The National Congress of the Revolutionary Communist Party will take place between 1-4 May, coinciding with the centenary of the British General Strike.
For communists, Congress is the most important date in the calendar: this is the party’s highest decision-making body, which clarifies our perspectives and tasks for the coming year.
Since the party has grown a lot in the past year, this may be many readers’ first experience of Congress.
You might have various images in mind: that Congress will be dry and organisational, like a trade union conference; or a flashy, grand spectacle, like many of the so-called ‘communist’ parties of the past would put on.
Our Congress is nothing like this. We have no interest in bickering over procedure, overegging our achievements, or putting on a show for the sake of it. Our congresses are lively and inspiring – because of the depth and richness of the political discussion.
We aren’t gathering for the sake of it. This is an opportunity for hundreds of class fighters to debate and discuss the main political processes taking place in Britain and worldwide, to reflect on the lessons of our activity, and to prepare ourselves for the tasks ahead.
Vehicle for ideas
In its very essence, a revolutionary party is a vehicle for Marxist ideas. That’s why we will spend an entire two days discussing the global and British political situation.
This will not be a series of abstract, academic lectures, but a concrete, business-like discussion, whose aim is to raise the political understanding of comrades at every level of the party. The point of the Congress is to get everyone on the same page on what needs to be done, and then set out to do it.
The RCP is building something much more powerful than a party of door-knockers and organisers, who are only called upon during elections and fundraising drives. We are building a party of cadres – well-trained Marxists who will go on to lead the working class in the struggles to come.
To succeed with this, we need correct ideas. Our perspectives and analysis give us the confidence to turn outwards and win others to our cause. In this sense, Congress is a school for everyone involved – a first-hand experience of how to discuss politics beyond superficialities. As Marx once wrote, “to be radical is to grasp things by the root.”
Delegates will arrive at decisions democratically, by amending and voting upon two documents drafted by the party’s Central Committee: the perspectives document, and the organisational resolution.
(Next week, we will publish the draft 2026 British Perspectives and Organisational Resolution documents on communist.red. Join the RCP WhatsApp channel to stay up to date with our latest articles.)
Unlike other parties, we don’t pass resolutions and then forget about them or ignore them immediately afterwards. Voting for us is an active expression of an agreement, and a commitment towards executing our agreed plans.
To ensure these plans are carried out, delegates will also elect a new Central Committee, a collective leadership team, made up of leading party activists across the country.
Political independence
In contrast to the conferences of establishment parties, we will not see lobbyists with suitcases full of cash trying to buy our political loyalty.
Just as we fiercely fight for the theoretical and political independence of the working class, so too do we struggle for financial independence. We have no rich backers; all of the RCP’s funding comes from party members and supporters themselves.
Congress will feature a financial collection, where branches from all over the country will make pledges towards our fighting fund – the party’s war chest. A flurry of fundraising events and donation drives are already being organised to meet our ambitious target of £150,000.
We have experienced a lot of successes since last year’s Congress. This is especially the case on the student front: alongside having a presence at over 40 campuses, we have now built strong communist groups of over a dozen student-members at several universities.
We are now marching towards a membership of 1,400, which we aim to reach by the time Congress opens on 1 May.
We will return from Congress to our cities, towns, and neighbourhoods with the confidence that we can continue this progress, and meet all of the tasks we set ourselves on the road to the British revolution.
‘Seeing the party in practice’: RCP members gear up for Congress
Lotta Angantyr, RCP national organiser
At a banner making session in London, I asked our comrades Peace, Tegan, Ollie, and Bela why they were looking forward to Congress.
Peace, a member in South East London, said he was really looking forward to witnessing the democratic process of the Congress:
“I’m looking forward to seeing the highest body of the party, and the principles of democratic centralism, in true effect; from the way we have discussed the Congress documents in branch, and then to a national scale; seeing our party in practice.”
Tegan from East London agreed. “I mean, it’s the most democratic event that we have in the party, right?”
“Last year I was a brand-new member,” she continued. “I think I understood the importance of the event. But this time around, I’m really excited. I mean, the perspectives documents are excellent. It’s also going to be interesting to hear the discussions on the amendments, and what they can add to the document.”
Ollie, from the Woolwich branch said that he finds the whole experience clarifying, “not only the process leading up to it, when we go through the perspectives documents in the branches, but also how it plans out at the Congress. See the real process on how we arrive at these perspectives. It’s quite inspiring to feel like we are on the same page.”
All three of them were also excited to hear reports from other branches and discuss the concrete aims coming out from the discussions.
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“It’s cool to hear what the other branches are doing,” Ollie told me. “You get a lot of new ideas on things you can try on your own. It gives you a little bit of a kick to go back and improve the work.”
Bela, a student in central London, thinks the National Congress is great because it helps to concretise the ideas and redefine the party’s tasks. “Sometimes when new people come into the party, things can seem a bit abstract. They understand that they are angry, but don’t always understand exactly what is shaping the world around us.”
She also thinks the Congress is a good introduction for new members. “To bring a new person to something like the Congress, really shows that the whole party is seriously thinking about the state of the world and what to do about it. It shows that our ideas and analysis are carefully thought about.”
That was the case for Bela. “I went to my first Congress two months after I joined, and I remember I was like, ‘these guys are really serious’. I also feel like, because my political level is higher today, I’m able to understand the perspectives on a much deeper level. All of my own reading on Marxism feels like it really pays off, because everything fits together and makes sense.”
The Highlands School reaches new heights!
YG, Edinburgh
40 enthusiastic comrades gathered in the Scottish Highlands for three days of Marxist education.
Attendees included 60 percent of the RCP’s members in Scotland, and ten comrades who travelled all the way up from Newcastle and Teesside. Everyone enjoyed a densely-packed weekend of political discussion, hiking, and even a revolutionary quiz!
This was the largest regional school we’ve ever held in Scotland, up from 28 attendees last year.
The event also scaled new peaks when it came to the political discussions, which was on a much higher level this time around.
We discussed world perspectives, the British General Strike of 1926, the struggle against war and militarism, how Lenin approached the national question, and how to build the revolutionary party.
The school raised over £1,000 in book sales and donations. The overall mood was electric with comrades demonstrating very high enthusiasm, political clarity, and curiosity.
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When asked about the highlight of the event, a new comrade from Edinburgh said:
“For me, it was probably seeing how many comrades were there. It felt very real, and a bigger movement than just smaller branches. Each branch also shares each others’ ideas and experiences, so I quite like that. I’m a new member, so learning more about the history of our movement, and how to apply the Marxist method, was very eye-opening for me.”
The event was a huge success. The comrades in Scotland are fired-up and looking forward to the National Congress!
Training revolutionaries in the Midlands
April Winchester, Birmingham
RCP members from across the Midlands region gathered in Birmingham for a weekend of high-level political discussion.
Firstly, we discussed the current world situation, focussing on the Iran war and the economic chaos it is unleashing.
More broadly, we broke down international relations, the record debt levels, and the radicalising impact of the Epstein scandal. We also dove into questions like the role of individuals – how Trump is both a product of this system, but is also accelerating its decline.
This school aimed at giving comrades a deeper understanding of Marxism. To this end, the next discussion was on Marxist philosophy, which allows us to cut through the noise and confusion generated by the ruling ideas, and correctly understand society so we can change it.
We applied this method to a discussion on the development of art and culture throughout history, as well as a session on reformism and the 1926 General Strike.
Another focus of the school was communist strategy: how to best explain our ideas and our activity, both by writing for the paper, and discussing with people on the street.
We also heard a series of reports, sharing the lessons of our work across the region. Several focused on how to prioritise, instead of drowning in the many tasks of party-building. A comrade from Stoke-on-Trent said it was inspiring to hear how other comrades build, especially being in a smaller isolated branch.
This, combined with lots of informal chats during the breaks, and fun outdoor activities, helped to build real cohesion across the region. The task is now to spread this understanding and enthusiasm throughout the Midlands.
Yorkshire day school – a landmark event!
Will Collins, RCP Yorkshire organiser
In the midst of the global capitalist chaos, 70 comrades from across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire met in what was the biggest and best event we have put on in the region thus far!
Central Committee member Nick Whittaker spoke brilliantly on historical materialism and explained the historical juncture in which we stand. In comparing today’s situation with the collapse of ancient Rome, he said:
“Today we are not faced by barbarians at the gates; we are facing a climate crisis that threatens not just the social system but life itself as we know it.
“Time and time again, the oppressed masses have struck out for freedom from the chains that bind them. We must prepare an organisation that can make sure that the next time will be the last; that can bring an end to all forms of social oppression and slavery.”
This set us up for another brilliant discussion led by Executive Committee member Nelson Wan on ‘Russia: From Revolution to Counter-revolution’. We heard many well-researched contributions, showing a qualitative raising of the political level across the region.
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I introduced the final discussion on building the RCP, where I explained that there are no objective barriers to us building the party. We then heard inspiring examples of comrades smashing down barriers, such as Sol in Hull who regularly sells The Communist to students in the local Wetherspoons, and Alex who in two years has built the York district from just himself to now 12 comrades!
Overall the day was a success! We raised over £2,000 for the fighting fund and sold £600 worth of books.
This was a landmark event of which all the comrades can be proud of. We look forward to reaching 200 members in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire!
North West region closing in on 100 members by Congress
Zeb Datta, Manchester
On 22 March, the North West region held its regional aggregate to solidify comrades’ understanding of the British perspectives and organisational resolution documents, as well as the events of the General Strike of 1926.
The event was highly successful, demonstrated by the well-prepared lead-offs; high-level discussion contributions; a momentous Congress financial collection (nearly £9,000!); and over £500 of literature sold. All of this was a big step-up from the previous year.
The British perspectives discussion focused to a large extent on the nature of reformism. The contributions were not surface-level analyses, but teased out particulars, such as the differences between Polanski’s Greens to the Corbyn movement in the 2010s; the prospects of the left-reformist revival in the current context; and concrete advice on how to orient toward Green Party members and sympathisers.
The highlights from the organisational discussion were the two reports on the work of the Preston and Withington branches, which have both split into two on the basis of their recent growth.
Comrades pointed to the need for efficient, one-to-one follow-up of developing comrades; a lively social culture in the branch, combined with solid professionalism; and political explanation of every aspect of party activity, so as to maintain the confidence and engagement of all members.
The day ended on a high with a unanimous vote for a target of 100 members by Congress.
We are now only four members away from this milestone, so we are confident we can smash this target. The day marked a beautiful entry into the pre-congress period and has comrades across the region enthused to continue our work in the coming weeks.
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North East region reaches 100 members!
Molly S, Newcastle
On 29 March comrades from around the North East gathered in Newcastle for a regional aggregate to discuss the British perspectives and organisational resolution documents to be presented at Congress this year.
Since the start of the year, Newcastle has been hosting monthly day schools covering a range of topics: Marxist theory, revolutionary history, fighting oppression under capitalism, and of course, world perspectives. This latest meeting served as an opportunity to draw up a balance sheet of the party’s activities in Newcastle so far in 2026.
We had the privilege of announcing to the region that we have reached an incredible 100 members in the North East! This milestone is certainly a cause for celebration, and serves to show the strength and enduring relevance of Marxist ideas in the modern day.
The discussion was diverse and insightful. A number of comrades made their ‘debut contributions’ at this event, which we’re thrilled about because, for some of these comrades, the idea of public speaking was daunting!
We raised around £300 on books, cash donations, and on sandwiches made by comrades. Following the financial appeal, a number of comrades were inspired to increase their monthly payments to the party.
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Over the last two years, the Teesside branch has experienced explosive growth, going from one member to ten members. While this has been a long and sometimes difficult road, the comrades building in Teesside have shown determination – which is exactly what we need in our members.
Comrades in Durham, similarly, have seen great success in recruiting and retaining members. They are building a strong, visible presence across in the county, which is currently led by a Reform council, and experiencing cuts and financial mismanagement as much as under the previous Labour council.
Unrest is building in the working class, as we are pushed to breaking point by capitalism. In Newcastle, across the North East, throughout the UK, and around the world, we are building and strengthening our party, and we will continue to do so – because we have a world to win!
The Communist is perspectives
Thane Bloodworth
The highlight of the pre-Congress period is the high-level discussion throughout the party. We specifically look at our understanding of the political situation and how to use it to build the RCP.
It is easy to push the perspectives document to the side once the Congress is over. But it is precisely when we have a lot of activity taking place that it becomes even more important to have clarity in our ideas.
The perspectives document not only describes the processes taking place, but can also be used to develop comrades and to get them thinking like a communist. This has led to a new initiative in the Cambridge Town branch called ‘The Paper is Perspectives’.
Perspectives provide a general analysis of where Britain is going. But the material within The Communist can be used to supplement the general outlines with concrete facts and details. In the Town Branch, we have decided to use the perspectives document in conjunction with the paper to develop the political level of our members.
At our meetings, comrades are asked to take sections from the perspectives document and bolster it with articles from the paper, communist.red, and marxist.com.
While the rest of the left is continuously astonished by events, we strive to have foresight and flexibility. Our latest initiative will help train comrades’ ability to understand the world, in order to change it.
