Communist Party of Great Britain

Communist Party of Great Britain
Name	Communist Party of Great Britain
Colorcode	#E34234
Foundation	31 July 1920
Dissolution	23 November 1991
Headquarters	16 King Street, Covent Garden, London
Newspaper	Daily Worker (later Morning Star)
Ideology	Communism, Marxism–Leninism
Position	Far-left
International	Comintern (until 1943), Cominform (1947–1956)
Colours	Red

Communist Party of Great Britain. The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the primary communist political party in the United Kingdom from its foundation in 1920 until its dissolution in 1991. Established in the aftermath of the October Revolution and during a period of significant industrial unrest, it sought to represent the revolutionary wing of the British labour movement. Throughout its history, the party was a steadfast ally of the Soviet Union and a vocal critic of fascism, colonialism, and capitalism, though its influence was largely confined to intellectual circles, trade unions, and specific industrial communities rather than achieving mass electoral success.

History

The party was formed on 31 July 1920 through the merger of several smaller groups, including the British Socialist Party and the Communist Unity Group, with founding members such as Albert Inkpin and Tom Mann. It quickly affiliated with the Communist International (Comintern) in Moscow, which provided funding and ideological direction, notably during the General Strike of 1926 where party activists played a prominent role in organizing support. The 1930s saw the CPGB pivot towards a Popular Front strategy against the threat of fascism, mobilizing volunteers for the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War and campaigning against appeasement of Nazi Germany. Its reputation was significantly bolstered during the Second World War following the Soviet Union's entry into the conflict after Operation Barbarossa, leading to a peak in membership. The subsequent Cold War era brought intense scrutiny from authorities, internal strife over events like the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Prague Spring, and a long, terminal decline in influence and membership from the 1970s onward, culminating in its dissolution in 1991.

Ideology and policies

The CPGB's ideology was firmly rooted in Marxism–Leninism and democratic centralism, taking its lead from the theoretical developments and political directives of the Soviet Union and the Comintern. Its core policies advocated for the revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system, the establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat, and the nationalization of key industries and finance under workers' control. The party was a staunch opponent of British imperialism, offering support to independence movements across the British Empire, from India to Kenya. It also maintained a strong internationalist line, condemning NATO and supporting global anti-colonial struggles in places like Vietnam and South Africa. Domestically, it focused on militant trade unionism within organizations like the National Union of Mineworkers and campaigned for peace, disarmament, and closer ties with the Eastern Bloc.

Organizational structure

The party was organized on the principle of democratic centralism, with ultimate authority residing in its biennial Congress and the elected Executive Committee. Day-to-day operations were managed by the Political Committee and a professional apparatus headquartered at 16 King Street, Covent Garden in London. Its primary publications were the daily newspaper, originally the Daily Worker and later renamed the Morning Star, and the theoretical journal Marxism Today. The CPGB exercised influence through a network of factory branches, district committees, and dedicated work within major Trades Union Congress unions, as well as through associated groups like the Young Communist League.

Electoral performance

The CPGB never achieved significant parliamentary success, contesting elections under the slogan "Vote Communist" but failing to win a single seat in the House of Commons through a general election. Its sole MP, Willie Gallacher, was elected for West Fife in 1935 and served until 1950, while Phil Piratin won Mile End in 1945. The party's best national vote share was 0.4% in the 1945 general election. It frequently faced challenges from the First-past-the-post voting system, anti-communist sentiment, and the dominance of the Labour Party within the working-class vote, though it had slightly more success in local government, particularly in areas like Fife, London County Council, and parts of South Wales.

Notable members

Notable members included early leaders like Harry Pollitt, who served as General Secretary for decades, and theoreticians such as Rajani Palme Dutt. Intellectuals and writers who were members or closely associated included the historian Eric Hobsbawm, the scientist J. B. S. Haldane, and the novelist Doris Lessing. Key trade union figures included Arthur Horner of the National Union of Mineworkers and Peter Kerrigan. Other prominent individuals were the artist and spy Anthony Blunt, the feminist activist Dora Montefiore, and the future leader of the Transport and General Workers' Union, Jack Jones.

Legacy and successor organizations

The CPGB's dissolution in 1991 led to a fragmentation of the British communist movement. The party's newspaper, the Morning Star, is now owned by the People's Press Printing Society and remains a focal point for left-wing activism. The largest direct successor group is the Communist Party of Britain, founded in 1988 by a faction opposed to the CPGB's turn towards Eurocommunism. Other splinter groups include the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee) and the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist). The party's theoretical journal, Marxism Today, gained influence in the 1980s for its analysis of Thatcherism but ceased publication in 1991. The CPGB's archives are held at the Labour History Archive and Study Centre in Manchester.

Category:Communist Party of Great Britain Category:Defunct communist parties in the United Kingdom Category:Political parties established in 1920 Category:Political parties disestablished in 1991