The Leninist: Ireland: Thatcher's Vietnam (Supplement)
| Date: | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | Communist Party of Great Britain (Leninist grouping) |
| Publication: | The Leninist |
| Issue: | |
| Collection: | The British Left on Ireland |
| Type: | Publication Issue |
| View: | View Document |
| Discuss: | Comments on this document |
| Subjects: |
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Commentary From The Cedar Lounge Revolution
26th September 2011
This document is a four page pamphlet produced in conjunction with the Leninist, a publication of a small group within or close to the Communist Party of Great Britain in the United Kingdom. This group operated in opposition to the leadership of the CPGB taking a somewhat traditional Marxist-Leninist approach [indeed it's not entirely clear how many involved were also members of the CPGB - John Sullivan's work appears to indicate that at least some were ].
In any event the Leninist was published by a group who had left the CPGB to join the New Communist Party. This was in retrospect regarded as a mistake and subsequently the Leninist was established to promote their viewpoint. When the CPGB itself dissolved The Leninist announced that they would 'reforge' the party. Now calling themselves the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee) they also operated in alliance with other groups and began to publish the Weekly Worker in print form and eventually online.
The links above will give some indication as to their former and current political position.
When this document was published they sought to appeal to members of the then CPGB. Indeed it urges:
...all readers, sympathizers and supporters of The Leninist… to support the London Bloody Sunday demonstration on February 2 1986. Members of the CPGB should in particular see to it that they have an organized presence on the demonstration, not least given our Party leadership's past and present chauvinist stance on the Irish struggle for national re-unification and independence.
This document "Ireland: Thatcher's Vietnam" is unashamedly pro-IRA and Sinn Féin. It argues that:
Rising like the proverbial phoenix from the setback it suffered in its 1950s border campaign and the debilitating reformism of its then President MacGiolla (now the leader of the rump Workers' Party) the IRA/Sinn Fein has heroically taken on the British giant.
It further argues that…
As to Sinn Fein, it has grown at a staggering rate both north and south of the border, giving the establishment politicians in London, Belfast, and Dublin countless sleepless nights worrying about Ireland becoming 'another Cuba'.
The remainder of the document is written in a similarly vigorous style. An interesting addition to the Archive.
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You can join this discussion on The Cedar Lounge Revolution
By: roasted snow Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:50:44
Originally led by John Bridge aka Jack Conrad. Still is as far as I know! Once accused by Ken Livingstone of being MI5 agents, not that that means they were/are. Positioning on Ireland changed in the late 90s when they argued a case for nation rights for the British – Irish, but not to be confused with BICO, causing a healthy debate in its ranks, invoking the wrath of Steve Riley among others. I think Anne Mc Shane who has contributed on this site is still linked to WW, which remains a good read. The project of reforging Britain’s Communist Party also remains the primary task. For a small organisation were
involved in several left unity projects from the original SLP to the Socialist Alliance to Respect.
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By: WorldbyStorm Mon, 26 Sep 2011 07:33:22
In reply to roasted snow.
Thanks RS, that’s great background info. Appreciated.
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By: john O'Neill Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:42:42
The had a bit of a ‘love in’ with the IRSP/INLA in the late 1980’s. I can remember a few watching aN IRSP march to Milltown one Easter with a delegation all carrying red flags.
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By: Roasted Snow Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:51:18
In reply to john O’Neill.
That’s right. The IRPs Starry Plough paper in the early 90s adopted ‘The Leninist’ layout and there was fraternal work. There was also a short lived Irish fraternal group organised around the journal’The Irish Marxist’, What I have always enjoyed about this group is the fact that Trotskyists called them Stalinists, and perhaps still do, and Stalinists called them Trotskyoid or some such. Their roots are in ‘Official Communism’ as they would have it (i.e) NCP or CPGB and borrowed heavily from Turkish Communists in terms of theory and organisation as the Socialist states in the East collapsed. Have long since abandoned any Stalinist sympathies. A healthy respect for Trotsky more recently and always a call for democracy within the revolutionary party. Their willingness to engage and work with other Workers parties is healthy but were not actively involved in TUSC last year as the SP in England and Wales (SPEW) argued their membership was too small. They still called for a vote for TUSC. The Weekly Worker is published weekly online.
On another note;
I am in possession of much Irish and British Left and Republican literature from the late 80s and 90s which really deserves to be archived, where do I send it?
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By: WorldbyStorm Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:56:21
In reply to Roasted Snow.
Can you email me at worldbystorm [@] eircom.net
Just remove the [ …] when you email me. That would be brilliant.
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By: dilettante Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:39:35
This might be interesting for some people: http://irelandsalternative.blogspot.com/
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By: Mark P Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:52:10
In reply to Roasted Snow.
The Irish Marxist journal you mention would be particularly interesting to see, if you have an issue or issues.
Presumably it’s too late in time to be connected to the Irish Marxist Group which split from the CPI around 1975?
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By: WorldbyStorm Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:39:36
In reply to Roasted Snow.
+1
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By: WorldbyStorm Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:41:10
In reply to dilettante.
I read that a while back. A real insight into some of the thought processes during the late 80s.
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By: PJ CALLAN Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:14:41
The most interesting bit I found is the line from Conrad that Jimmy Brown of the IPLO was responsible for the printing of Congress 86
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By: WorldbyStorm Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:22:41
In reply to PJ CALLAN.
That’s very true, and by the way anyone with Congress 86… give us a shout. But I found the whole of it fascinating.
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By: Roasted Snow Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:25:27
In reply to WorldbyStorm.
I have IPLO in print ( they completed at least one journal, looks a bit like a Congress one from the time, politically all over the place with guest writers) and shall send WBS for the archive.
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By: PJ CALLAN Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:32:24
Roasted Snow, IPLO in print is as rare as hens teeth. I had heard they had put out a publication but it never appeared down in the FS, to my knowledge. Would be great if you could scan it and upload it here. I sold Congress 86 around the pubs and have a full set of them stashed away somewhere.
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By: WorldbyStorm Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:46:54
In reply to PJ CALLAN.
That would be a real find PJ.
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