“The message on the doorstep was the same everywhere I went”, commented one Labour Party activist after a recent by-election. “Voters hate all of us”.
That about sums it up. As the world gets more chaotic, more people than ever are talking about politics. But the main thing we’re talking about is how much we hate politicians.
When people refuse to engage in politics it’s not apathy, it’s disgust.
That’s why we’re founding the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP). All that anger against the system has the potential to change the world. We can’t let it go to waste. We’re going to use it to build a new type of party.
A recruiting party
We shouldn’t kid ourselves – the communists are still a very small group in Britain right now. We want to turn the whole world upside down, but we don’t have the numbers to do that yet.
This isn’t anything to worry about. Anyone who has ever changed the world, in all of human history, started off small.
But it means the RCP has to be a recruiting party. There are thousands of future members of the RCP out there just waiting to hear about us. So we need to be loud and proud about what we’re doing.
Shout it from the rooftops that we’re founding this party. Make sure everyone at work, school, university, and in your neighbourhood has heard of the RCP. Blast it across social media. Sell The Communist newspaper, and hand out leaflets, stickers, and posters like there’s no tomorrow.
Help the thousands of people who are looking to get organised with us to find us, join their local branch, or set up a brand new one.
A fighting party
Wherever people are fighting for a better world, that’s where the communists need to be making our voices heard.
On the Palestine protests we’ve been arguing that we need an intifada (which means a revolution) from London to Gaza. Our comrades have been arrested for that. And we’ve descended on the police to demonstrate until their release.
Bosses are sacking thousands of steelworkers in Port Talbot. We’ve called meetings, postered the town, gone door-to-door, agitated among trade unionists, and called for workers to take matters into their own hands by occupying the steelworks.
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We’re not just commenting on things from the sidelines, or having an academic discussion about it like some kind of debating club. We’re getting stuck into the fight.
But we’re not aiming to lead these struggles just yet. Nor are we running in elections. Instead we’re trying to connect with the people in these struggles who are realising that a fundamental change is needed. They can help us build up the RCP in numbers and experience.
Then, in the future, we’ll not just participate in but lead the charge in some of these class battles.
A Leninist party
As we all know, for all the thousands of people who want to join the fight for communism, there are many thousands who argue strongly against it. And they have all the rubbish put out by schools, universities, and the media on their side.
We need to be good at arguing our case. And for that we need to understand capitalism, communism, and Marxist theory. We need to be able to explain to people how our ideas are relevant to general questions like socialist revolution, and to immediate questions like fighting for jobs in Port Talbot.
That’s why Lenin said “without revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement”. We need to study, not as academics, but as revolutionaries. The RCP takes this work very seriously.
A new party
Whatever politics has been for you in the past, that’s finished. We’re founding a brand new party, and you can be a part of it.
Shake off any social awkwardness and get recruiting to the RCP. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and get stuck into the class struggle. Raise your sights, expand your horizons, and get studying Marxist theory.
We have nothing to lose but our chains. We have a world to win.
Forward to the Revolutionary Communist Party.
Reports from the front lines
East London (Newham)
Newham branch has had our best recruitment stall ever recently.
We met one of our comrade’s teachers who was sympathetic to communism and wanted us to give a talk on communism for his class! This is something that all branches can try and achieve at their local schools and colleges.
We also met two very enthusiastic economics students, one of which immediately agreed to join our branch meeting that evening. As a result, we have managed to concretise a plan to do a ‘myths of communism’ talk, and the new joiner came to the branch with plenty of ideas of how to set up a cell.
Similarly, we recruited a college student training to be an electrician last week. She has been bold, dynamic, and has already started selling the paper at college. She is determined to set up a cell, and this is providing the basis for a branch split in the coming weeks.
Bermondsey
Right off the bat at our London Bridge sale, a passer-by picked up a copy of our new book In Defence of Lenin from our stall.
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We had several chats with sympathetic people who were curious about what we as communists thought about society, how to change it, and what a revolution would look like. One person donated £20 after we spoke to them!
At the end of our sale we met a worker at Guy’s Hospital who wanted a copy of the paper for their night shift and wants to join. We will work with him to build a workplace cell of the RCP in the hospital.
We have used the new paper to be bolder than before and make our own luck, which is finally paying off.
South London fundraising
On 16 February, I rode my bike 154 km from London to Margate to raise funds for the launch of the RCP. In the run-up to the ride, I raised £287 from friends, family and RCP periphery. Comrades were also encouraged to donate with a pledge to match all donations up to £500.
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A few days after the ride, I reached out to a Marxist academic whose blog I have been following for years.
My intention was to share how my perspectives around the prospect of world revolution have changed as a result of joining the IMT. As I was writing my email, it occurred to me to share my fundraiser.
In his reply to me, he admitted that he had been feeling depressed about the future and said my letter gave him some hope.
In addition to his touching words, he decided to donate £1,000 to our party. This brings the total raised to £1,279, without counting the contribution I will make out of my own pocket!
The fundraiser is still live for anyone who would like to give or share!
North East (Cramlington)
The newly-founded Cramlington branch held its first ever paper sale! The North East region is looking to build new branches in more and more of these smaller towns.
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Our plan is to start putting up leaflets through people’s doors as well as going even bolder with postering and sales.
This is the very beginning of the work here, and this sale was about announcing our presence to the people of Cramlington, which is what the RCP will be doing more and more.
East London (Mile End)
At a recent sale, an older guy handed over a £20 note without hesitation as he took a paper. He said “you lot are the best hope we have” as he walked off.
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It really shows how much our success and audacity is lifting people’s sights! I have never received more fighting fund donations than I have in the past month.
Chelmsford day school
On Sunday 18 February, the Chelmsford comrades hosted a day school specifically targeted at school student comrades in the region.
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A comrade who has been in the organisation for just four months chaired the breakout rooms extremely well, and displayed a firm grasp of the fundamental ideas. This is an indication of the layer we’re recruiting in this period.
Off the back of the day school we have now recruited a Year 9 student to the Chelmsford branch who was impressed and inspired by the discussions.
Thame
We have two new comrades leading a push to sell papers at their school in Thame as well as other schools nearby.
This was all done by their own initiative which just goes to show that the younger generation is ready to take charge and make a real difference if they are given the chance.
So far they have sold five copies of the first issue including a copy to one of their teachers! We are also encouraging them, as well as asking them to encourage their peers, to make submissions for the paper.
Ely
We recruited a school student in Ely and used this as the basis for a cell. After setting up the Ely cell, we’ve hosted a meeting and a paper sale, and set up an Instagram page.
Through this we’ve seen lots of traction from people in Ely. We’re hoping to utilise this to build a strong following of communists in the surrounding area, and especially Ely College.
Bury
A few comrades across the East had recently come into contact with a few people from Bury. We quickly decided to create a group chat where we briefly described the organisation but organised to meet in person ASAP.
We met and discussed why we need a revolutionary party, the reason for our transitional demands in the paper, and how the paper is a tool for party building in the local area.
We then asked if they’d like to join and they said yes – on a full worker’s sub!
Colchester
The Communist has been met with a wave of enthusiasm! We have sold dozens of copies and met more than 10 contacts. Colchester cell has doubled over the past couple of weeks, we now have four members and will be founding our branch next week!
