Communist Party General Secretary Robert Griffiths has issued the following New Year Message to all Communist Party members and supporters on 1 January 2025:
Keir Starmer’s Labour government has the biggest majority in the House of Commons since working-class women and men won the right to vote.
No reasonable person expected Starmer’s Labour would or could resolve Britain’s deep-seated, systemic economic, social and political problems – nor the fundamental contradictions of capitalism itself.
We have an economy that is severely unbalanced, unplanned and under-invested; and over-reliant on the City of London, a parasitic property market, inward foreign investment, and income from overseas operations. Moreover, this is an economy shot through with financial corruption that increasingly infects our political system.
On this rotten, unstable, inefficient and wasteful base rests the whole social and cultural superstructure of our society. Not surprisingly, then, we see how chronic problems of poverty, ill health, poor – or no – housing, domestic violence, self-destructive and anti-social behaviour persist. And this despite all the task forces, commissions of inquiry, parliamentary bills and prattle about ‘learning the lessons’ so that something or other ‘must never be allowed to happen again’.
No wonder millions of people are disillusioned, cynical and even defeatist about the prospects for real change. Labour is feeling the backlash against more broken promises as nothing really changes.
The big danger now is that right-wing, far right and fascist forces see an opportunity to capitalise on the political vacuum that has existed since before the last General Election. Labour’s vote fell by half a million back in July; only one-in-three voters and one-in-five electors plumped for Starmer’s pink elephant.
The Tories lost seven million votes and – in terms of the popular vote at least – the biggest winners were Reform UK (RUK), up by more than three million on the previous UKIP total.
But it won’t be enough to attack Reform UK and the gutter press only or even mainly on vital issues of immigration and racism.
For its part, the Communist Party will continue to expose the class character of RUK’s billionaire, pro-City, pro-Trump leadership and its right-wing views on taxation, privatisation, workers’ pay, women’s equality, trade unions, council housing, climate change, etc.
However, even this will not be enough. We need to show that the only alternative in the interests of working-class people is a left-wing programme: tax the super-rich and big business; renationalise energy, water, steel and mail; cut carbon emissions and create jobs; impose price controls on the monopolies; invest in public services; scrap Britain’s nuclear arsenal and rebuild manufacturing.
Our Communist Party has grown since January 2024. In the months leading up to our 58th party congress in November 2025, we must redouble our work in the trade union, peace and other progressive movements.
The English local elections on May 1 provide an ideal focus for raising the red banner in local communities, with the Communist Party and Young Communist League campaigning on housing, transport, food poverty and the powers and resources of local government.
Britain’s big capitalists are divided on the best way forward for their economic and political system. Who will best serve the interests of big business? Today’s captive Labour government or a stronger Reform UK in tomorrow’s alliance with the Tories?
For sure, the last thing the British ruling class wants to see is a Communist Party and Young Communist League growing in size and influence, helping to build a United Front of workers’ organisations at the core of a people’s front for economic progress, social justice, and a green and peaceful future. Communists have always fought for the rights and interests of the working class and the mass of the people, against racism and sexism, against capitalist exploitation and the crimes of imperialism.
Unlike Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, we are not silent in the face of Israel’s genocidal destruction of the Palestinian people.
That’s why the Communist Party says:
Palestine Will Be Free!
Build the Communist Party of Britain!
Long Live the International Communist Movement!
END.
For further information or to arrange an interview contact Johnnie Hunter, Communications Director, johnniehunter@communistparty.org.uk.