With Britain descending into ever deeper crisis, more and more people are asking, how did we get here and is revolution in Britain possible? This weekend at Sparks, Bristol, over 100 communists will answer these questions and more.
We’ll have communists coming from Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Reading, Bath, Swansea, Exeter, North Wales and many more! On top of the excellent talks and discussions, there will be merchandise produced by our own members, a fundraising social with live music, and a huge array of Marxist books for you to sink your teeth into!
The theme of the weekend is the rise and decline of British capitalism – you’ll learn how Britain went from being the most successful imperialist nation in the world to the third rate minnow it is today. Added to that, you will discover the real revolutionary history of the British working class which is deliberately hidden and distorted by the British establishment.
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From ruler to butler
It used to be said that the British ruling class thought in terms of decades and centuries. At their height they dominated the Asian subcontinent and it was said that the sun never set on the British Empire.
Today, Britain is nothing more than the lapdog of US imperialism. Keir Starmer is the most hated Prime Minister in history, and spends most of his time crawling around on his knees in an effort to appease his masters in Washington.
But such a decline didn’t happen overnight – to understand it, Ben Campbell, a leading RCP comrade in Bristol, will introduce how British imperialism conquered its first colony in our talk on ‘Britain’s role in Ireland’. It was here that Britain perfected its brutal methods of subjugation and exploitation which it would export across the world it sought to dominate.
The last 100 years have seen Britain lose their position as top dog, and a key player in managing that decline has been the Labour Party. What is the role of the Labour Party? Was it ever truly a party of the working class, or has it always been simply a reliable B-team for the capitalists? Central Committee comrade Lewis Griffiths, will delve into this in their talk on ‘The Labour Party in Power’.
Revolutionary traditions
We’re also extremely excited to announce that Rob Sewell, author of ‘Chartist Revolution’, and Ben Gliniecki, author of our brand new Wellred publication ‘A Communist History of the British General Strike’, will both be speaking this weekend.
In his talk, ‘The Birth of the British Working Class’, Rob will shed a light on Britain’s radical history. Chartism was a movement of millions of workers, the first of its kind in Britain, and one that pushed the country to the very brink of revolution.
The Chartists proved that the British working class are more than capable of revolutionary struggle, and the lessons of this movement deserve detailed study.
Ben’s talk on ‘The 1926 General Strike’, explains how a hundred years ago, a nine day strike shook the foundations of British capitalism. In the hands of a strong revolutionary leadership, this momentous event had the potential to establish workers power in the UK.
Unfortunately such a leadership did not exist at the time, but that doesn’t alter the fact that the 1926 General Strike remains one of the greatest moments in the history of the British labour movement.
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Where is Britain going?
Today the old, conservative mindset of Great Britain has been shattered. Economic decline, political polarisation and general instability – all of these are symptoms of the sickness of British capitalism. Regional Organiser, Alex Falconer will conclude our weekend by looking at the road ahead, and highlighting our tasks as revolutionary communists organising in the UK.
The fall of capitalism will not happen automatically. That’s why we’re building the Revolutionary Communist Party! This school is about training the next generation of revolutionary leaders. If you think that’s you, then go and get your ticket for the third annual Lenin School in Bristol this weekend.
Full agenda
Saturday 28 February
11:00-13:00 – The birth of the British working class
12:00-13:00 – Lunch break
14:00-16:00 – Britain in Ireland: from colonisation to partition.
16:00-16:30 – Break
16:30-18:30 – The 1926 General Strike
19:30-22:00 – Social
Sunday 22 February
11:00-13:00 – Labour Party in power.
13:00-13:45 – Lunch
13:45-15:45 – British Perspectives
15:45-16:30 – Why we are communists/Financial Appeal
Access the study guide for the School.
