Communists gather in Moscow to co-ordinate tactics

 

by New Worker correspondent

Theo Russell from the NCP joined other communists throughout the world for a keynote anti-fascist conference in Moscow last month. In spite of the increasing difficulties in travelling to the Russian Federation, and the strongest imperialist sanctions ever imposed on a state, 180 delegations from over 100 countries attended the event, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, only a couple of blocks away from Red Square.
The Third International Anti-Fascist Forum, entitled The Fight Against International Terrorism, Arbitrariness, and Aggression. For Peace and Security, was organised by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) with the aim of bringing together communist and workers’ parties from around the world to co-ordinate the increasing challenges they face from wars, economic crises, attacks on basic democratic rights, the rise of the far-right and fascism and the growing use of terrorist groups by Western imperialist states.
As well as strong delegations from the existing socialist states – People’s China, DPR Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cuba – countries under attack from US-led imperialism, including Palestine, Iran, Lebanon and Venezuela, were also represented.
In his opening speech to a packed hall in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, CPRF general secretary Gennady Zyuganov said: “We have gathered at the Third International Anti-Fascist Forum to discuss our shared goals in the struggle for peace and security, friendship among peoples and social justice.
“This multifaceted activity of leftist forces cannot be conducted in isolation from the fight against imperialism and state terrorism, military aggression and neocolonialism, reaction and neo-fascism. The global expansion of capital continues. It achieves its goals by relying on two main pillars: physical force and the manipulation of consciousness.
"This forum is another step towards unity in the fight against global reaction. Imperialism has shed the last vestiges of its peace-making veneer. On our stunningly beautiful planet, it sows terrible poverty and state terrorism, war and death. Our shared task is to boldly expose the essence of big capital's policies. Unite leftist forces, put forward our alternative and persistently pursue our goals."
The conference was also addressed by the last leader of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Egon Krenz, who was awarded the Lenin Prize during the conference.
Greetings to the conference were received from Russian president Vladimir Putin, prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko. In his message, Putin said: "Today, as we face serious challenges, regional conflicts and growing global instability, it is essential to unite the work of all constructive forces to build a just, democratic and multipolar world. We must work together to counter the spread of destructive ideologies across the planet: xenophobia, neo-Nazism, anti-Semitism and Russophobia. We must defend the historical truth about the Second World War and the true heroes who saved the peoples of Europe from extermination and enslavement. This is our duty to future generations, a solid foundation for genuine partnerships between nations."

Anti-fascists rally in Moscow!

Zyuganov opens conference

 by Theo Russell

The Third International Anti-Fascist Forum, held in Moscow from 24th  to 26th May was a remarkable event, bringing together 180 delegations from almost 100 countries, and members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) from across that vast country. One delegate was Egon Krenz, the last leader of the German Democratic Republic, who addressed the forum and was presented with the Lenin Prize while he was there.
Dozens of members of the CPRF from Moscow and elsewhere worked hard to ensure the smooth running of the conference. By organising this event the CPRF did a great service to the international communist and workers movement.
Opening the forum CPRF leader Gennady Zyuganov said that the West “has achieved great success in combining various methods of domination”, allowing it to become the leading global power. “To maintain its hegemony, it has made extensive use of mass consciousness manipulation. With the development of new technologies, this system has become truly global”.
Zyuganov reaffirmed that “ownership of the means of production is the key to economic and political dominance. And it doesn't matter whether we're talking about material or information production”. He said artificial intelligence was “another resource in the hands of those who own capital”, saying “capitalists will use it to enrich themselves and strengthen their dominance”.
“Without recognising itself as a class”, he said, “the proletariat will be a plaything in the hands of capital. It will be forced to accept alien ideas and values. 
“As Antonio Gramsci, one of the founders of the Italian Communist Party, wrote, the working people must acquire a new world view. The duty of communists is to help the proletariat acquire class consciousness and develop a new concept of life”.
In an interview with the national TV channel Russia 1 during the conference, Yuri Afonin, the deputy chairman of the CPRF, described the killing of 21 students in a Ukrainian mass drone attack at a college in Starobelsk, Lugansk, most of them girls aged 14-18, as a war crime.
He said that although Italian and Japanese journalists had visited the site “nothing was shown on their TV channels”. The BBC dutifully recycled the Banderite Kiev puppet regime’s lies, claiming the target was a college training elite Russian drone pilots. However later BBC reports acknowledged that the college may have been for training future teachers.
Afonin also made the extremely important point that the Russian leadership is not opposed to Ukraine joining the European Union, a fact which has definitely not been reported by the British capitalist mass media.
He said “President Putin had repeatedly stated this”, adding that “Russia is simply categorically opposed to Ukraine joining NATO, and becoming a military base against Russia". But he also warned that “the EU itself could become a military alliance, they're already talking about their own army”.
Afonin also reminded Russia-1’s viewers that the Western plan to destroy Belarus as an independent state, depriving Russia of an ally, “is clearly still on the agenda”. But he reaffirmed that “Belarus is not just an ally of Russia, but part of our Union State, and Russia will defend its territory as if it were its own”.
An unforgettable concert, Art against hatred, was held as part of the Forum with performances by children and teenage arts students, dances from different regions of Russia and artists and dancers from other countries like Dominica and Chile. The delegates also watched the documentary Imperialism and Terror made by the CPRF’s  Red Line TV Channel, which has also been circulated to comrades here in Britain.
At the end of the Forum Gennady Zyuganov thanked the international delegates for their “very friendly, effective and interesting collaboration” saying “we saw many familiar faces among the participants, and we are very pleased that all our friends share a common vision for the fight against Nazism and fascism, for peace and justice”.
Closing the conference Zyuganov recalled the two “systemic crises” of the last century, the two world wars “which culminated in the Great October Socialist Revolution and the great Victory of 1945”. He said that “the nuclear missile parity established by the Soviet Union saved the world from a major nuclear war”.
Zyuganov outlined the CPRF’s Victory Programme “for the Russian Federation's recovery from the crisis”, which includes nationalisation of mineral resources, a return to a normal eight-hour working day, high quality care for women, children and the elderly, and the restoration of the universal right to free education and medical care “even if a private, parallel system exists”.
In addition the Party called for “specific proposals for developing the latest technologies and harnessing the full potential of modern science, to ensure that society is educated, literate and able to live in peace and dignity.”
The appeal issued at the end of the forum For justice and global development and without fascism, terrorism and wars! recalled that “in the harsh winter days of 1941, the Soviet people proved to the world that fascism is not omnipotent”.
It said “imperialist reaction is once again seeking to unleash its broadest possible attack on the rights of working people. Its constant companions remain militarism and colonialism, fascism and anti-communism.
“Before our very eyes, capitalism has essentially cast aside the veneer of liberal demagogy. It speaks less and less about freedom and human rights. Reaction increasingly turns to dictatorship, terror, chauvinism, and war.
The appeal warns that “various forms of fascism are being revived. The heirs of Hitler and Mussolini, Franco and Salazar, Horthy and Antonescu, are raising their heads. Aggressive military blocs are increasing their activity. 
“The imperialists are increasingly trying to pressure entire peoples, cynically using political terror, religious extremism, ethnic hatred, the noose of sanctions, and the cudgel of war.
“We declare: the fight against fascism is inseparable from the fight against anti-communism and Russophobia. 
“We resolutely condemn attempts to equate the Soviet Union with Hitler's Reich, to declare its liberators ‘occupiers’, to tear down monuments to Red Army soldiers, to ban communist symbols and to justify Nazi collaborators. 
“All these steps are nothing less than political preparation for a fascist revanche. These reactionaries seek to deprive the peoples of their memories of history, to cut the bonds between generations, and to slander the heroism of the USSR and the entire resistance movement against fascism.
“The fight against terrorism occupies a special place in our common struggle. We resolutely condemn terror in all its manifestations - whether carried out by individuals, groups, with state backing, voluntary or mercenary, military, economic, or psychological. 
“Terrorism brings death and destruction, cripples lives, breeds fear and hatred, and sows pain and suffering.
Terrorism cannot be explained solely by the fanaticism of rabid groups or the criminal intent of individuals. The breeding ground for terrorism is a world of social inequality, lawlessness and poverty, humiliation and unemployment, interventions and genocide, dictatorship and neo-colonial practices, arbitrary sanctions and cynical blockades.
“Imperialism has destroyed entire countries and created zones of chaos, all the while pretending to be ‘liberating’ them. And this  same imperialism organises and arms mercenaries and orchestrates coups d'état.
“We emphasise: not only is capitalism incapable of eradicating terrorism, it constantly reproduces its social, economic, and political preconditions. The fight against terrorism cannot simply be reduced to police operations or military campaigns. 
“Life demands the elimination of its causes: the exploitation of man by man, neo-colonial plunder, and social inequality. The dissolution of imperialist blocs and the end of the dominance of transnational capital are the imperative of our times.
The appeal confirmed that the participants in the Third International Anti-Fascist Forum “express their support for Russia's anti-fascist and anti-terrorist activities within the framework of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. 
“We view this struggle as part of the overall resistance to Western global diktat, state terror, militarism, and neo-Nazism. We strongly condemn attempts to use Ukrainian territory as a springboard for the expansion of imperialist influence.
“We emphasise: our fight against neo-Nazism and terrorism is fundamental. There is no room for compromise. 
“It is directed against forces seeking to revise the results of World War II, rehabilitate Nazi collaborators, and destroy the memory of the heroism of anti-fascists. 
“We will never reconcile ourselves to those who sow terror and fear, seeking to subjugate the world to the dictates of capitalism. We wage our struggle for the right of peoples to security and historical truth, sovereignty and comprehensive development, social justice, and the choice of a socialist path.
“We resolutely demand that the United States cease its attempts to dictate its will to the Republic of Cuba. For decades, Cuba has remained a symbol of dignity and fidelity to its chosen path. 
“We demand that the monstrous sanctions against the Island of Freedom, and Washington's arbitrary charges against the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Raúl Castro Ruz, must end immediately. The embargo against Cuba is an act of state terrorism against an entire people.
“The pathological desire to punish entire countries for their chosen path of development is an example of irresponsible and criminal policy.
“We express solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. We demand an end to all political and military pressure on the Venezuelan people, and an end to economic sanctions. 
“We insist on the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores. The repeated US attempts to crush the Venezuelan people and appropriate their natural resources reflect exactly the same neo-colonialist policies that fuel fascism, terrorism, and military intervention.
“We demand an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people. The Israeli military must cease its crimes in the Gaza Strip, and its aggression against the people of Lebanon. We insist on the realisation of the right of the Palestinian people to their own state.
“Washington must end its support for Israel's aggressive actions, and immediately end its military operations against Iran. We call on the international community to condemn the United States’ interventionist ambitions, and demand compensation for the damage and suffering it has inflicted on the people of Iran.
“We call upon all people of goodwill to join the united front of progressive, leftist, communist, patriotic, anti-colonialist, and anti-fascist forces. We must join forces in our just struggle. 
“Acting as a united front, we must expose anti-communism, anti-Sovietism, and Russophobia, defend workers' rights and fight for a just world which can bring peace and security for all.
“We appeal to all the peoples of the world: do not be deceived! Do not trust those who spout false slogans about freedom, but who actually practice enslavement. Those who talk about democracy but cultivate the dictatorship of capitalism. Those who preach security but foment war. Those who promise to fight terrorism but instead sow discord and violence.
“Only a world of equal peoples, social justice and the brotherhood of workers will protect humanity from fascism, terrorism and war.
No to imperialism, neo-Nazism, anti-communism and terrorism! We won't let them blow up the world! No pasarán! They won't pass! Let the world of labour, socialism and friendship of peoples triumph!
Long live international workers' solidarity!”.
Among the many prominent representatives of the international communist movement from every continent, the contributions by two speakers, Petro Symonenko and Boris Litvinov – leaders of the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Donetsk branch of the CPRF respectively – are of particular interest to our readers.
In his speech Symonenko said  “As events in Ukraine, and other states targeted by ‘colour revolutions’, show – which were in reality coups – we saw organised penetration into public, government political, economic and security structures, the creation of extensive networks of centres and bases for training militants, and a network of companies, banks and funds, all of which were used to hide the true goals of the project.
“To provide propaganda cover for these aggressive policies and the horrific crimes which led to an untold loss of human lives since 2014” Symonenko said “the imperialists adopted the slogans of a national liberation struggle with an ethnic and pseudo-democratic basis”.
Boris Litvinov recalled that “a vital part of the anti-fascist struggle in WW2 began in Donbas, the land of anti-fascist workers”, and said that today “our army includes representatives from around the world, even from Israel, Poland and Cuba”.
He also called for the creation of a new communist and workers international organisation. “We invite them to come to Donbas –  this is the home of the anti-fascist struggle! If we can break Ukrainian fascism, we will break one of the main points of international imperialism!”
Addressing the forum, the delegate from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela said that Russia was “playing a decisive role in guaranteeing peace in Europe and Latin America. The people of Venezuela are still fighting for the release of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores, and working to strengthen people’s power. Our people want to create socialism. We are fighting against imperialism, just as Bolivar and Chavez fought against imperialism, and ours is a revolution  which will survive any attempt to crush it”.
The delegate from the Communist Party of China reaffirmed that “our foreign policy is based on global dialogue, mutual wellbeing and the observation of international law. We are working to develop Russian-Chinese cooperation and partnership, and we emphasise that the current world order must continue to be based on the outcome of World War Two”.

The video Imperialism and Terror, with English subtitles, is available to watch on the YouTube channel IUAFS2026.

Double whammy in Makerfield

Makerfield’s voters killed two birds with one stone this week giving the Faragists a drubbing and sending Andy Burnham back to the House of Commons. If Starmer goes before Parliament’s summer recess that will be an added bonus. 
Burnham’s by-election victory was not all that surprising. He was the odds-on favourite with the bookies on the eve of the poll that ended weeks of ferocious Labour campaigning on the streets of the constituency in what was essentially a two-horse race between the “King of the North” and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. But the stakes weren’t quite the same. For Farage victory would just be another feather in his cap. For Burnham victory opens the door to Number Ten.
Farage likes to pose as a country gent with the common touch. But he’s just a venal City businessman who’s been the political voice of those sections of the ruling class long-opposed to the European Union.  For many years he languished on the political fringe of British politics. He made common cause with the Tories with his heady mix of racism and anti-Euro federalism during the Brexit campaign. But being propelled to centre stage and leading a small, but high-profile far-right front is no substitute for Burnham’s years of political experience as a Blairite minister and then Mayor of Greater Manchester. 
Farage is a good communicator. But so is Burnham. Burnham is a hand-shaker and a back-slapper. He’s everyone’s friend and like Labour’s old leader, Harold Wilson, or the late Charles Kennedy of Liberal-Democrat fame he can get the vote out on the street. 
But that wasn’t always the case. Reform had high hopes for their man, a local plumber who was just three points behind Burnham when the campaign began a few weeks ago in the constituency in Greater Manchester. The Faragists played the race card clearly hoping that the Southampton riots and the sectarian violence in northern Ireland would trigger nation-wide unrest that could be exploited in their favour throughout the rest of the country. But the firm response of the anti-racist movements, together with that of the local communities as a whole,  made sure that was no repetition of the mob violence in Southampton despite the best efforts of the racists, the fascist gangs and the followers of Tommy Robinson to stir up anti-immigrant  hysteria. 
Burnham is back in Parliament and he says he’s ready to challenge Starmer for the leadership. Starmer’s followers are drifting towards the Burnham camp. Those of his rival, Wes Streeting, want to do a deal to keep their place in the new Burnham administration. Some Corbynistas even hope for reconciliation – though Burnham has ruled out any return for Jeremy Corbyn himself.
Burnham may not be “New Labour”.  But he’s definitely “Old Labour”. He says he’ll keep the triple-lock and return the water industry to some sort of public ownership. But that’s as far as it goes from a man who comes from the right social-democratic camp that has traditionally dominated the Labour Party from Ramsay MacDonald’s days...

Communist youth in People’s China

Samuel and the rest of the international delegation

by Samuel Swale

Whilst Trump was in Beijing attempting to downplay his outright criminal behaviour on the global stage, People’s China invited youth delegates from communist parties across Europe and North America to build meaningful relationships, international solidarity and provide an example of a successful socialist society. From 7th to 18th May, 21 delegates from 19 countries toured historic sites and modern factories. 

Representing the UK was myself for the NCP and Maise Riley, the national chair of the Young Communist League and member of the CPB. 

Beginning just after the May Day celebrations, China was abuzz, notably with their focus on the youth. The first official dialogue between the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the invited delegates was championed by vice-minister Jin Xin, who eloquently spoke about the valuable place of youth in the communist movement and its relation to the elders and their wise leadership. The vice-minister was keen to impress the urgency to use one's youth to forward the cause. “The young are far less cautious and more bold, use this” he stated before adding that more seasoned members are fountains of knowledge that can guide ideological understanding, ensuring action is aligned with theory. 

Leaving Beijing, the delegation travelled to a city called Shijiazhuang. Hardly known to Westerners, the provincial capital of Hebei province was a bustling hub of activity at all hours. And the people reflected this with a polite inquisitiveness as to who and what the delegation was. After visiting a local industrial park, we were invited to a Putting The People First- A Dialogue Between the CPC and Foreign Parties forum. The delegation heard the story of Xingtang county and its rise out of poverty, not just in the format of reports from the top of the administration but also from the experiences of individuals.

One such story came from Zhang Hua, the owner of a local domestic services company. Just a few short years ago, Hua was a housewife in a poverty-stricken household. The local authorities began to identify those in the locality who were struggling to make ends meet, thus they offered her a place in the CPC Targeted Poverty Alleviation Scheme. In the United Kingdom, benefits are provided to lower income households. However, it is important to recall the old saying “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for life”. In China, individuals are provided with vocational training to enable them to improve their skills and enable them to achieve greater employment. After working as a housemaid, Hua was able to found her own domestic services company which now employs 300 women in the area, helping to lift a greater number of individuals in the local area. The people of China care deeply about their homeland and always seek to use personal benefit to the betterment of everyone. 

From here, the delegation visited Shaanxi, a birthplace not only of the revolution but also the cradle where numerous ancient Chinese civilisations began. The Yan’an base area has been transformed into a bustling little city with a grand monument to Mao Zedong and a museum to remember the sacrifice of the revolutionaries all those years ago. Tracing the steps of the Red Army in China shows how outdated the equipment that the soldiers used. Truly it was a testament to how revolutionary zeal and commitment to building a better world are what can propel a small group of dreamers into global leaders. 

After Yan’an, we moved south to Xi’an; a technological and cultural metropolis in the central regions of China. First in Xi’an, we were invited to attend the R&D centre of BYD, an electric car manufacturer that has grown from nothing in the space of 30 years. When hearing the term communism, many think of enormous state architecture in every business. Critics of China will be surprised to know that BYD is not a state-owned enterprise of the Chinese government, rather a private company. Birthed from the mind of a battery engineer at a separate company, BYD has sky-rocketed in sales nationally and internationally. Where other manufacturers built batteries for cars, BYD built cars around batteries creating a unique and versatile commodity that has been improving emissions and speed of travel. Once again, even though not operated by the state, the company is focused heavily on improving the lives of the people of China. In fact, they are even seeking to improve the carbon emissions of other nations, attempting to protect the world against climate change through technology. 

Those of a right-wing view of the world will be further disappointed to realise the unity of the Chinese people in their vast diversity. Xi’an is home to a sizeable population of Muslims, forming the Muslim quarter of the city with its own unique architecture. The people co-operate freely and work together to ensure the welfare of all those in China, not just the few. This only further shows how capitalism as a system only serves to antagonise the working class and ensure that the proletariat remains disparate and unable to resist. 

It was a pleasure and honour to visit China and represent the party. Truly at times it felt like I was on a different planet and I can understand why the western mind can struggle to comprehend what China is as an entity. It is an idyllic nation of noble ambition that truly shines a beacon in the darkness for all the proletariat of the world to look towards for guidance.

Stand up to racism!

Loyalist mobs are rampaging through Belfast, spreading terror amongst the black and immigrant population in the run-up to Orangemen’s Day on the “Glorious Twelve” of July. But attempts to spread hate in England have, so far, failed despite the best efforts of Tommy Robinson, Elon Musk and the Faragists to trigger racist pogroms in the wake of the Southampton riots.
The firm response of the anti-racist movements on the street, together with that of the local communities as a whole, has made sure that there’s been no repetition of the violence in Southampton that was triggered by far-right extremists exploiting the death of a student to advance their own fascist agendas and kick off the “race war” that they believe will propel them to power in the future.
Don’t let the far right divide us. That’s what the national Stand Up to Racism campaign says. 
Racists are still attempting to organise, and groups linked to Tommy Robinson continue to seek opportunities to build on local grievances. But organised resistance can deny them the space they need to grow.
The racists and fascists are on the march again, and communists must be in the forefront of the resistance. There is no substitute for blocking their path with massive numbers, even if the police do not like this.
So it goes without saying that on the streets and facing the fascists there must be maximum unity between anti-fascists of all political shades. We must remember that the biggest and most successful anti-fascist alliance of all time was led by Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, and that they managed to work together despite having very little else in common, until the threat of Nazism was smashed. If they can work with each other then we can also work with everyone on the left and anyone else ready to stand up to racism and fascism.
As communists, working with other anti-fascists of all kinds also gives opportunities for friendly dialogue as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder against racism and fascism, and it in no way implies our support for the political views on other matters of the people we are standing next to. Those are matters for peaceful argument during the lulls in fighting the fascists. This is the only way to achieve the mass turn-outs necessary to stop the fascists. And it happens naturally on the streets. Anti-fascists of all shades will defend one another regardless where there is a threat of attack by fascists or by police.
The traditional tactics of the mainstream anti-racist movements and the more robust tactics of those up for confronting the fascists on their own terms are both needed, and should be co-ordinated for maximum effect.
Communists are great ones for meetings, conferences, debates and committees – work that is usually done sitting down. This is all essential work but it is only half the struggle. If all those great resolutions and clarifications of the line are just left hanging we might as well not bother. We must stand up, get out and about, and be at the forefront of implementation – on the streets, in the workplaces, in the communities, on the housing estates, putting our line into practice and communicating directly with workers and raising levels of political awareness and class consciousness.
We must ensure that the hardship and suffering caused by the austerity regime and attacks on working-class living standards turn into anger and not into despair and resignation. To do that we need some successes in struggle, we need to set at first modest, achievable goals to build morale and awareness. Defeating fascist and racist activity is a crucial starting point.

It’s still the same old story…

...from the likes of Nigel Farage who’ve been stoking up the flames of racist violence in Southampton following the trial and conviction of the young Sikh responsible for the death of a teenager in a fight last December.
That's not to say there aren't serious questions to be answered about the way the Southampton police handled the incident, or indeed about their training and their general policy in dealing with violence of this nature. 
But there’s no doubt that the enraged mob on Southampton’s streets, headed by Tommy Robinson and urged on from afar by Nigel Farage and the American hi-tech tycoon Elon Musk, exploited genuine anger at the conduct of the local police at the incident that led to the death of  the student. These people, to be sure, are not fascists or Nazis in the conventional sense (though some fascists and neo-nazis were amongst the mob that attacked the police). But they are certainly racists, trying to incite a pogrom in Southampton. The ring-leaders deliberately ignore the fact that the fatal incident was not racially motivated (the killer's claim that he had been racially abused was rejected at his trial) not to mention the calls from the victim's family and those of the killer for calm.
None of them care about the victim. Nothing is said about root cause of the spike in violence on the street – the alienation of the youth and the decadence of capitalism in its final days.  No, as far as these people are concerned it’s all down to immigrants and asylum seekers. Kick them out and it’ll all be better – like the never-never land of the 1950s they talk about when there was full employment and everyone knew their place. Or so they say...
The NCP doesn’t support "open borders". We accept that all states, including the UK, have the right to control immigration and emigration in accordance with their resources and    economic needs.
But we are opposed to any controls based on ethnic or religious grounds. Asylum-seekers are different. The UK is bound by international agreements to receive those claiming asylum regardless of their countries of origin. Asylum seekers must be treated humanely and their claims dealt with swiftly. They should be allowed to work to help to pay their own way while their status is being reviewed (a right that was revoked by the Blair government) which is also a demand of the TUC. 
 The ruling class tries to confine the political arena to endless debates on law and order, immigration and the European Union. We have to break the bourgeois consensus that uses immigration to divert working people from the real issues that affect their lives. We must put socialism back on the working class agenda!

The Dictatorship of the Proletariat: what does it mean?

Paris Commune 1871 -- the first workers state

by John Maryon

The qualitative transfer of society from obsolete capitalism to progressive socialism is the historical mission of the working class. Karl Marx, Frederick Engels and Vladimir Lenin developed an essential and powerful ideological theory to achieve scientific communism.  A cornerstone of Marxism-Leninism is the need for a revolutionary change to bring about the dictatorship of the proletariat.  Those opposed to Marxism-Leninism are at pains to deny this essential process and foster an illusion of gradual transformation using the bourgeois state apparatus. In effect tinkering with a collapsing system and incorrectly assuming that the working class will grow in terms of knowledge and understanding. In practice the power of the bourgeoisie needs to be challenged by the united efforts of all sections of the working class.
To fully understand the dictatorship of the proletariat it is important to be aware that it does not imply the use of force or threats against others. In Marx and Engel’s days the term "dictatorship" didn’t mean autocratic one-man rule in the way we understand it today. They used the term to mean class rule. In the capitalist era we live under the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. The dictatorship of the proletariat means the working class taking power to establish a new type of democracy.  To organise the economy to benefit the former exploited classes.  To raise political and social awareness of the masses.  And to stimulate progressive cultural developments. This would see an end to identity politics, elevation of trivial diversions above matters of substance, the greed and corruption of lobby groups and the politics of hate, blame and exclusion that we experience in Britain today. The Paris Commune gave a first glimpse of the dictatorship of the proletariat in action. Tinkering with the bourgeois machinery of the state will achieve nothing. It must be replaced with a new management apparatus as an essential prerequisite for building true sustainable socialism. 
The basis of the dictatorship of the proletariat lies in the creative organisational activity in leading the masses towards building a new form of society. Lenin emphasised that it is the rule of the working class through strength of organisation and discipline using all the achievements of culture, science and technology.  Also to develop proletarian affinity with all working people to develop prestige and respect.  It may take different forms and methods depending on the nature of the socialist revolution, the existing social structure, the level of economic development and cultural background.  Proletarian democracy systemically creates a state of the whole people with the working class playing the leading role.
 Lenin said that capitalism condemns the masses to a downtrodden, crushed, anxious existence. A gigantic apparatus of falsehood and deception hoodwinks the workers sowing confusion, fostering ignorance and stultifying their minds. We see this in Britain today. It is obvious that we have reached a great watershed in our political system. As the capitalist crisis has developed the establishment is no longer able to govern in in the traditional manner.  There is an increasing risk of neo-fascists gaining power and influence. Today the population of Britain is largely politically ignorant, is incapable of critical or analytical thinking and has sadly becoming brainwashed by continuing propaganda.  Multiple colour leaflets issued by Reform reflected the politics of blame and hostility but ignored austerity, affordable housing, crumbling infrastructure, a collapsing health service or job security. 
So what political forces are there left in Britain today that can defend workers rights, educate and enthuse the masses for something better? The Labour party has for the past century been the main political party for workers in Britain forming an essential component of the labour movement.  Sadly it has always been dominated by its right wing with affinity to social democracy. It has a long history of betrayal.  Ramsay Macdonald, the first Labour prime minister, started progressively by recognising the Soviet Union shortly after Lenin's death and by opposing imperialist wars but was to later betray the party by forming a National Government with the Conservatives. The tremendous social progress made immediately following the Second World War was implemented only because of the pressure of the people who demanded change. Sadly the party has gone downhill since those halcyon times. With the abandonment of clause four and the establishment of New Labour the Labour Party abandoned any pretence of socialism.
We have always gritted our teeth and supported Labour because of its link to the trade unions. Today we face unprecedented changes which may forge new alliances in a totally different political landscape. If they can get their act together Your Party may play an important role for the left in Britain but will be limited in what it can achieve if it becomes just another hopeless social- democratic institution. Keir Starmer is on the way out but will his successor be any different? I very much doubt it.
One thing becomes immediately obvious. The urgent need is to build unity among all progressive forces to put forward the case for socialism. This is where a vanguard party like the New Communist Party of Britain has an important role to play.  We must grow to be more effective in motivation of the working class.  Don't delay join us today and help put Britain on the road to socialism. 

What a difference a day makes…

...or not in the case of Sir Tony Blair whose comments on the current turmoil within the Labour Party were splashed all over the bourgeois press last week. Whatever he achieved in office –  Scottish and Welsh devolution, ending the conflict in northern Ireland and pushing through some minor social  reforms – was far eclipsed by his despicable role in supporting the American onslaught on Iraq which ended in invasion and the execution of the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. The dreams of Anglo-American imperialism ended in the streets of Baghdad as the Iraqi resistance fought back to eventually free the country from imperialist occupation. Blair fell from grace soon after – leaving Downing Street to console himself with lucrative sinecures, non-jobs like his “peace-keeping” role in the Middle East, that were given to him by the Americans as a reward for his life-time of service to imperialism. 
To be fair Blair never pretends to be anything more than he is – a mouthpiece for what he thinks is the dominant trend within the ruling class. He has plenty to say but he’s got nothing to offer workers. Or as Jeremy Corbyn  put it “Tony Blair thinks the answer to this country’s problems is AI, welfare cuts and endless spending on war. Who benefits? Arms companies and tech billionaires. Once again, Blair is wrong. The answer is a redistribution of wealth and power and the relentless search for peace”.
Tony Blair, like Ramsay MacDonald and Sir Keir Starmer, divided and ultimately betrayed the Labour Party. But to paraphrase Orwell and say “all Labour leaders are rubbish, but some are more rubbisher than others” may be going too far.  Attlee, Wilson and Callaghan did have their moments – though this was largely due to the immense pressure at the time from the labour movement as a whole for social justice.
Tony Blair is a rich man who has also acquired a number of gongs along the way. These include the usual honours reserved for past Prime Ministers as well as the American Presidential Medal of Freedom and the more dubious Dan David Prize given by Tel Aviv University for Blair’s "exceptional leadership and steadfast determination in helping to engineer agreements and forge lasting solutions to areas in conflict".
None of this has, however, restored his political standing in Britain. The fame that Blair so longs for continues to elude him. His paean of praise for the sort of  American-style neo-con policies that have been embraced by both Democratic and Republican administrations in Washington throughout the 21st century may have been music for the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg in the Conservative party but it didn’t go down well with Keir Starmer or the two contenders for his job, Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham, and can only serve to remind them of how glad they were to see the back of him in 2007.