General Secretary of the Young Communist League, Johnnie Hunter, discusses the reasons behind the October Revolution in Russia, its legacy and, most importantly, its significance today.
Daragh O’Neill considers Nigel Farage’s latest venture following on from the Brexit Party and what it means for politics in Britain.
As the Communist Party marks its 100th anniversary year, Tom Morrison, Scottish Secretary of the CP, looks to one of its most influential periods in the ’60s-70s where grassroots alliances were key.
President of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), Aritz Rodríguez, heralds the approaching 75th anniversary of this unique internationalist movement that now rallies in support of Lebanon.
Maxime Rigoulay recommends the new three part documentary series, The War On Cuba, by Belly of the Beast, which is a damning indictment of the US blockade on the socialist island in 2020.
YCL General Secretary, Johnnie Hunter, addresses the question of Scottish Independence and the options for working people in Scotland as we approach 2021.
Chair of the Communist Party, Liz Payne, shines a light on communist attitudes to global class struggle.
Julian Jones examines what the record gains of big tech companies during the COVID-19 pandemic mean for the Marxist understanding of capitalism, monopolisation and crisis in 2020.
Robert Griffiths, General Secretary of the Communist Party, was invited to speak at the (COVID-19 delayed!) International Scientific and Practical Conference in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, hosted by the Leningrad Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, last Saturday (17 October 2020). Challenge carries a transcript of the speech delivered by the CP General Secretary.
Last week saw the foundation of yet another new YCL branch, this time for Brighton and East Sussex, by young workers and students in the area.
Challenge republishes below the founding statement of the YCL’s newest branch which outlines their campaigning priorities – trade unionism, housing struggles, the student movement, environmentalism, anti-racism and anti-imperialism. As ever, the branch is unlikely to retain the title of newest branch for long with many new branches on the cards in South East England and across Britain …
If you are interested in getting involved in the YCL in Brighton & East Sussex (or further afield!) contact Brighton@ycl.org.uk or go to www.ycl.org.uk/join/.
Peter Stoddart reviews David Attenborough’s latest Netflix special which, while poignant, fails to deliver answers.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Sitaram Yechury, discusses the historic struggles of the CPI(M) in its centenary year and the contemporary struggle for secularism in the face of Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.
Full Moon at Tierz: Before The Storming of Huesca by John Cornford.
John Cornford from a relatively privileged families and attended Cambridge University. It was at Cambridge that he met and fell in love with Margot Heinemann and where they both joined the Communist Party. John’s mother, Frances Crofts Cornford, was a poet, and he himself was already writing poems at school.
After gaining a BA first-class honours in History, he became the first Englishman to enlist against Franco in the Spanish Civil War and was killed in battle on the Andujar and Cordoba Front on 27 or 28 December 1936.
Cornford wrote just a few poems in Spain, including A Letter from Aragon and the poem featured here Full Moon at Tierz: Before The Storming of Huesca.
Dennis Broe reviews Spike Lee’s recent and celebrated film which attempts to tackle the experience of African-American US soldiers during and after the Vietnam War.
In a question to the European Commission last week, the Communist Party of Greece’s (KKE) EU Parliamentary Group demanded the full and permanent return of the 2,500 year-old Parthenon Marbles, also known as the “Elgin Marbles” in Britain.
Jamie Perkins marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Gay Liberation Front and discusses its importance in the struggle for LGBT+ rights in Britain.
Last weekend (3/4 October 2020), young communists conducted home to home leafleting on estates in Cable Street scene of a famous battle against fascism in 1936. The three day campaign included a street stall, giant projection of a film on the Battle and postering, with a banner display on the Sunday.
In a speech delivered in 1962, Ernesto Che Guevara discusses the task of communist cadres in building socialism in Cuba – outlining fundamental lessons for young communists the world over.
On the 53rd anniversary of his death, Joe Weaver explains the origins of an iconic image of the world’s most famous revolutionary
Increasing state repression of left and democratic forces should come as no surprise – and communists must be prepared to tackle it head on, writes Robert Daw.
