I want to be involved in politics, actually do something rather than just complain about the world online all day.
That is why I joined the CPB but I have been feeling disappointed in my experience so far aside from a few good moments here and there. In retrospect I also should have done more research on them before applying, they have a lot of past controversies and bizarre, arguably reactionary views.
But my other options, aren’t great neither. You’ve got: The Greens which are Eco-Socialists I guess, not exactly M-L’s but they’re doing well at least. Labour are right-wing neoliberals now so they’re completely out of the question. ‘Your Party’ was supposed to be the up and coming democratic socialistic left, pro-Palestine party but mostly fell apart and might remain irrelevant. RedFightback no longer exists since 2023 which from what I can tell were created as the alternative to the other shite out there. The CPGB-ML are from what I can tell are even worse than the CPB.
Am I missing something (like some mystical British M-L communist group which is everything I could dream of but have yet to hear of) or is there really nowhere that makes much sense to join? Is the state of the current communist movement in the UK genuinely this dire? Do I have to ‘do a Hasan Piker’ by joining the Greens and hope to turn their members further left?
Help, I want to actively be involved in building socialism in my country, get organised in my community but have nowhere I can see where I would feel that I truly belong!
Relevant texts on the TERF (Trans exclusionary radical feminists) stuff I have been reading through, the CPB are mentioned in both:
Best bet right now is join and be active in your trade unions and local community/hobby groups, with a view to finding like-minded people and making new like-minded people. From there, book clubs etc. can be organised with interested people, and the skeleton of the party form can be constructed. As you may have already found out, not all CPB comrades are reactionary, and it may be worth continuing to work in a limited capacity with them on local issues and in national pressure groups like the Palestine and Cuba solidarity campaign groups, Stop the War coalition and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. There’s a lot of space for organising on socialist issues not as a member of a particular party in Britain, which does owe to the considerable effort put in by those same parties that do take reactionary lines. These ‘united front’ style entities exist precisely because the parties want to ensure that on specific issues people can be aligned without needing to agree on absolutely everything else.
Maybe you’re right, I just wouldn’t even know where/how to begin. I’m not great at socialising, organising nor motivating myself individually to do such things.
Really I could do with being trained by someone, which I expected the CPB would at least to some extent do with newer members but they don’t, infact I have brought this up to my branch but have heard nothing back about it. Because they’re shit.
You could start by joining your local Cuba solidarity campaign group online then attending their meetings. That’s a good babysteps easy and concrete thing you could try.
Okay, one step at a time, thanks for the recommendation comrade