Socialist Party (CWI England & Wales) congress: Building and strengthening Marxism in a ‘new era’

Taking place in a ‘new era’ of unprecedented political volatility and turmoil, epitomised by Trump’s second presidency, 290 attended the Socialist Party’s three-day congress in Coventry, 15-17 March 2025.

“The most important meeting of the year for the Socialist Party – the highest decision-making body of our party – bringing together delegates from our branches to discuss perspectives and the key tasks we face,” Theo Sharieff, Socialist Party national campaigns organiser opened the congress.

In the weeks and months leading up to the event, Socialist Party branches discussed documents outlining our analysis of the political situation, our strategy and tasks. These documents were voted on throughout the weekend, and the National Committee elected as the party’s leadership body between congresses.

Introducing the discussion on the developing world situation, Tony Saunois, secretary of the Committee for a Workers’ International, explained how the congress was “taking place against the background of a new historic conjuncture internationally”. The Trump regime representing a “sharp rupture with the previous eras of the last decades.”

Trashed by Trumpism

“Changes are taking place by the hour. The world is full of uncertainties as the old world order is being ripped apart.” The global capitalist institutions – such as the UN, Nato, the IMF, and others – which, in the previous period of its unipolar dominance, US imperialism had adapted to pursue its own interests, are now being trashed by Trumpism.

By being forced to govern through right-populist figures like Trump, the ‘mask’ is being ripped from capitalism to reveal naked capitalist class and national interests, which can have a radicalising effect for important layers of workers and young people.

US capitalism is increasingly being challenged economically, above all by China’s growth. Trump’s protectionist policies and tariffs represent an acceleration of already developing trends. We are in a multipolar world, characterised by competition between the US and China, as well as with other competing capitalist nation states, with the smaller and regional powers trying to defend their own interests in an ever-shifting swirl of allegiances.

With that comes further economic instability and conflict, including in its sharpest expression of war, such as the horror that has been unfolding in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Objectively, socialism is more possible, and more necessary than ever. And yet, world events are “taking place in a situation where the working class at this stage does not have a mass political voice offering an alternative social system of socialism. The challenge to us is to resolve that contradiction as rapidly as possible,” Tony said.

Internationally, the working class is only just beginning to re-enter the scene of history. In the vast majority of countries, it does not have its own mass political organisations.

Britain’s inglorious decline

Introducing the discussion on Britain, Hannah Sell, Socialist Party general secretary, pointed to British capitalism’s “Long, slow and inglorious decline… only highlighted by Keir Starmer’s attempts to posture on the world stage.”

Britain’s economy is 22% smaller than if it had continued to grow at the pre-Great Recession trend, and the working class has been made to pay. The average worker is £200 a week worse off today than they would have been had the trend continued.

Starmer’s Labour government intends to ensure that it is once again the working class that is made to pay through a new round of austerity. “They might be embarrassed at it being called ‘operation chainsaw’, but that is the reality… ‘Less welfare, more warfare’ really is the mantra of Starmer’s government.

“They are proud about their plans to savage the benefits system. What more evidence is needed that this is a government acting in the interests of Britain’s capitalist class, with all its traditional cold cruelty?

“We can and should debate the timing and type of opposition this government will face. But we should be absolutely certain that it will face mass working-class opposition, and in more than one form.

“Capitalism is an ailing system. It is increasingly unable to meet the needs of the working class and the resulting anger gets both reactionary as well as positive expressions.”

Hannah explained how there is no government policy that can overcome the specific crisis of British capitalism and lead to healthy growth. During the era of peak globalisation, Britain took neoliberalism to extremes, with no regard of the medium or long-term consequences for British capitalism. Britain has an open economy and is outside of any major trading bloc. That “the nation state has come roaring back” in an era of increasing protectionism and trade barriers is a “nightmare for British capitalism”.

Starmer “crawling on his belly in front of Trump in an attempt to avoid tariffs” has already failed. In fact, with the EU as Britain’s biggest trading partner, and US its second biggest, Britain won’t ‘act as a bridge’ but will instead find itself “falling down the hole in the middle. British capitalism can only lose in this multipolar world.”

And so already existing working-class rage at worsening conditions will only rise. This rage took down the Tories to their worst-ever electoral result.

This Labour government came to power with the shallowest social base of any government since the introduction of universal suffrage in 1918. And the general election was its high point. It has become increasingly hated since!

Labour, like the Tories, faces being torn apart as a result of the pressures of acting in the interests of British capitalism in this era of even greater crises than those of the last 14 years.

There can even be pro-capitalist Labour politicians who decide they don’t like what this government is doing, potentially provoking splits or leading to the false argument that what is needed is a different Labour leader. There can also be the argument that the workers’ movement should ‘ignore electoral politics and rely on industrial muscle alone’. Which can sound radical, but in reality means leaving the field open for capitalist politicians.

Working-class authority

In the period during which the mass working-class organisations have not yet stamped their authority on the political scene, all sorts of forces can try to fill the space – including with plans to launch new political parties and so on. The Socialist Party takes part in those processes, working with others, including by standing in this May’s local council elections as part of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition – at every stage pointing towards what can be done to fight for a real mass workers’ party.

An important feature of the discussions throughout congress was how the Socialist Party can most skilfully and effectively use a united front approach, to work together with other forces in the workers’ movement, maintaining our own political organisation and programme, demonstrating in practice our ideas and approach to those involved in struggle.

As an expression of anger, in the absence of the working class having its own mass party, sections of the working class can give electoral support to Reform or other right-populist formations.

At the same time, big sections of the working class, including importantly a majority of trade union activists, are horrified by the growth of Reform – correctly concerned about the threat of greater division and of racist attacks, for example. Reform leading a bidding war with Labour and the Tories about who can be the most anti-migrant will increase tensions.

In response to the racist riots in the summer, the mood in society was overwhelmingly one of horror and opposition to racist attacks – as seen by the huge turnout on and support for counterprotests.

The Socialist Party points to the central role that the trade union movement can play in combating racism. Including by fighting for the Trades Union Congress policy of campaigning for ‘Job, homes and services – not racism’ to be properly executed. A real fight for jobs, homes and services against racism requires a struggle against this austerity Labour government.

Right wing populist ‘Reform’ threat

Trade union leaders and others will increasingly use the threat of Reform to argue for the need to support Labour. But the need for a working-class political alternative to Labour, Reform and the Tories is on the agenda. This will be further highlighted by the class battles that are coming.

Starmer’s Labour offers no real concessions for the working class. Despite its promises to repeal some of the anti-strike laws, they will remain among the most repressive in the western world. Even then, the promise to remove the undemocratic strike ballot thresholds is being dragged out and the thresholds remain on the statute books.

Clearly they did not stop national strike action during the strike wave, and there is a real possibility of national coordinated public sector strike action over pay and against cuts. The Socialist Party has an important role to play fighting for steps in that direction. So too to help cohere the best layer of fighters in the trade unions – including the important new layer brought into activity during the strike wave – in fighting broad left organisations to transform our unions.

Trade union struggle

Paula Mitchell, Socialist Party Executive Committee, introduced the discussion on ‘Strengthening Marxism in the trade unions’. Socialist Party members are, with others, challenging for the leadership in key trade unions. For example, the PCS civil service and outsourced workers union, where Socialist Party member Marion Lloyd is fighting to become President, along with others, aiming to win a decisive majority for the left on the union’s national executive.

In the week leading up to congress, the number of Socialist Party members on the University and College Union National Executive Committee increased from one to two, and two members were elected to the executive of the National Education Union (NEU) unopposed. Two more are up for election in the coming weeks. There are also seven Socialist Party members standing in public sector union Unison’s National Executive Council elections.

A key task for all those in the leadership of the public sector unions is to press for a fighting response to Labour austerity – defending jobs and pay. Alongside that, arguing to reject the false promise of so-called ‘social partnership’, between the employers, Labour government and unions – which aims to shackle the unions into a consensus with this austerity government. Socialist Party members who are existing members of the NEU Executive have been to the fore resisting such moves.

In retail workers’ union Usdaw, a union where the right-wing leadership has a long history of ‘partnership’ with the capitalist bosses, Socialist Party member Scott Jones is seeking nominations to stand for Deputy General Secretary, a position opened up after both general secretary Paddy Lillis and the deputy general secretary announced their retirement.

As Hannah put it, for the trade union leaders: “The only option is to fight or give in to savage austerity. It’s no coincidence that there has been a whole host of trade union general secretaries deciding instead to enjoy retirement.”

There are not currently any national trade union leaders posing the question of the working class having its own mass party. But it is posed more sharply now than it has ever been, and that is why the Socialist Party fights for every possible step in that direction.

A party of our own

“We call for a new mass workers’ party because we are fighting for the working class to take power and overthrow capitalism. Having its own party is an essential step for our class to see itself as a potential governmental alternative.

“The working class having its own party is necessary, but we don’t leave it there. At every stage we link it and the need for fighting unions to the socialist programme required. And to build our revolutionary party to speed up the development of working-class struggle.”

Theo Sharieff introduced the discussion on ‘Building our party in 2025’, a discussion which grappled with the challenges and opportunities to build the Socialist Party, presented by the developing political situation. An important aspect being to develop a new layer of Socialist Party members as fighters for our ideas.

By voting to endorse the ‘organisation resolution’ the congress agreed to commit to step up work in key fields, at all stages striving to use the work as a means to recruit and develop new members. The key fields include campaigning among youth and students – an area which the Socialist Party has strengthened in the last year, as demonstrated in the discussion on ‘building the fight for socialism on the campuses’.

The campaigning Socialist Students has been engaged in with the Funding not Fees campaign has been vital preparation to respond to attacks on students which are coming down the track. These attacks are driven by the university funding crisis which is already seeing uni bosses carry out thousands of redundancies and course closures.

Discussions on the role of party media highlighted the central role the Socialist newspaper can play in building and strengthening the Socialist Party, as well as bringing ideas of how to further develop the party’s social media.

Resources are essential to perform all of the tasks agreed. A discussion on finance pointed to the essential political task of increasing members’ subs – monthly financial contributions towards the running of our party – as well as all aspects of fundraising.

The fantastic £40,402 raised during the fighting fund appeal, delivered by former Coventry Labour MP and now Socialist Party National Committee member Dave Nellist, was an indication of the political confidence, enthusiasm and determination that ran through the congress.

In reporting on the work of the Committee for a Workers’ International, Bob Labi highlighted the equally determined work of our socialist co-thinkers worldwide. Including those faced with brutal repression, like Michael Lenin facing charges of treason in Nigeria, and with the challenge of intervening into mass movements and uprisings. Bob launched the CWI financial appeal, helping to fund the 16th World Congress of the CWI taking place in Berlin in July.

The period of discussion preceding congress, the event itself, and the follow up in its aftermath are vital preparations for our party. With a clear political perspective, and agreement on our strategies and tasks that flow from that, we can be the most effective force fighting for Marxist ideas in 2025. Further developing our party to take part in the enormous class struggles that will unfold in Britain and internationally.

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