A broadsheet containing the open letter from the Communist Party to the rest of the labour movement addressing the challenges facing trade unionists, socialists and progressives

1. ;'' ,,o Labour Party leaders on public spending cuts, public sector wages and
,i . pehsions and on welfare benefits.
..' .' These statements broadly confirm their support for the rationale and
,' approach of the Con-Dem government towards these issues.They highlight
$ the need for collective thought and action by the labour movement in
3* general - and by the trade unions in particular.
, As a contribution to the broad, inclusive and intensive discussion that we
r; i believe is needed on the left and in the labour movement, the Communist
B i Party has issued the statement below.
!
S et".te read and discuss it with friends, workmates, trade union colteague, .i L,.
il and comrades.We urge you to raise these issues in your trade union and !. S'
organisations.
- political atsl welcome any comments you would like to make to the . &'
tr i *orld
,. ' Cormunist Party directly (please indicate whether you wish them to remain - I
confidential).
Our labour movement needs to face up to its responsibilities, in the : -,
I
" ll ..
knowledge that millions of people took to its organisations for support and Et
solidarity. lt is with this in mind that the Communist Party feels compelled to I
) ',1
raise these issue now, as a matter of urgency.
$ Robert Griffiths
CP General Secretary
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2. z. , _ _ -_._ .*-.- _,
Ooen Letter to the Labour Movement
_,_. __
-.*_
Britain's
Road to
Socialism
The Crisis of Political Representation
in the lahour movement
The Cornrnunist Party Party leadership to align services, jobs, wages and
rejects the aualysis itself with this analysis pensions and so revive
peddled by the banks, and these remedies is a economic growth
hedge funds and Con- betrayal of the millions of highlights the extent to
Dem government that workers and their families which the interests of the
The new edition of Britain's past levels ofpublic who should be able to labour movement - which
Road to Socialism, the expenditure were the look to Labour for are also those ofthe
Communist Party's programme, main cause of the support and solidarity. In people of Britain
adopted in July 20 I l; presents economic and financial particularo recent generally - go largely
and analysis of capitalism and crisis. statements b1' Ed unrepresented in the
imperialism in its current form; We reject, too, the Miliband, Ed Balls and House of Commons. Not
answers the questions of how a remedy dictated by City Liam Byrne in support of surprisingly, therefore, in
revol utionary transformation deep cuts in public sector a period of rnass local
of London financial
might be bought about in 2lst campaigning and big
institutions and the EU wages and pension
Century Britain; and what a national one-day strikes
Commission and entitlements, and in
socialist and communist society
European Central Bank. welfare benefits, against against Con-Dem
in Britain might look like.
notably that massive represent a shameful policies, the Labour
public spending cuts and capitulation to the barrks, leadership has utterly
The BRS was first published in
a savage attack on the the Con-Dem regirne and failed so far to achieve a
195 I after nearly six years of
discussion and debate across the
wages and pensiorrs of the right-rving rnass clear and substantial lead
public sector workers are media. in opinion polls.
CP, labour movement and
necessary irr order to The refusal of the The leaders of Labour-
working class. Over its I
editions it has sold more than a reduce the public sector Labour Party leadership affiliated trade unions
million copies in Britain and financial deficit. to fight for policies that must know that their
helped to shape and develop the The policy of the Labour would defend public members need, in
struggle of the working class for
more than half a century. Other
previous editions of the BRS
have been published in I 952,
1958, 1 968, 1977, 1989 and
2000 as well as multiple
substantially revised versions.

3. Ooen Letter to the Labour Movement
addition to the videst faced by the $-hole inside the party as well as the capitalist crisis, public
possible mass movement, a movemellt, includiug those from outside. spending and investment,
Labour Party that defends unions not affiliated to the '* Affiliated trade uuiorrs public sector v'ages and
their interests. stands up for Labour Party. should rneet to con.ene alr pensions, privatisation
public services, opposes the The Labour Party u'as all-Britain conference at and taxation.
u,hole rotten set-up in forrnded hr the trade urtiort t he earliesl opport rrnil1 to
corrupt, big business, rip-off rno.ement. It still receives discuss the current crisis * The TUC should resume
Britain - and renounces a the support of or-er olle-third of political represerrl aliorr its historic responsibility
British foreign policy that of volers. Brrt this support is for u'orkers and their and convene a special
rnires us in aggressive u'ar, not guaranteed. is families. conference of all labour
the mass slaughter of increasingly volatile and rnovernerrl. organsatiorrs to
civilians" internatiorral could quickll- disintegrate if We belier-e these actions are discuss the political
kidnapping artd torture and the party's right-rriug course the rnost realistic and represerrtation of the
a new generation ofnuclear is rnaintained. The trade effective u'ar. of errsuring labour rnovement il the
{.eapons. union movement. and its that the ilterests of u'orking House of Cornrnolls.
This, in turn, raises the members locallr'. have a people are represerrted irr the
need for the affiliated unions dutl to interrene to reclaim Vestrninster parliament. Lr the face ofthe current
to campaign in a more the partl- as political Should the Labour Party rrrling class offelrsir e against
determined. planned and representati-es of the contilue orr a right-t'ing the rvorkirrg class and the
coordinated lvay to change interests of rrorking people. course. its future uill be at mass of people generally, the
the policies and if necessary 't Affiliated uniorrs should risk aud the trade uuion Iabour movernent needs to
the composition of the respond inruediatelv to mo.ernent n'ill have a dutl del,elop the maximurn
Labour Party leadership. demand-. frorn their to re-establish a rnass partl- clarity and unity. For its
'lahour
The duty of the afliliated mernbers arrd cease paying of capahle of rtirrrrilrg part, the Cornrnunist Party
unions to fight for financial doratiors to the electious. forrniug a v-ill continue to develop its
progressive" left and socialist Labour Partv centrally governmerlt aud enacting Marxist analysis, project an
values il the Labour Party until its leaders and ]IPs policies in the interests of the alterrrative economic and
could not be clearer. oppose real cut-q in public people not the bankers. political strategy for the
Al the sanre tirne. lhis is an sector wages and express u.orking class and its allies
irnportaut part of an everr solidarity u'ith rvorkers * Affiliatecl unions should and strerrgtlrerr rrorr-seclariarr
bigger question: hou, can the fighting to deferd their also consider demauding left unity.
labour rnor-ement best pensions, that a special ernergencv The Cornrnunist Party
ensure that its collect.ive * Affiliation fees should be conference of the Lahour therefore u'elcomes the
views and interests are rnaintained in order to Part-1 be held to consider decision of readers and
represented in the step up the challelge to a furrdamental chauge of supporters of the Morning
Westminster parliarnent? the Labour leadership's econornic and financial Slar to call al all-Britairr
This challenge must be currellt policies fronr policy on confereuce on March 31 (at
the Bishopsgate hrstitute.
central London) to discuss
the ways il u.hich mass.
popular resistance can be
built to the Con-Dem
golerllmerrl arrd ils policies.
This will provide a major
opportunity for a u'ide range
of left, labour rnovernent and
progressive forces to consider
the kind of initiatives and
policies that rnight be
necessary. Pointing a rvay
forr-ard in the immediate
battles should help create
rnore far ourable corrdilions
in u.hich to resolve the
labour movement's crisis of
political represerrtation.

4. Ooen Letter to the Lobour Movement
*lx*,mn"g":Jl3'
Readers' & Supporters'groups.
For a People's Britain
not a Bankers' Britain
Sat. 31"t March 10.30 am to 4.45 pm
WHAT lS tT? A maior conlerence to bring together a broad range ol local,
regional and national labour movomenl ard anti-culs bodies and activists.
$1,7, Wxenef Bl.hopsgate lnstftute, 2!10 Bishopsgate, London,
LS oclw"ct,4aH - ,n tlp anct nt ctty ol tondu, Ma*et. s' wolk
|.r1.':.,4'
EC2M o
lil,Etpoot St scauon and Spltalftclds
ftw mlnut
HOWTOREGISTER? Contac{: