Revolutionary Communist Party (UK, 1944)

Political party in the United Kingdom

Not to be confused with Revolutionary Communist Party (UK, 1978) or Revolutionary Communist Party (UK, 2024).

Revolutionary Communist Party

Leader| Jock Haston
Founded| 1944
Dissolved| 1950
Merger of| Workers' International League
Revolutionary Socialist League
Succeeded by| Socialist Review Group
The Club
Ideology| Trotskyism
Political position| Far-left
International affiliation| Fourth International

* Politics of the United Kingdom
* Political parties
* Elections

The Revolutionary Communist Party was a British Trotskyist group, formed in 1944 and active until 1949, which published the newspaper Socialist Appeal and a theoretical journal, Workers International News.[1][2][3] The party was the ancestor of the three main currents of British Trotskyism: Gerry Healy's Workers Revolutionary Party, Ted Grant's Militant tendency and Tony Cliff's Socialist Workers Party.

Part of a series on

Trotskyism

Concepts

* Anti-Stalinism
* Critique of political economy
* Deformed workers' state
* Degenerated workers' state
* French Turn
* Leninism
* Economic planning
* Permanent revolution
* Political revolution
* Proletarian internationalism
* Social revolution
* Soviet democracy
* Substitutionism
* Transitional demand
* Uneven and combined development
* United front
* Vanguard party
* World revolution

People

* Leon Trotsky
* Ted Grant
* Alan Woods
* Ivan Smirnov
* Yevgeni Preobrazhensky
* James P. Cannon
* Tony Cliff
* Pierre Frank
* Joseph Hansen
* George Novack
* Gerry Healy
* C. L. R. James
* Pierre Lambert
* Livio Maitan
* Ernest Mandel
* Nahuel Moreno
* Michel Pablo
* J. Posadas

Current Internationals

* Committee for a Workers' International (refounded)
* Fourth International (post-reunification)
* International Committee of the Fourth International
* International Communist League
* International Revolutionary Left
* International Socialist Alternative
* International Socialist Tendency
* International Workers' League
* International Workers' Unity
* League for the Fourth International
* Revolutionary Communist International
* Trotskyist Fraction

Historical Internationals

* Fourth International

* Committee for a Workers' International (1974–2019)
* Fourth International Posadist
* International League for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International
* Liaison Committee for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International
* Permanent Revolution
* Revolutionary Workers Ferment
* Trotskyist International Liaison Committee

Branches

* Orthodox Trotskyism
* Third camp
* Posadism
* Pabloism

Related topics

* Leon Trotsky
* Orthodox Marxism
* Leninism
* List of Trotskyist internationals
* List of Trotskyist organizations by country
* October Revolution

* Communism portal
* Socialism portal
* Politics portal

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## References[edit]

1. ^ Wade, Bob (27 July 2006). "Ted Grant: Trotskyite behind the Militant Tendency's infiltration of the Labour party". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
2. ^ Shipley, Peter (1983). The Militant Tendency: Trotskyism in the Labour Party. Richmond: Foreign Affairs Publishing Co. Ltd. pp. 22–23.
3. ^ Grant, Ted (2002). A History of British Trotskyism. London: Wellred. p. 107.

## Further reading[edit]

* Upham, Martin, 'The History of British Trotskyism to 1949' (PhD thesis), on the Marxists.org mirror of the Revolutionary History website.

## External links[edit]

* Archive of the Socialist Appeal, paper of the RCP from Bill Hunter's website

Preceded by

Revolutionary Socialist League

|  British Section of the Fourth International
1944–1949  | Succeeded by

The Club

|
|

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Far-left politics in the United Kingdom

Groups|

| Extant|

| Marxist–Leninist|

* Communist Party of Britain
* Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist)
* Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist)
* Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee)
* Communist Party of Ireland
* EPSR Supporters
* Irish Republican Socialist Party
* New Communist Party
* Revolutionary Communist Group
* Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist)
* Stalin Society
* Workers' Party of Ireland

|

Trotskyist|

* Alliance for Workers' Liberty
* International Socialist League
* Militant Left (Ireland)
* Revolutionary Communist Party
* Socialist Action
* Socialist Alternative
* Socialist Democracy (Ireland)
* Socialist Equality Party
* Socialist Party (England and Wales)
* Socialist Party (Ireland)
* Socialist Party Scotland
* Socialist Resistance
* Socialist Workers Network (Ireland)
* Socialist Workers Party
* Solidarity (Scotland)
* Spartacist League
* Workers' Fight
* WIRFI Supporters
* Workers' Power
* Workers Revolutionary Party

Anarchist|

* Anarchist Federation
* Class War
* Freedom Press
* Solidarity Federation

Miscellaneous|

* 32 County Sovereignty Movement
* Communist League
* Communist Workers' Organisation
* Counterfire
* Independent Working Class Association
* Industrial Workers of the World
* London Black Revolutionaries
* Saoradh
* Socialist Party of Great Britain
* Socialist Studies
* Workers Party of Britain

Electoral alliances|

* Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Defunct|

| Marxist–Leninist|

* Association of Communist Workers
* British and Irish Communist Organisation
* Committee to Defeat Revisionism, for Communist Unity
* Communist Labour Party (Scotland)
* Communist League of Great Britain
* Communist Organisation in the British Isles
* Communist Party of Great Britain
* Communist Party of Scotland
* Communist Workers League of Britain (Marxist–Leninist)
* Marxist Forum
* Revolutionary Communist League of Britain
* Revolutionary Internationalist Contingent
* Revolutionary Marxist–Leninist League
* Revolutionary Policy Committee
* South Wales Socialist Society
* Straight Left
* Workers' Institute of Marxism–Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought
* Workers Party of Scotland
* Working People's Party of England

|

Trotskyist|

* The Club
* Communist Forum
* Communist League (1932)
* Communist League (1990)
* International Group
* International Marxist Group
* International Socialist Group
* International Socialist Group (Scotland)
* International Socialist Movement
* International Socialist Network
* League for Socialist Action
* Left Fraction
* Leninist League
* Marxist Group
* Marxist Party
* Marxist Worker
* Militant Group
* Militant Tendency
* Movement for Socialism
* Permanent Revolution
* Red Action
* Revolutionary Communist League (Chartist)
* Revolutionary Communist Party (1944)
* Revolutionary Communist Party (1978)
* Revolutionary Democratic Group
* Revolutionary Socialist League (1938)
* Revolutionary Socialist League (1957)
* Revolutionary Socialist Party
* Revolutionary Workers' Party
* Scottish Militant Labour
* Socialist Alternatives
* Socialist Democracy Group
* Socialist Group
* Socialist Labour Group
* Socialist Solidarity Network
* Socialist Unity Network
* Workers' International League (1937)
* Workers' International League (1985)
* Workers' Internationalist League
* Workers League
* Workers' Socialist League

Anarchist|

* Anarchist Federation of Britain
* Anarchist Workers Association
* The Angry Brigade
* King Mob
* Movement Against the Monarchy
* Space Hijackers
* United Socialist Movement
* WOMBLES

Miscellaneous|

* Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation
* Big Flame
* Communist Bulletin Group
* Communist League (1847)
* Communist League (1919)
* Communist Party (British Section of the Third International)
* Communist Party of South Wales and the West of England
* Communist Unity Group
* Industrial Syndicalist Education League
* Industrial Workers of Great Britain
* Labour Against the Witchhunt
* Labour Emancipation League
* Respect Party
* Revolutionary Socialist Party
* Scottish Workers' Republican Party
* Socialist Labour Party (1903)
* Socialist League
* Socialist Propaganda League
* Solidarity
* Workers' Socialist Federation

Electoral alliances|

* Red Front
* Socialist Unity

* v
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Militant – Socialist Party

General|

* Revolutionary Communist Party
* The Club
* Revolutionary Socialist League
* Trotskyism
* Entryism
* Labour Party
* Open Turn
* Committee for a Workers' International
* Militant in Liverpool
* The Socialist

General Secretary|

* Jimmy Deane (1957–1965)
* Peter Taaffe (1965–2020)
* Hannah Sell (2020–present)

Prominent current or former members|

* Terry Fields
* Ted Grant
* Peter Hadden
* Derek Hatton
* Ellis Hillman
* John Macreadie
* Lesley Mahmood
* Tony Mulhearn
* Dave Nellist
* Pat Wall
* Matt Wrack

Affiliated|

* Campaign for a New Workers' Party
* All-Britain Anti-Poll Tax Federation
* Labour Party Young Socialists
* Show Racism the Red Card
* Socialist Party Scotland (earlier Scottish Militant Labour)
* Socialist Students
* Youth against Racism in Europe

Splinter groups|

* Revolutionary Communist Party (UK, 2024) Formerly Socialist Appeal
* Socialist Solidarity Network (later Socialist Resistance)
* Socialist Alternative

Related|

* Far-left politics in the United Kingdom
* Socialist Alliance (England)
* Socialist Green Unity Coalition
* Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

* v
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Socialist Workers Party (UK)

General|

* Revolutionary Communist Party
* The Club
* Trotskyism
* Entryism
* Democratic centralism
* Third Camp
* International Socialist Tendency
* Socialist Workers' Student Society

National Leadership|

* Tony Cliff (1950–2000)
* Chris Harman (1977–2004)
* Duncan Hallas (1968–1995)
* Alex Callinicos (1980s–present)
* John Rees (1982–2009)
* Lindsey German (1982–2009)
* Martin Smith (2004–2011)
* Charlie Kimber (2011–present)

Publications|

* Socialist Worker
* Socialist Review
* International Socialism

Electoral alliances|

* Socialist Alliance (1999–2004)
* Respect – The Unity Coalition (2004–2007)
* Left Alternative (2008–2009)
* Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (2010–2017)

Related|

* Far-left politics in the United Kingdom
* European Anti-Capitalist Left
* Red Lion Square disorders

* v
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* e

Workers Revolutionary Party

General|

* Revolutionary Communist Party
* The Club
* Socialist Outlook
* Trotskyism
* Entryism
* International Committee of the Fourth International
* The News Line

National Leadership|

* Gerry Healy (1959—1978)
* Michael Banda (1978—1985)
* Gerry Healy (1985—1987)
* Sheila Torrance (1987—present)

Derivatives|

* Solidarity
* Workers' Socialist League
* Socialist Labour Group
* Workers Party
* Workers' Revolutionary Party (Workers Press) (later Communist Forum, International Socialist League and Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International)
* Workers' International League
* Socialist Equality Party
* Marxist Party (later Communist League and Peace and Progress Party)

Related|

* Far-left politics in the United Kingdom

Authority control databases |

* ISNI
* VIAF

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