The Communist League was formed by a group of members expelled in 1988 from Socialist Action. Those members had joined the American Socialist Workers Party's Pathfinder tendency. It maintains a bookshop in London, originally in The Cut but now in Bethnal Green Road.
The League's members sell The Militant, the paper of the American Socialist Workers Party. The League claims many of its members work in the meat-packing industry. Two Communist League candidates stood in the 2005 general election; one ran against George Galloway in Bethnal Green and Bow polling 38 votes. In the London Assembly election, 2008, Julie Crawford stood in the City and East constituency and polled 701 votes, 0.3% of the popular vote, coming 12th and last among the candidates. In the London Assembly election, 2012, Paul Davies stood in the City and East constituency and increased the vote to 1,108 (0.6) coming last out of eight candidates.
In the 2010 General Election, the Communist League stood Caroline Bellamy in Edinburgh South West (48 votes) and Paul Davies in Hackney South and Shoreditch (110 votes).
Famous quotes containing the words communist and/or league:
“The terrible thing is that one cannot be a Communist and not let oneself in for the shameful act of recantation. One cannot be a Communist and preserve an iota of one’s personal integrity.”
—Milovan Djilas (b. 1911)
“We’re the victims of a disease called social prejudice, my child. These dear ladies of the law and order league are scouring out the dregs of the town. C’mon be a glorified wreck like me.”
—Dudley Nichols (1895–1960)