Appeal Group - Problems With The CPGB

Problems With The CPGB

The roots of the Appeal Group went back to the early 1950s, when the Bexley branch of the CPGB, led by Eddie Jackson, challenged the introduction of the British Road to Socialism and Rule 2(b) in the party’s rule book. The British Road replaced the former party programme, For a Soviet Britain, and was a programme for achieving socialism in Britain through the election of a socialist government to Parliament without a revolution. Rule 2(b) set this aim as a rule and outlawed any promotion of other perspectives by party members.

Some older CPGB members who opposed these revisionist changes found themselves in a minority and isolated. The party’s strict democratic centralism forbade them to communicate their concerns about the direction the party was taking except through the district and central congresses. The Bexley branch in particular submitted amendments on Rule 2(b) to these bodies, without success. On occasions the venue of the Kent district congress was changed and the district secretary “forgot” to inform the Bexley comrades, and names of nominated comrades were “accidentally” left off ballot papers. The leadership and suppressed critical discussion of its policies, with the notable exception of executive committee member Brian Behan, who argued for Bexley’s views to be heard and discussed. In 20 years the branch was only ever allowed five minutes of open discussion time at a Party congress, and this was scheduled on a Saturday just after the lunch break when the hall was almost deserted as delegates lingered in the pub.