Communist renewal no 7 2017 branch plans

Communist Renewal Bulletin No. 7 Dec 2016

UNITY IS ALL IMPORTANT

A Branch Plan of Work with a role for every member During the Renewal process so far, individual comrades, Branch District & Nation discussions, PC & EC and 54th Congress have all raised many issues for us all – too many to tackle all at once, but which are all interconnected, presenting great challenges and opportunities to build the Party in UNITY. Tackling them in stages, RENEWAL IS DO-ABLE, NOT JUST A SLOGAN!

The Branch Plan… and Branch agenda Branch Plans and lively agendas, flagged up by many comrades in discussion with the Renewal Team, and again at Congress are essential in sustaining focus to deal with the realities of the class struggle in a planned & organised way. The Party Handbook is essential reading https://issuu.com/communist_party/docs/cp_handbook_complete in this, as are our Party Rules. Some Branches are up and running with this and may offer ideas to others who are just developing in this direction. What must be taken into account in developing a Branch Plan? How can Branch meetings be purposeful every time? This is our ‘Renewal’ focus for the first few months of 2017.

The way we construct our Branch Plan and agenda needs to reflect our membership rules

Rule 15. Duties of members Party members shall have the duty, with the assistance of the Party…  to take part in the life and activities of their Party Branch and to attend its meetings wherever possible  to read the Morning Star and to help in every way the circulation of the paper  to improve their political knowledge and their understanding of Marxism-Leninism, to take part in the discussion and formation of Party policy, to win support for the aims and policy of the Party, and to win new members to the ranks  to equip themselves to take an active part in the working class movement, to belong to and assist in the work of their appropriate trade union or professional organisation and their cooperative society  to fight for the decisions of the Party, to observe Party discipline and to fight against everything detrimental to the interests of the working class and the Party

 ALL comrades taking part in the life & activities of their Branch We cannot be a cohesive force, maintain our commitment and discipline, or determine the way forward if we don’t meet, discuss, study and organise collectively, together. EVERY comrade, no matter how experienced, needs to be an active member of a Branch, and EVERY Branch needs all its members, taking into account of course the individual circumstances of each comrade.

Our Party rules are there for a reason – we need to apply them positively.  Is it possible for ALL comrades “to take part in life and activities of the Branch”? Work patterns, timing, venue, transport, childcare? Can we organise a “virtual branch” where comrades genuinely cannot attend?  Branch collective activity and discussion must be directly both INTERESTING & USEFUL to comrades if we expect full attendance. How do we plan this?  Does every member have a specific and agreed role in the Branch?  Does the Branch Plan include members & supporters social activities to develop comradeship & friendship?  Does the Branch have a planned recruitment strategy & process to recruit people on the basis of our rules?  What do we offer people who want to support the Party but who aren’t willing (yet) to attend & take part?

 Raising the profile of the Morning Star… and the Party The Party rules refer directly to “helping in every way the circulation of the Morning Star” and to “winning support for the aims and policy of the Party and winning new recruits to the ranks”  Is the Morning Star always on the Branch agenda – both content and sales?  Does the Branch write up local issues for the Star, and take it to the workers concerned?  Are Party street stalls, Star sales, socials and /or other high profile public events by members and supporters planned in to the year’s work?

 Communist Education, Cadre Development & Party Policy Communist Education lies at the heart of all Communist analysis, organisation, commitment and discipline, and together with Cadre development is the driver of Party effectiveness and growth.  How does the Branch Plan and Agenda deliver Communist Education? The Party is producing study guides to classic and contemporary texts – how will the Branch build this into the Plan of Work? Is it at normal Branch meetings or special sessions, District wide events, Party members only or by invitation, or public?  Is there a regular new/prospective members study? And cadre development events? Both in terms of practical skills, and in terms of developing sustained leadership qualities? How are these in Branch Plan?  Is there a Cadre leadership in the Branch in the form of a Branch Committee? How is this planned in?  Is each member of the Branch associated with at least one Party Commission – charged with providing the EC with policy advice, producing leaflets & pamphlets etc, proposing action etc? How does the Branch Plan include reports and feedback for discussion

 Offering a lead in the Working Class Movement  Branch discussion and analysis of the local area – specific political issues and struggles, industry/services, employment, communities, environment, etc – to arrive at a strategy for going forward?  Branch discussion & analysis of the local working class and progressive movement – Trades Unions, Trades Council, People’s Assembly, Anti-Racist, Environmental etc – to agree Party involvement and direction?  Are all comrades members of their trade union and/or professional organisation, and are they associated with one of the Party’s TU Advisories? Reports and discussions of these need to be planned in to Branch.  Do all comrades play an active part and role, agreed by the Branch, in the local movement appropriate to their various abilities and situations at various times?

 Fighting for Party Decisions & Observing Party Discipline In our a democratic centralist Party, the Branch is essential in DIRECTLY INVOLVING members in planned education, analysis, discussion and decision, Party democratic processes, policy and activity development.

That’s why it is a duty of ALL members to attend. Discipline cannot really be imposed. It is result of conviction and members’ confidence that democracy works in the Party, and they own the outcomes of it.

 Features of Party Branch Plans reported in current use.  A calendar for the year  Regular Branch days/dates  Regular contact with comrades who can’t attend  District & National events  A Branch Committee  A specific agreed role for each member in Branch organisation

 Analysis of the local area economy, communities etc  Identification of Branch’s local political priorities and local organisations to work in  A specific agreed role for each member in mass work  Morning Star sales

 A Communist Education program  A Cadre Development program  Public & Invitation events  Social & cultural activities  Recruitment study sessions  High Profile public events – Party street stalls