Comrades, this is a truly historic event, a historic congress, the task of which is to found a Revolutionary Communist Party–a Bolshevik Party–on British soil.

　　There was never a more important task in our time.

　　Yes, there have been other attempts to build a revolutionary party–the earliest being the Social Democratic Federation in 1883. But this was shipwrecked by sectarianism and dogmatism by the likes of Henry Hyndman.Under the influence of the Russian Revolution, a British Communist Party was founded in 1920. But this was ruined by Stalinism.In 1944, our forerunner, the first Revolutionary Communist Party, was founded by Ted Grant and others. Despite a promising start, this was cut across by the objective situation and the intrigues of the so-called leaders of the Fourth International, who destroyed the movement.Nevertheless, Ted Grant, in the most difficult of times, kept the ideas of genuine Marxism alive, which he has bequeathed to us today.

　　You can say that we have come full circle. We are retying the knot of history, but on a far higher level. The objective situation is now flowing in our favour. And the capitalist crisis has returned with a vengeance.We stand on the shoulders of the great Marxists. As a party, we must learn the lessons of the past, and studiously avoid the pitfalls of sectarianism and opportunism.

　　The founding of the RCP will be a testing time for all of us, politically and organisationally. But it is a task that cannot be put off any longer.I would say that there are better opportunities opening up to build such a party than at any time since the early 1920s.

　　The job of this congress is to help us prepare for the revolutionary epoch that lies ahead.

　　Crisis and revolution

　　On a world scale, capitalism has reached its limits. It has exhausted itself. This fact was reflected in the crises of 2008 and 2020. We are referring here, not to a cyclical crisis of boom and slump. This cycle will always be with us. We are referring to the organic crisis of capitalism.As Marx explained, when a social system cannot develop the productive forces, it enters into decline and crisis, preparing the way for social revolution.

　　That is precisely the epoch we have entered.

　　Instability everywhere

　　We have entered the most disturbed period in history. War is raging in Europe and in the Middle East, adding to the proud instability everywhere. Europe has been forced to cut its trade with Russia, plunging the continent into economic decline. The USA and China are heading towards a trade war that threatens the world economy.

　　On a world scale, we have entered an epoch of crisis, wars, revolution and counterrevolution.

　　Decline and degeneration

　　This is the ‘blissful’ background to developments in Britain.

　　British capitalism has been in decline for over 100 years. From once being the dominant world power, it has been reduced in reality to a third-rate power on the edge of Europe.

　　The ruling class has presided over a collapse, turning Britain largely into a rentier economy.Along with this humiliating collapse has come a degeneration of the ruling class, which is more parasitic than ever before. They have given up on developing the economy. They want to make money from money, without going through the trouble of production.

　　Today, the UK economy has flatlined. But the stock market is booming! This reflects the disconnect between the real economy and the world of the capitalist speculators.

　　As a result, Britain has been transformed from possibly the most stable to one of the most unstable countries in Europe. Britain has again become the sick man of Europe.

　　Stinking and sinking

　　Sunak has presided over a government in meltdown, pulled apart by corruption. Tory factions are fighting over a sinking ship, which is heading for oblivion after 14 years of austerity.

　　In this period, Britain has suffered a massive collapse in living standards, health, education, housing–you name it! The state of the roads and railways are falling to pieces. The NHS is in terminal decline. Sewerage is poured into our rivers. The quality of life has gone down sharply. Life expectancy has fallen. Poverty has risen dramatically, especially for children.Working life has become a nightmare for many, who are striving to make ends meet. The youth believe they have no future.As a result, frustration, stress, and anger is widespread. Discontent is at record levels.These are the objective conditions preparing revolutionary upheavals in Britain.

　　For many people, capitalism has now become discredited. This includes those institutions that prop up capitalism: the police, judiciary, Parliament, the monarchy. We have a crisis of the regime.At the same time, the class divide has become a chasm.

　　Broken promises

　　With the Tories in meltdown, the scene is set for a Starmer Labour government with a sizeable majority.

　　But there is no enthusiasm for Keir Starmer or a Starmer government, especially amongst the youth. Satisfaction with Labour is lower than at any point since 2010. Starmer’s net satisfaction rate is minus 31.The only reason Starmer will win the election is that the Tories are hated even more!

　　He is a faithful agent of the capitalists and bankers.Starmer has already backtracked on his promises. There will be no bailout for the working class. On the contrary, councils will be allowed to go bankrupt, which will hit the most vulnerable in society. Austerity will intensify, as the Starmer government wraps itself in the Union Jack.

　　In the past, the right-wing Labour leaders made promises, got elected, then betrayed them. Starmer is determined to get his betrayals in first!The Starmer government, the new agents of capitalism, will carry on from where the Tories left off. There will be no honeymoon period.

　　Their talk of ‘growing the economy’ is farcical. Every government has raised this idea and failed. Growth can only take place with rising investment, which has flatlined.

　　British capitalism is in a dire state and getting worse.We predict the Starmer government will be the most hated Labour government in history. Its actions are going to provoke an almighty backlash.

　　Industrial battles

　　The British working class has been reawakened and aroused in the recent strike wave. The working class will not take the attacks from Starmer lying down. All hell can break loose.

　　Given the hatred towards Starmer and capitalism, these layers will be drawing radical–and even revolutionary–conclusions.

　　Limits of reformism

　　Inherent in reformism–both of the left and right variety–is betrayal.This is not a personal question, but arises from their politics. They have no faith in the idea of revolution. Everything must therefore be kept within the confines of the capitalist system.

　　When the chips are down, they capitulate to the ruling class. This explains the defeat of Corbynism.

　　Mole of revolution

　　The objective situation is relentlessly pushing Britain towards revolution. It is not revolutionaries that cause revolution, but the insoluble crisis of capitalism. The mole of revolution is burrowing a sure path.

　　It is in this process of sharp and sudden changes that consciousness is transformed.What is the position today? We must be careful in our assessment.

　　There are elements of a pre-revolutionary situation–but only elements. We are not as yet in a fully-fledged pre-revolutionary situation. But we are moving in that direction.

　　In other words, we are at the beginning of this process. As Trotsky explained, we must not mistake the first month of pregnancy with the ninth, for obvious reasons.We can say, however, that the act of conception has taken place!

　　Wanted: 10000 communists!

　　Perspectives for us are not a blueprint. They are a guide to action.

　　Although we are relatively small at the present time, there is no reason why we can’t be 5000 or 10000 in a relatively short space of time.We must understand that there are no shortcuts to building the revolutionary party. There is no substitute for systematic revolutionary work, based on revolutionary propaganda.The task is not to appear stronger, but to get stronger! Our task is to ‘patiently explain’.

　　Of course, that does not mean passivity. On the contrary, we need tenacity and more tenacity!

　　As Trotsky explained, you can have revolutionaries of all kinds. But you can’ t have revolutionaries who lack devotion and the willingness to break through obstacles.

　　We need to build a powerful organisation–not on sand, but on the firm ground of Marxist theory.We turn towards the youth and the young workers.

　　There is an enormous vacuum out there. We can’t fill it entirely, but we can fill a slice. That is down to us! Building the party still requires time and hard work.

　　How long will it take us? That depends largely on ourselves.

　　I say, the rallying cry of this founding congress of the RCP should be “WANTED: 10,000 communists!”

　　In 1933, Trotsky raised this challenge in front of the Bolshevik Leninists in Britain. But they were too weak and immature.For us, this is entirely achievable.

　　On our shoulders lies the fate of humanity. The choice we face is socialism or barbarism. We have to prepare ourselves for this.

　　In this Year of Lenin, we dedicate ourselves to achieving this goal. Build the RCP!

　　Comrades, forward to the victory of the British revolution! Foreword to the victory of the world revolution!

　　Editor: Zhong Yao  LiuTingting

　　From:https://communist.red/launching-the-rcp-perspectives-for-the-british-revolution/（2024-5-10）