation, develop political understanding and propose strategy and tactics for the way forward. Is there any other organisation that could substitute for the CP? 2. In the early 20th Century in Russia, Lenin developed the model for a ‘party of a new type’. What should such a revolutionary party be like in our country in the 21st Century? 3. Is the CP playing its leading role nationally today? What should it be doing to fulfil its responsibilities as ‘the
Marxist party of the labour movement’ more effectively? 4. In which local working class and progressive organisations and activities is the Party taking part? Are we Communists playing the leading role required of us? Is our individual work considered and reviewed collectively? How could the contribution of the Party and its members be improved? 5. What three or four areas of activity is/should the local Party organisation be focused on to make us more effective and seize the new opportunities? As far as study is concerned – hopefully all Branches, Districts and Nations are, perhaps with friends and allies, 1. using the new materials to study Britain’s Road To Socialism in the light of the current situation 2. using existing pamphlets and Party published Marxist Classics with study guides- such as the fundamental political economy in Marx’s Wages, Price and Profit – so essential and relevant today 3. making sure that brand new Party pamphlets (most recently Rob Griffiths on the struggle for the Labour Party, and John Foster on the European Union) are studied collectively in the branch, and used in the movement.
Activity in the working class and progressive movement We will shortly be mailing you some useful ideas and suggestions from one or two Branches, the relevant Commission and Advisory, and individual comrades regarding local work in the People’s Assembly, and in local Trades Union Councils.
What Next? Your Branch Secretary will very soon be getting a phone call from one of the newly established Communist Renewal Team. This is a national team of comrades asked by the Executive Committee to gather all the information regarding the initial discussion questions, Branch priorities in local political work, study, all the most positive things the Branch is doing… and of course the problems too! They’ll ask what support the Branch might value – materials, training, District wide activity etc. They will report the big picture to EC, though clearly individual Branch reports and communications directly to the District and Nation are essential. We are in the first stages of producing new study materials on Dialectical & Historical Materialism - the basis of all Marxist analysis and development of Party strategy nationally and locally We will very soon be fixing the date for the Branch Secretaries’ & Cadre School – where we will share experiences and set out for ourselves the next stages in the Renewal process.
In conclusion… …though there is no end to renewal! We understand that if the positive forces for change within any natural or social entity are not advanced, if the contradiction does not result in a move forward, the result will be decline and decay. The Communist Renewal process will, in the hands of all our comrades, ensure that the Party will move forward, and play our unique role in building the movement at the maximum possible pace, in the most effective way. Let’s do it!