Tony Collins will talk about his new book which re-examines the rich and complex roots of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Using a range of original sources, he will investigate how the young CPGB was shaped by the experiences of the Social Democratic Federation, the Socialist Labour Party and the Workers’ Socialist Federation during the years of war, intense class struggle, and the rise of Labourism before 1920. Rather than being an imposition from Moscow, he will argue that the CPGB was an organic development of the British left, something that was both its strength and its weakness.’
Report
The seminar was well attended with a very knowledgeable group.
Tony looked at which groups prior to the formation of the CPGB in 1920 had publicly campaigned against World War One, a litmus test of anti-imperialism. He also looked at the debates on whether electoral politics and the Labour Party should be engaged with. He underlined that existing works on the left before the CPGB had not brought these themes together. It is an important historical moment but perhaps one that also suggests some pointers for the left in 2025
The seminar was organised by the Socialist History Seminar at the IHR and the London Socialist Historians Group. Contact Keith Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social
Link to buy the book
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