Revolutionary Communist Party

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The Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) was the forerunner of the libertarian LM network. Led by University of Kent sociologist Frank Furedi, it was created in 1977 after a sizeable minority were expelled from the Revolutionary Communist Group in 1976 and formed a grouping called the Revolutionary Communist Tendency. The RCG itself was formed after a split from the International Socialists (the forerunner of the Socialist Workers' Party). The RCT was renamed the RCP in 1981 and disbanded in 1996. Its activities were continued through its main publication Living Marxism, which in early 1997 changed its name to LM. when it was shut down by a libel action in 2000 many of those associated with the RCP/LM created a range of new organisations centred around Spiked and the Institute of Ideas which form a continuing network described here as the LM network. Though the class politics have gone, much of the position taking, tone and tactics of the deeply sectarian RCP remain.

RCP badge circa 1984. [1]
Preparing for Power: The Programme of the Revolutionary Communist Party, London: Junius Publications, first published July 1983

Activities

1977-1981 - Revolutionary Communist Tendency

See main article Revolutionary Communist Tendency The RCT changed its name to the Revolutionary Communist Party in 1981. Prior to this is has mainly been active in relation to the conflict in Ireland, racism and state violence and in attacking the Labour Party.

1980 Workers Against Racism

See main article Workers Against Racism

1982-1994 Irish Freedom Movement

See main article Irish Freedom Movement

1983 - Preparing for Power

Preparing for Power was the RCP manifesto produced for the 1983 election and subsequently reprinted over the following months.

1987 - The Red Front

The cover of the RCP's The Red Front: A platform for working class unity, their 1987 election manifesto.

See main article The Red Front

1988 - Living Marxism

See main article Living Marxism

1992 - Campaign Against Militarism

See main article Campaign Against Militarism

1996 - Dissolution

Cover of LM No. 93 advertising the 1996 post RCP manifesto minus references to class struggle.

Resources and Publications

Publications

Almost all RCP publications were published with the party publishing company set up in late 1977, Junius Publications. The 'Theoretical journal' of the RCT seems not to have continued and it was not until Summer 1986 that the RCP began producing the short lived Confrontation, described as the Party 'theoretical journal'. In addition to a range of pamphlets the principal publications of the RCP were The next step, its monthly 'review' (later a weekly paper) and later (from November 1988) Living Marxism (later renamed LM magazine). The RCP also produced numerous leaflets, posters, newsletters and other materials for its front groups and election literature.

The logo of LM Magazine after it changed its name from Living Marxism at issue 97 in February 1997.[2]

Revolutionary Communist Pamphlets

This series began with the creation of the Revolutionary Communist Tendency and continued for a short while under the RCP banner. Soon, however, the pamphlets continued without any labelling as part of a series.

1982
  • Frank Richards, Poland's black December /​ [Revolutionary Communist Party]. Revolutionary Communist Party (Great Britain) London (BCM, JPLTD, WC1N 3XX) : Junius, January 1982. 27 p. : ill. ; 22cm. Revolutionary Communist pamphlets ; no.12
  • Mike Freeman, Malvinas Are Argentina's (Revolutionary Communist pamphlets No. 13) [Paperback] Revolutionary Communist Party (Author) Paperback: 32 pages Junius (1982)
RCP pamphlets
1982
1983
1984
1985
  • Workers Against Racism, The Roots of Racism, London: Junius Publications, January 1985. ISBN 0-950 8404-8-3
  • Mike Freeman, The miners' fight for jobs: Our day will come, London: Junius Publications, March 1985, ISBN 0-9508 404-9-1
  • Charles Longford, Black Blood on British Hands, London, Junius, September 1985.
  • Kate Marshall, Moral Panics and Victorian Values, 2nd ed., 1985, Junius Publications.
1987
1988
  • Mick Hume and Derek Owen, Is there a Scottish solution?: The working class and the Assembly debate [Paperback], 127 pages, London: Junius (1988) ISBN-10: 0948392096 ISBN-13: 978-0948392092
  • Joan Phillips, Policing the Family: Social control in Thatcher's Britain, London: Junius Publications, March 1988.


1993
  • Mike Freeman, The Empire Strikes Back: Why we need a new Anti-War Movement, London, Junius, April 1993.
1996
  • The Point is to Change It: A Manifesto for a World Fit for People, London: Junius (1996), x-xiii.

Books

Resources

Notes

  1. Image taken from Noise Heat Power,Pinning down the past - part two, accessed 21 October 2010
  2. 'Welcome to the new-look LM', LM, February 1997, retrieved from the Internet Archive of 18 February 1998, accessed 27 October 2010