DISTRICT CONGRESS OF THE GREATER MIDLANDS COMMUNIST PARTY
Delegates representing Communists from all over the Midlands region gathered in session in their bi-ennial congress to determine local policies for the area; here are the motions they passed:
MOTION 1: PARTY DEVELOPMENT IN THE GREATER MIDLANDS
On the plans our branches should be aiming for over the course of the two-year period from this District Congress to the next, Congress resolves the following:
Membership:
Ø All branches to continue to ensure all applicants and potential recruits are followed through properly, with the district leadership continuing to maintain thorough monitoring and recording of details.
Ø All branches to aim to maintain or increase membership, but within an insistence on full dues payment by all individuals, or agreed branch payments to cover dues in listed cases of extreme hardship to be considered by a branch committee.
Party Democracy:
Ø All branches to continue to hold regular branch meetings most months; the priority for internal meetings being to ensure the convening of meetings for democratic business such as national and district congresses.
Ø All branches to elect a functioning branch committee of at least three; with a Branch Secretary, Chair, and Treasurer; maintaining co-ordination via email and phone, with only an occasional meeting to plan major events, reports etc
Finance
Ø Branches to promote fund-raising events such as second-hand book sales, socials, barbeques, etc.
Ø To contact members for special donations, including seeking standing orders direct to branch (easily cancellable by the member), additional to existing national DD, or entirely new ones to branch accounts purely for Local Party Development work.
Ø To ensure that full annual balance sheet reports are presented to the January to March 2010 branch AGMs, covering the use of branch funds.
Public Activities
Branches should ensure the holding of at least four public activities of some kind a year in some part of their branch district geographic allocation, either as part of their monthly branch programme or in addition.
Ø Branches should consider targeting towns and significant localities where there is no current Communist public presence for activity.
Ø A programme of open meetings featuring invited speakers should be arranged in a meeting place that can be advertised. Branches should use the Monday column in the Morning Star, and other resources, to advertise a block of meetings.
Marxist-Leninist education:
Ø Mobilise members for the 2010 Midlands Communist University, looking into car pooling and other forms of transport now.
Ø Consider names of new contacts and/or local non-Party activists to host sending to the national Communist University Britain
Ø Continue or improve on the holding of Marxist education classes – perhaps with more theoretical series on political economy.
Mass movement activity:
Ø Branches should establish better co-ordination of their members’ work in Trades Union Councils, with a view to a supportive relationship with Morning Star R&SG, perhaps via a motion.
Ø All branches to take out shareholdings in the PPPS, to identify Morning Star sales opportunities, and to ensure regular donations made to the Fighting Fund, and appoint a Morning Star organiser.
Ø Campaign to increase existing PPPS membership in anticipation of another Birmingham sectional AGM meeting in 2010 and for an even better attendance.
Ø Develop local support for anti-BNP initiatives, especially in localities with significant BNP votes in recent elections.
Ø Consider branch work on pensions with a view to supporting the proposal for a Midlands Communist Retired Members’ Group.
Ø Plan to contest 2010 Elections where possible, including the general election, as Communist candidates or, where appropriate, as Unity for Peace and Socialism (UfPS) candidates.
Ø Consider what social issues are uppermost in the concerns of local people and engage in Communist and broad work to promote progressive solutions, especially with a view to more involvement of women, youth and ethnic minorities.
Publicity
Ø Establish branch reports on the Midlands Party website through branch `tab’ on site, looking for new volunteers to load the information.
Ø Media – consider the issuing of press and media releases for major events via email – looking for volunteers to enact these; the region to progress training and information as requested.
Ø Set objectives for branch involvement in Midlands Trades Council May Day events– especially considering local Party information leaflets.
Ø Aim to hold a planned number of days of street stall activity, including involvement in Freshers’ Fayres where possible.
Ø Continue to develop work in local Cuba Solidarity Campaigns, PSC, VSC and other Solidarity Campaigns.
Ø Encourage members to write letters to local newspapers.
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Motion 2: A COMMUNIST RETIRED MEMBERS’ SECTIONAL MEETING
Without in any way in the least suggesting that our members who have retired from work should not participate in ordinary branch activities, one idea that has arisen is the development of specific activities at a regional level for retired members.
We cannot be sure of the records on all of our members but those that we know of, or who have verified for us their present circumstances, at the very least, some one third of our membership is in this category. Such a level of membership deserves special activities in its own right but the increasingly significant level of mass activity of pensioners is also suggestive that such a development may well be a major contribution to the Party’s work.
Indeed, the district committee has already considered this notion and is suggesting the organisation of an annual retired members Christmas function at a lunchtime on a weekday in mid-December at a central location in Birmingham. This could be held in conjunction also with a major political event, hosted by the Communist Party, and links with the National Pensioners Convention could be explored.
Congress endorses this proposal and instructs the district committee to pursue this with all vigour.
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BRANCH RESOLUTIONS
1) Electoral Strategy in the Greater Midlands District REMITTED TO THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE
i) In his article Seizing the Left Initiative (Morning Star August 25) Robert Griffiths put forward the principles of Communist Party electoral strategy. Commenting on the next General Election, he said that “a Tory victory will ensure that the ruling-class offensive will be released with full force.” He concluded that “in many constituencies the labour movement and the left will therefore have to campaign for Labour candidates…” He also called for the left “to unite around socialist and progressive candidates in other seats, where there is no danger of a Tory victory and where Labour is being misrepresented by a warmongering, police-state privatiser.”
ii) The meltdown of support for the Labour Government, shown clearly in the opinion polls, puts at risk many Labour seats formerly considered safe. Many Labour seats in the Greater Midlands area fall into this category. The swing to Labour from Tory in the 1997 election was 10.2%, the largest since 1950. If it was replicated in in reverse in 2010, the following 16 out of a total of 41 Labour seats would be very likely to go Tory or would be very vulnerable: Warwick & Leamington, Stourbridge, Oxford East, Birmingham Edgbaston, Staffordshire Moorlands, Tamworth, Redditch, Wolverhampton South West, Worcester, Birmingham Sparkbrook & Small Heath, Leicester South, Derby North, Dudley South, Halesowen & Rowley Regis, Leicestershire North West and Derbyshire South.
iii) The loss of forty per cent of Labour seats in our District area, no doubt reflecting the national trend, would put the Tories into government with unrestrained power to pursue the ruling class offensive referred to by Robert Griffiths. The main communist electoral task is therefore to give critical support to Labour, making clear we are on the side of the socialists in its ranks.
iv) As a symbol of opposition to the Government’s embrace of monopoly capitalism and United States’ world domination, we should also consider support for socialist candidates standing against new Labour Cabinet Ministers, the chief architects of the electoral disaster towards which the party is heading. Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth fits the bill very well. His majority of 14, 222 in Coventry North-East in the 2005 General Election was Labour’s largest in the Greater Midlands. It is unlikely that a Tory could take the seat. A CPB propaganda offensive in the constituency should be considered, in support of the Socialist Party candidate, Dave Nellist.
v) But communists recognize the left as well as the right-wing trend inside the Labour Party. Our aim is not to cold-shoulder the main party of the working class, the Labour Party, but one day to affiliate to it, in order to supply a Marxist component to its coalition of forces. We do not write it off as a bureaucratic obstacle to working class advance. The improvements in material standards made by capitalism over the past fifty years have put socialism on the back burner for many of its traditional supporters, but the contradictions of capitalism are again displayed in its imperialist wars, its economic crisis and the advancing catastrophe of climate change. We believe that workers’ unity in action to meet these challenges will be reborn and will move the Labour forward until it becomes a fighting force for socialism.
Coventry & Warwickshire branch
2) Developing an anti-racist strategy in the Greater Midlands District PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
The Party must remain committed to routing out and exposing racism in all its forms. The Party remains committed therefore to the building of a multi racial society based on socialist principles.
In striving for the above objectives the Communist Party must recognise its own limitations and therefore agrees to work in a non sectarian way with others and groups.
The Communist Party recognises that the embodiment of racism has achieved gains within our District with the election of the fascist BNP to a number of council seats. It also recognises that the BNP on current trends could increase its influence on SOT Council in next years elections.
The Communist Party accepts that people have not turned to the BNP only because there is no socialist alternative, in other words we do not accept that racist ideas and actions cannot be reduced to the problems of capitalism.
In order to develop our campaigns against racism and fascism we must build up a strong base, as with other campaigns, amongst working people and their organisations.
The Communist Party must also give direction, leadership and education to the anti racist and fascist campaigns.
Accordingly the DC is instructed to:
1. Establish an anti racist advisory which will be led by a member of the DC.
2. Support the development of Branch led campaigns
3. Built links with Search Light, UAF and LMHR at a Regional level
4. Work with active comrades in Trades Unions and Trades Councils to develop broad based anti racist and anti racist work.
Coventry & Warwickshire branch
3. Developing a peace strategy in the Greater Midlands District PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
The Communist Party is committed to peace and is determined to counter the increasing militarisation and imperialism of British foreign policy. The Party remains committed to the building, in a non-sectarian way, of broad-based movements and working within grass-root organisations and groups.
The Communist Party must also give direction, leadership and education to the peace campaigns.
Accordingly the DC is instructed to:
1. Establish a peace advisory which will be led by a member of the DC
2. Support the development of Branch led campaigns
3. Build links with CND and Stop the War at a Regional level
4. Work with active Cdes in Trades Unions and Trades Councils to develop broad based peace work
The Communist Party reaffirms its call for a withdrawal of troops from Afghanishan, Iraq, and all imperialist wars.
The Communist Party is determined to increase campaigning and awareness raising in several important areas.
1. The cancellation of trident replacement
2. The increasing militarisation of the EU
3. The withdrawal from NATO
4. The US missile defence plans in former socialist nations, in particular Poland and the Czech Republic
By extension the Communist Party also supports calls for the abandonment of Nuclear Power and highlight the use of domestic nuclear fuel use and its involvement in the arms trade.
The CPB accepts that peace is of vital significance to the attaining of socialism and a more democratic society
Coventry & Warwickshire branch
4. People’s Charter PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
District Congress calls on the incoming District Committee to give priority to a co-ordinated campaign around the People’s Charter.
To this end District Committee should
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call on all branches to approach Trades Councils, local Labour Parties, other “left organisations”, Unemployed Workers Centres, community organisations etc to establish local People’s Charter campaign groups
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call a planning meeting to take place before the end of the year open to all comrades and supporters to discuss the issues and co-ordination of the Party in the District. Special invitation should be made to Association of Indian Communist comrades and members of other domiciled Communist Parties
Derbyshire & East Staffs
5. General Election Strategy REMITTED TO DISTRICT COMMITTEE
Following the decisions of the EC on the Party’s General Election strategy, District Congress agrees that all branches should discuss the implementation of this strategy, and agrees to call planning meeting open to all comrades and supporters to discuss the issues and co-ordination of the Party in the District. Special invitation should be made to Association of Indian Communist comrades and members of other domiciled Communist Parties.
Derbyshire & East Staffs
DISTRICT COMMITTEE
Congress elected the following nominee from branches as members of an expanded sized Midlands Region District Committee, to hold office from 2009-2011.
Andy Chaffer
Andy Goodall
Bill Greenshields
David Grove
Gawain Little
Andrew Northall
Steven Martin
Graham Stevenson
Joanne Stevenson
A unanimous recommendation from congress was that the incoming DC seek the addition of another woman member on the committee by means of co-option during the period before the next district congress, at the earliest date feasible. |
Wiilliam Paul Society discussion groups first quarter 2010
