• Socialist Alliance
• Communist Party of Great Britain
• Socialist Unity Network
• Socialist Workers Party
• Scottish Socialist Party
• Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement
• Republican Communist Network

From state capitalism to revolutionary democracy
The RDG was founded in1983 by Socialist Workers Party members, who had been part of the SWP’s Republican Faction. Our ideas about revolutionary democracy were developed in conflict with the economism of the SWP.

The following appeared in Weekly Worker 291 May 20 1999 under the headline “Rapprochement moves” about the coming together of the three organisations as revolutionary democratic communists

On April 12 th 1999 the CPGB and RDG wrote a joint letter to the Alliance for Workers Liberty (AWL). We asked them if they agreed or did not disagree with the Revolutionary Democratic Communist platform based on the four slogans below

• For revolutionary democracy
• For workers power
• For international socialism
• For world communism

The AWL replied on April 30 th officially confirming what we knew about their politics and thus endorsing the platform.

For many years the British communist movement was divided into three main tendencies, the Stalinist, Trotskyist, and State Capitalist. The reference point for all three was their different analyses of the USSR. Now with the end off the USSR the process of rapprochement points to the beginning of an alternative tendency. The revolutionary democratic communist tendency exists only as an idea. There is no common programme, publication, or organisation. Nevertheless nobody should underestimate the power of the four slogans as a rallying point for communists.  

The platform is therefore important because it marks out the political territory for the beginning of a new fourth tendency. In effect the CPGB, RDG and AWL live in separate houses in the same street. It makes sense for us to recognize that we have common interests. It makes sense for us to find out who else lives in our street and to co-operate together to improve the common environment in which we live.

We know that the Campaign for a Federal Republic supports the four slogans, as does the British section of the International Bolshevik Tendency. The latter group is frightened to talk to their neighbours for fear of getting caught up in something they can’t handle. At the same time we have seen furious denunciations of the slogans of revolutionary democracy from assorted Trotskyists who claim live in ‘ Leon Trotsky Road’. It is worth saying that if Trotsky were alive he would never have lived there!

To: Alliance for Workers' Liberty Executive Committee
April 12 1999

Dear comrades

We sent you the enclosed platform, which was recently published in Workers' Liberty. We have been told by a leading comrade of the AWL that in his opinion there is nothing in the platform that the AWL would disagree with. We would request that the AWL formally confirm this. We will then submit further proposals for your consideration.

Yours in comradeship
CPGB (Provisional Central Committee)
RDG

To: CPGB/RDG
April 30 1999

Dear comrades

Thanks for your letter/four-point statement (April 12). We agree, at least
formally, with your statement, 'Revolutionary democratic communism'. We're not sure, however, how far this takes us. We await your "further proposals"!

Best wishes
Mark Osborn
For the AWL's EC

The AWL inquires as to our further proposals. First, we have planned a meeting on the subject of ‘why revolutionaries fight for democracy in the struggle for communism?’ at the AWL left unity school on April 19 th. This will be held at the University of London Union in Malet Street. The CPGB and RDG will be discussing what common proposals we can put to the AWL for future unity.

Dave Craig
RDG

A Revolutionary Democratic Communist platform

1. For revolutionary democracy

We hold a revolutionary democratic attitude to all questions of bourgeois democracy.(e.g. civil liberties, women’s rights, national question, racism, constitutional change etc.) We utilise bourgeois democracy, defend it against all anti-democratic forces, including the capitalists and the fascists. We seek to extend all democratic rights by mass struggle and revolutionary action. We consider the working class is the only genuinely democratic class under capitalism. We consider that the working class can become the leading force in society by championing the struggle for democracy.

2. For workers power

We support the democratic self organisation of the working class in trade unions, workplaces and communities. We are in favour of workers control of all industries and services. We are in favour of replacing parliamentary democracy with a more advanced form of democracy, based on workplace and workers councils electing delegates to a workers parliament. This must be defended by an armed working class organised as the state. (i.e. the dictatorship of the proletariat)

3. For international socialism

Socialism cannot be built in one or a few countries. It must be developed by the international organisation of the working class. Socialism is the transitional period between world capitalism and communism.

4. For world communism

Our aim is to abolish the world market system of capitalism and replace it by world communism. Communist society is a classless world-wide community based on global planning, co-operation and mutual solidarity between the people of the world.