1. We need to explain right-wing populism
After fifteen years of economic crisis and stagnation, political instability across the world has reached a new tipping point. While the liberals are in meltdown over Trump’s brand of populism, the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP)’s leadership had a sober discussion about the underlying processes behind this contradictory phenomenon.
The root of populism is class anger, nurtured for years by a liberal establishment that has made workers pay for the crisis of capitalism. The weakness and failures of the so-called ‘Left’ have left the field open for right-wing opportunists like Trump and Farage to harness some of that anger for their own reactionary purposes.
The Central Committee (CC) discussed how to connect our ideas with radicalised young people in the context of this phenomenon. We must be sensitive to genuine concerns about the rise of right-wing populism, while exposing the hypocrisy of the liberals and the impotence of the so-called ‘Left’. Most importantly, we should put forward our own class programme clearly and confidently.
2. British capitalism is weaker than ever
As the tectonic plates of geopolitics are shifting, Britain is falling through the cracks. The long-term decline of British capitalism and its exclusion from any major trading bloc makes it a third-rate power in the world today, desperately chasing approval from the US imperialists.
While Starmer tries to puff himself up on the world stage, conditions at home are worsening. Bankrupt local councils, a crumbling NHS, and universities and prisons on the brink of collapse – all of these are fuelling a deep class anger in British society. Farage is trying to capitalise on this, while there’s a total vacuum on the left.
We need to be tuned into the movements and political formations this situation can throw up. They’ll likely be confused and amorphous, but filled with people who we can win over.
3. Our newspaper is a powerful weapon
There’s a lot of political analysis floating around these days which is frankly rubbish. It’s all hysteria, clickbait, and half-digested surface-level observations. The RCP’s newspaper, The Communist, is the antidote to all of that. And the CC has made some plans for its promotion.
Branches will be using The Communist a lot more in the coming weeks and months. It’s an educational tool in branch meetings, and a recruitment tool on public stalls. The CC passed a resolution agreeing to train up branch, district, and regional paper officers; tighten up the distribution of the newspaper; and increase our subscription base by 33 percent by September.
4. We’re preparing a new recruitment drive
Recruitment to the Party has been steady and membership has been stable for a few months. The CC’s main priority recently has been to educate the hundreds of new members in our ranks.
But now, the CC has agreed, the time has come to begin preparations for a new major recruitment drive starting in May. Over the next two months, we’ll be putting the pieces in place: making sure branches have the political and organisational tools they need to take our growth rate to the next level. So watch this space!
5. We can’t wait for the Second Congress
Over the first weekend of May we’ll hold the Second Congress of the RCP. It will take decisions and elect leaders which will determine the work of the Party over the following twelve months.
The Central Committee made plans for how to use the pre-Congress period to maximise political discussions in the branches on the topics coming up at the Congress. Documents have been drafted and circulated across the country, meetings are being planned, and preparations are underway.
The Second Congress will be a chance to review the work of the Party in its first year, and will be a show of strength to launch us into our 2025/26 efforts.
There are only a couple of times a year when the whole Party gets into one room together for discussion and debate. After this successful and optimistic CC meeting, we’re eagerly anticipating this year’s Congress.
Moving mountains in Leeds
Max Bownas, Leeds
Last month the Leeds district treasurers held their first finance caucus of the year. After a political discussion we agreed an ambitious combined district target of £19,000 to be raised for the RCP fighting fund in 2025.
In advance of the caucus we discussed the relative strengths and weaknesses of each branch. We then identified all the potential areas for fundraising and discussed how we could use these targets firstly to develop the branches politically and secondarily to raise funds.
For example, when setting the Leeds Beckett branch’s target we identified that the main strength of the branch is its enthusiasm, particularly around discussing the ideas, but we also identified the branch was very weak on administration.
To set the branches sights on rectifying this we set a target of raising £300 in donations through selling 100 papers at a ‘solidarity price’ of £5. This would necessitate the branch developing a proper practice of tracking sales and increasing solidarity sales.
Breaking down the total and setting seemingly small targets in each area soon adds up to a very ambitious goal. It also helps comrades strategise how to raise the money and ask for advice from other experienced treasurers.
District treasurer
To aid with the development of district finances, we voted in the district treasurer who would be relieved of some branch tasks with the aim of improving the Leeds finances. But their task is not just to chase targets but to raise the consciousness of finance; to raise their own political level on this question, and those they are working with.
We have planned a regular caucus to politically develop comrades (alongside strong branch discussions) into treasurers who are able to inspire comrades, act on their own initiative, drive the work forward and be the basis for future growth.
If comrades are convinced by Marxist ideas and the necessity of party building they will be able to move mountains with ease.
How to get your Communist Society registered
KCL Communists
In order to register an official student society, the RCP student branch at King’s College London (KCL) needed to get fifty online signatures in the space of a week.
This is not a task we undertook lightly, given the bureaucratic obstacles which are often placed in our way.
We spent over a month drawing up a plan for stalls and meetings. We planned to throw everything at our goal. Our expectations were exceeded and we smashed through the requirement in just thirty hours, after only our first stall.
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Impressed by our own success, we continued with our plans but focused all our efforts on finding additional sympathetic students who would want to join the branch.
All told, we got 75 signatures and, more importantly, met one person who wanted to join the party. Following their first meeting, they agreed to join and make a £60-a-month contribution.
This was possible because of a focus in our prior period on improving the political discussions in the branch meetings, to build camaraderie and make it more engaging for newcomers.
Preparation and determination to overcome all obstacles was the key to conquering our goal!
