Greetings!

Hi comrades

I'm Vincent and I'm the Youth and Young Communist League Liaison Officer for the South-West, elected at last year's district congress. I want to try and revive this page, so hopefully there'll be more posting on here from yours truly. You can email me at vincent@southwestcommunist.org.uk or message me on facebook. I've also recently set up a South-West Young Communist League facebook page, which all YCL comrades are free to join.

Just a reminder to all comrades that both the CPB & the YCL, have got quite a lot happening this summer and very soon, some of which is within our district. If you can, do try and get yourselves along to any of these events. Sadly due to other commitments, I won't be able to make most of these events myself, except for the summer camp. That I will definitely be there for and I look forward to seeing other young comrades there too.

Pilton Green Man Festival (19/07/14): Following it's revival in 1982, the Green Man Festival has become a regular event on the calendar in North Devon, celebrating this ancient symbol of nature and fertility. Our comrades in the North Devon branch are regular attendees of this festival, with a very impressive party stall. Volunteers are welcome, please contract the North Devon branch on their facebook page. More information about the Pilton Green Man festival can be found on the festival website page.

Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival (18/07/14 - 20/07/14): The annual festival in Dorset celebrating the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. Comrades of the labour movement from all over Britain descend onto Tolpuddle for this celebration of an important and remarkable chapter in working-class history. You'll find many of our comrades busy handing out copies of the Morning Star. Any volunteers will be greatly appreciated. Contact your local party branch for transportation information. More information about Tolpuddle, including the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum can be found on this website page.

21st Century Marxism 2014 (26/07/14 - 27/07/14): The Communist Party of Britain will be hosting yet again, 21st Century Marxism 2014. It's a weekend festival of discussion, debate, culture, music and food in London and all comrades of the labour movement are welcome. For more information on the event and how to registered for attendance click on this link and check out the leaflet in this link.

Young Communist League Summer Camp 2014 (29/07/14 - 31/07/14): Taking place in Edale, the Young Communist League will be gathering together for a weekend of discussion, education and fun. This is a great opportunity for comrades to meet other YCL members from across Britain. To register for this event click on this link. But hurry, there aren't many places left! Also, if any YCL members in the south-west need any help at all attending this event, then please don't hesitate to contact me.

Also, don't forget to check out the South-West Communist Party of Britain website page for more news and events of what's going on in the area.That's all for now comrades, hope to catch you at the summer camp and wishing you all the best for the summer.

In solidarity,
Vincent

Cornwall Public Meeting - EU Exit Left

This April, the Cornwall branch of the Communist Party will be holding an open meeting on the No2EU campaign, in Truro. The main speaker, CPB general secretary Rob Griffiths will present the Socialist argument for withdrawal from the European Union. 

With unemployment in the Eurozone at a record high, and EU enforced Austerity causing huge problems for workers across the continent, it is time for a Socialist discussion on leaving the union.

The discussion will touch on problems facing young people in Europe, such as the high levels of youth unemployment, and YCL representatives will be attending. All young workers and students interested in socialist politics will be very welcome.

The meeting will take place on Saturday 12th April, at 2pm, at the GWR Staff Assoc. Club at Truro train station, TR1 3HH. The venue is simple to find; on leaving Truro train station, turn left, cross the forecourt and the Staff club is on a small rise ahead of you.

You are now leaving Working England, Welcome to Middle England: The socio-economic underachievement of Neo-Liberalism

Since the economic reform of the 1980s politicians like Blair, Thatcher and Prescott absolutely believe that the working class no longer exist and the majority of UK citizens are now middle class (Jones, 2011). This is most probably because they are afraid of the potential working class solidarity and the action it can generate as seen in the events of the Cuban revolution, the UK miners’ strike, the UK general strikes etc. In 2011 ‘Britain Thinks’ conducted research into class identification and results showed that around 71% of people claimed membership of the middle class (Shimshon and Mattinson, 2011). Great news! However the study barley holds any representation and generalisability for the UK population; the online poll used 2,000 participants which is the grand total of 0.003% of the overall residents living Britain, furthermore the study focused on areas of Leeds, London and Birmingham which means that it is difficult to generalise for other parts of the UK, especially when the rural South West and industrial North West aren’t taken into account.

However when party rhetoric falls short the media steps in with discrimination, alienation and mockery of working class communities; most famously the invention of folk devils such as ‘Vicky Pollard’ and’ Wayne and Waynetta Slob’ who are described and presented as feckless, drug using, lazy, benefit scrounging, lacking in self control and aggressive. These stereotypes help re-enforce unfair and fictitious views of the lower class in UK society which helps promote not only a hate and distrust towards them by the general population, but also leaving distrust among the working class themselves (Jones, 2011; Adams and Raisborough, 2011). Depictions of working class people using recreational drugs in TV shows like Shameless is the result of the increase in drug users, 40,000 extra, in the 1980’s under Thatcher, perhaps they forgot to mention it may be due to the ‘firing squad’ that the Tories led through their tearing up of public-sector jobs.

Report from YCL Congress

The 46th Congress of the Young Communist League was held on 30th June 2012. The Congress was held in the International Brigades room of The Marx Memorial Library. The aim on the congress was to amend, add to and generally improve the Political and International Resolutions which the executive committee uses to guide its work during the next two years.

Each district had already suggested amendments, so it was the duty of the congress to go through all of the amendments, discussing them and then voting whether to accept, accept in principal, accept in part or reject the amendment.

Congress started with the amendments to the political resolutions. Specific debate was had on to what extent the ConDem coalition had gained power “illegitimately” because it was a coalition government - it was eventually decided we cannot condemn coalition governments as Britain's Road to Socialism calls for one uniting progressive groups in an anti-monopoly alliance.