Sylvia Pankhurst

From; A Long Way From Home, Claude McKay; Pluto Press, London 1985. Originally published in 1937.

Workers' Memory, Comments on Pankhurst's "The Communist Party: Provisional Resolutions towards a Programme" (July 1920), from Communism #3

Introduction

Communist Party

(British section of the Third International)

Provisional resolutions towards a programme

(As outlined at the conference of June 19th and 20th, 1920, for the consideration of branches and individual members, pending the National Conference to be held in September. Amendments and additions should be sent to the Secretary for the conference agenda.)

* * *

Anton Pannekoek's letter -

DEAR COMRADE,

Online version by http://www.af-north.org

From "Workers' Voice", Liverpool, 1974

Version One Part One

Workers Dreadnought VOL. VIII. No. 37 Saturday, November 26th, 1921

Under Communism all shall satisfy their material needs without stint or measure from the common storehouse, according to their desires. Everyone will be able to have what he or she desires in food, in clothing, books, music, education and travel facilities. The abundant production now possible, and which invention will constantly facilitate, will remove any need for rationing or limiting of consumption.

This article by Sylvia Pankhurst, written in 1921 is a rejoinder to an appreciation by long-standing British Marxist and early member of the Communist Party, John B Askew. Sylvia argues that Hardie was always a class struggle politician and more influenced by Marx than many would have credited. Certainly her view is supported by a recent biography by Fred Reid (Keir Hardie: the Making of a Socialist) who shows that Hardie's early battles as an organiser for the Scottish miners convinced him of the centrality of class struggle and made him receptive to Marxist ideas.

PREFACE