;'' ,,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


               *. d''      :;$
                   : {Q'   €Lrt
                   rw             .
                                      ,rr.


                                  .kY'.L.
                                         d*
                                             r&


L.     ad.-&,el^
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.
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.
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{:

An open letter to Workers, Trade Unionists and Socialists from the Communist Part

  • 1.
    ;'' ,,o LabourParty 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 *. d'' :;$ : {Q' €Lrt rw . ,rr. .kY'.L. d* r& L. ad.-&,el^
  • 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 tothe 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 tothe 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{: