Communist and Anarchist groups in Manchester (Uk)?

[Deicide]

Do you exist? If you do, could you give me a succinct lowdown of what a typical meeting is like, how many people attend, how active the group/party is, age range, etc, etc. Thanks.

(If there's a more suitable forum section for this thread, please move it there.)

Edit - By communist, I mean orthodox marxists/left communists/trotskyists. I don't care about marxist-leninist groups.

[Leo]

The two main left communist organizations that is the International Communist Current and the International Communist Tendency both have members in Manchester. Also the Anarchist Federation has a pretty good section as far as I'm aware of. I'd recommend you check all three out.

[Sasha]

Think the iwca has a group there

[Deicide]

^ Are there any Manchester communists/anarchists, that are in those groups, active on this forum?

I'll pm them and ask my questions. Don't worry, I'm not a cop :p

[Os Cangaceiros]

Two UK anarchist groups with politics that are actually pretty good are Anarchist Federation and SolFed.

The latter (Solidarity Federation) is the UK branch of the IWA, if I'm not mistaken.

[Q]

I know both the SP (http://manchestersocialists.org.uk/) and the CPGB (http://northerncommunists.wordpress.com/) have groups there too., also SWP (http://www.manchesterswp.org/).

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I know Solfed is active in Yorkshire, don't know about in Mancs/Cheshire sort of way.

Don't expect big numbers (might be different if you're in inner cities in Manchester, if some comrades could shed light) like you have in big national/london protests.

[Manic Impressive]

socialist party of great britain are in Manchester. As it's one of the largest cities in the country I would expect most parties to be there.

[bricolage]

I know Solfed is active in Yorkshire, don't know about in Mancs/Cheshire sort of way.

Don't expect big numbers (might be different if you're in inner cities in Manchester, if some comrades could shed light) like you have in big national/london protests.
Solfed have a local listed on their website but I think the Manchester Afed is bigger.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I'd probably prefer afed as i'm not really into syndicalism. Don't know if they have a local anywhere near me up north, though. (North Yorkshire)

[Q]

As it's one of the largest cities in the country I would expect most parties to be there.

Which leads me to another question: Is there any leftist cooperation between the groups, informal or formal? I can imagine how in London each group is defending their own perk as most, if not all, HQ's are in London. But I wonder how this is in other places?

[Manic Impressive]

I'm from London and from a party which does not campaign on reformist issues so I'd really be the wrong person to ask. But from my small experience of going to meetings within certain neutral organizations set up around the protests last year and the year before I can say that there was a plethora of ideologies and parties and anarchist organizations represented there. But inter-party politics amongst Trotskyists and Marxist Leninists is not a subject I have a great deal of knowledge on. So if official joint initiatives do happen I'm sure someone from one of those parties will give you a better answer.

We're generally received with much hostility from other parties wherever we go for instance there was this posted here a while ago which turned out to be an ICC front. Two of our members went and were pretty much heckled constantly from what I heard and then accused by the ICC of "constant interventions" on their website something which is very hard to believe of the comrades who went and completely contrary to their accounts.


The Kent Communist Group is an organization of Marxist and Anarchist Communists who oppose both capitalism and the state and who wish to see the creation of a free communist society. We provide a platform for cooperation and debate between revolutionary communists. We are not a specific political organization but provide points of common agreement as the basis of revolutionary cooperation.
These Points of agreement are:
- Global Revolution For the overthrow of capitalism.
- Proletarian Internationalism and Opposition to Nationalism of all Kinds.
- Opposition to Stalinism and State Capitalism.
As an organization seeking to facilitate cooperation between communists of different tendencies, we seek to provide activities that are practical and activities that are more theoretical and further our understanding of communism – its history and ideas.

They have not updated their blog since that meeting

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

i'm from london and from a party which does not campaign on reformist issues so i'd really be the wrong person to ask.

spgb?

[bricolage]

I'd probably prefer afed as i'm not really into syndicalism. Don't know if they have a local anywhere near me up north, though. (North Yorkshire)
it more depends on who is active locally, in most places outside of london it's one or the other. I think people tend to join based on who is there rather than specific ideological beliefs. for what it's worth neither really operate on a ground level in complete adherence to their stated 'theories'.

[daft punk]

Socialist Party will definitely have a branch

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

it more depends on who is active locally, in most places outside of london it's one or the other. I think people tend to join based on who is there rather than specific ideological beliefs. for what it's worth neither really operate on a ground level in complete adherence to their stated 'theories'.

I know, but i've done that before (slightly out of naivety and wanting to be active, though I don't think there's a problem with that) and out of ignorance fell into a group that was dominated by SWPers, which I didn't really enjoy in the end although granted, the activism work was pretty good and we had a decent rally or two.

I'm at the stage where i'd rather not join any organisation at all, than join one that is at odds with my beliefs. So many organisations in this country are just ridiculous little sects, it's not like they can turn round and have a go at me for being selective really.

[bricolage]

I know, but i've done that before (slightly out of naivety and wanting to be active, though I don't think there's a problem with that) and out of ignorance fell into a group that was dominated by SWPers, which I didn't really enjoy in the end although granted, the activism work was pretty good and we had a decent rally or two.

I'm at the stage where i'd rather not join any organisation at all, than join one that is at odds with my beliefs. So many organisations in this country are just ridiculous little sects, it's not like they can turn round and have a go at me for being selective really.
yeah I see what you are saying. I think though if someone already knows about afed and solfed then they aren't just picking who is the loudest or the biggest group around, in that respect working with one cos they are active local and the other one isn't I don't think is too bad a thing. I mean they're both still sects but at least they're a bit better than the others.

[ed miliband]

I'd probably prefer afed as i'm not really into syndicalism. Don't know if they have a local anywhere near me up north, though. (North Yorkshire)

whereabouts in north yorkshire? depending on yr location you might be able to join af leeds, who i think have other members from the surrounding yorkshire area.

[ed miliband]

oh yeah, and while i have my criticisms of the way the af is organised even from my very limited experience of it, i like the fact that it's something of a "broad church", drawing on marxist currents like council communism and autonomism as much as traditional anarchist thought.

[Dave B]

The SPGB has a branch in Manchester with about 30 members including people from outside greater Manchester.

We meet twice a month and normally have a ‘propaganda’ meeting or a talk with questions and discussion etc once a month.

There is a Manchester Solfed which has some activity now and again.

[NoPasaran1936]

I know both the SP (http://manchestersocialists.org.uk/) and the CPGB (http://northerncommunists.wordpress.com/) have groups there too., also SWP (http://www.manchesterswp.org/).

Where isn't the SWP :rolleyes:

[Quail]

AFed and SolFed do work together, and there are some people with joint membership. I'm not entirely sure how much they work together in Manchester though.

There is a fairly sizable AFed group in Manchester and some nice comrades. There's a fair range of ages too.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Socialist Party will definitely have a branch

Link to the website for the Manchester branch of the Socialist Party

http://manchestersocialists.org.uk/

I am sure they would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

[The Idler]

Which leads me to another question: Is there any leftist cooperation between the groups, informal or formal? I can imagine how in London each group is defending their own perk as most, if not all, HQ's are in London. But I wonder how this is in other places?
There is a group called Manchester Anti-Capitalists (http://gmanticapitalists.wordpress.com/) who have hosted Left Forums earlier this year. There is also the Revolutionary Socialist Organisation (http://revolutionarysocialism.blogspot.co.uk/). AFAIK Permanent Revolution, Workers Power and CPGB have participated in a unity conference last year too. But yeah, I would second the advice to go to a SPGB meeting.

[bricolage]

there was something called the manchester class struggle forum but I dunno if it still exists.

[daft punk]

Link to the website for the Manchester branch of the Socialist Party

http://manchestersocialists.org.uk/

I am sure they would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

ah, good suggestion

[ed miliband]

not really communist tho, tbh.

[daft punk]

not really communist tho, tbh.

what, the SP?

[ed miliband]

what, the SP?

yeah, the politics of the socialist party seem to be essentially those of the labour party sixty years ago. ie not communist.

[daft punk]

yeah, the politics of the socialist party seem to be essentially those of the labour party sixty years ago. ie not communist.

you are very much mistaken if you dont mind me saying so.

Do you know there are over 80,000 results for a search for the word revolution on just one of their websites?

https://www.google.com/search?q=revolution&sitesearch=socialistparty.org.uk

32,000 hits for Marx?

Plenty of stuff there you wouldnt find in the Labour Party website I think.

Socialism and Internationalism



No to imperialist wars and occupations. Withdraw the troops immediately from Afghanistan!http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/pic/2/2152.jpg
Tax the super-rich! For a socialist government to take into public ownership the top 150 companies and banks that dominate the British economy, and run them under democratic working-class control and management. Compensation to be paid only on the basis of proven need.
A democratic socialist plan of production based on the interests of the overwhelming majority of people, and in a way that safeguards the environment
No to the bosses' neo-liberal European Union! For a socialist Europe and a socialist world!



http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/pic/medium/8/8602.jpg
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/Images/furniture/socialist_party.jpg
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/Images/furniture/masthead/yffjdemo6.jpg

[Manic Impressive]

erm just want to say stop calling them the socialist party. We are the socialist party they are either socialist party socialist alternative socialist party of england and wales or as I prefer to call them the name stealing bastards party :p

I don't give a fuck if it's grammatically incorrect to not put the in front of socialist party. They have no claim to that name and if they want to be grammatically correct they should have picked a name that wasn't already taken. This is serious business ;)

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

SPEWs politics do generally seem to be of the more democratic socialist variety. Which isn't a problem, i'm sure Taaffe and co. are well meaning people, but their politics do seem to be more along the lines of 'capitalism is bad [insert pretty decent critique here], therefore let's end wars, occupations, nationalise a few of the biggest industries and tax everything to the hilt in order to fund re-distribution'. Now, i'm sure they're no worse than some of the SWPers and god forbid the chattering lot down at the weekly worker, but i'd hesitate to call SPEW a communist party, too.

[ed miliband]

red action (i forget their new name??)
anarchistblack cross
cwf

i'm pretty sure none of these organisations exist in any meaningful form anymore