Skip to content

Policymaking and Revolutionary Politics, 1924-1991

A black and white image of a Lenin statue.

The Political Committee (PC) papers

The Political Committee shall have the responsibility for giving prompt and effective leadership in between meetings of the Executive Committee.
Communist Party of Great Britain, 1959 Party Congress

Access the full collection

Get full access to Policymaking and Revolutionary Politics, 1924-1991.

Institutional Free Trial

Sign up for a FREE trial 

Already have a license? Sign in to view the collection

Study CPGB management, leadership, and perspectives on domestic and international policy issues

The Political Committee of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was a subsidiary of the Executive Committee. It was responsible for determining the party’s policy positions. Due to the CPGB being unable to maintain a full time Executive Committee, the Political Committee emerged as the de facto leadership body of the party. This collection contains materials from the Political Bureau during the CPGB’s early years of great optimism and hope, to the Political Committee that helped toe-the-line for the Soviet Union during the Cold War and eventually collapsed with it. 

The documents offer a vast and fascinating perspective on the stances that the CPGB took towards ongoing issues in British and international politics. As such, the documents detail political debates including treatment of the Windrush generation of immigrants, Britain’s controversial entry into the European Community, and Soviet intervention in the Eastern bloc. 

The collection is accompanied by three contextual essays written by Professor Kevin Morgan.

Contents

Policymaking and Revolutionary Politics, 1924-1991...

The Political Committee (PC) papers

Volumes & Documents 
An extract from a typed draft report for the Executive Committee, with the title 'Eastern Europe'.

Highlights

Licensed to access Establishment of the Political Bureau, November 1924

Echoing the ‘Politburo’ of the Soviet Union, the Political Bureau was established in the 1920s and by the end of the decade was the de facto leadership body of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Minutes taken cover the fallout of the 1924 General Election, as well as internal party issues.

Licensed to access New Leadership and the Hungarian Revolution, December 1956

This document covers the immediate reaction of the CPBG to Soviet intervention in Hungary, as the Political Committee rushed to justify Soviet actions. This represented a first challenge for new General Secretary John Gollan and resulted in reputational damage that would harm the CPGB for years to come.

Licensed to access Agitation During the ‘Winter of Discontent’, January 1979

This document covers the CPGB’s perspectives during the infamous ‘Winter of Discontent’, a period characterised by widespread strikes, industrial action, and political instability in Britain.

Licensed to access ‘Transforming’ the Communist Party of Great Britain, April–June 1991

Against the backdrop of the collapse of the Soviet Union, material in this document covers the often painful and fraught ‘transformation’ that the CPGB went through as it morphed from political party to grassroots think-tank called the ‘Democratic Left’.

Insights

  • The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was established in the early 1920s. The first batch of material from the 1920s shows how and what decisions were taken during the CPGB’s formative years.
  • After the Political Bureau transformed into the Political Committee, the material becomes more uniform and extensive, reflecting the CPGB’s development of a sophisticated party apparatus and the increased scope of their activities.
  • The Political Committee usually met once a week to discuss and decide on party policy and direction. Minutes and newsletters written by the Political Committee offer a valuable and fascinating insight into the political issues of the day, in both Britain and the wider world.

  • As such, the collection offers concise left-wing perspectives on a range of historical events, including everything from British industrial disputes to Cold War proxy wars across the globe.
  • As well as covering outward politics and external policy issues, the Political Committee spent much time discussing internal problems, like party discipline, membership numbers, and adjacent campaigns.
  • Much of the material is complemented by hand-written notes by key figures from the Political Committee, including Bill Wainwright, Reuben Falber, and Margaret Woddis. These notes offer a candid look at the perspectives of those intimately involved in the work of the Political Committee.

Licensed to access Communisms and the Cold War, 1944-1986

1944   1986

Licensed to access Gender, Feminism, and the British Left, 1944-1991

1944   1991

Licensed to access Debate and Division on the British Left, 1917-1964

1917   1964

Licensed to access Trade Unions in Crisis: the 1961 ETU Ballot-Rigging Scandal

1961   1961
Back to Top