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The Trades Union Congress recently passed a motion called “Solidarity with Ukraine”. Full of grand sounding phrases about “fighting tyranny”, its essence is to offer support to the British ruling class in its intervention, which is motivated by imperialist aims.

This is a scandalous position which goes against the interests of workers in the west, in Ukraine, and in Russia too. This is a reactionary war between US imperialism and its NATO allies on one side, and Russian imperialism on the other. A victory of either side will not lead to Ukrainian “sovereignty”, but further domination of the country by one or the other imperialist powers.

A real working-class position would start by denouncing the hypocrisy of the UK government’s foreign policy, highlighting its imperialist aims, and demanding that not a penny is spent on foreign military adventures, while millions are being cut from social spending at home.

In this session, Hamid Alizadeh will show why the only way forward is proletarian internationalism. Communists in each country must fight their main enemy — their ruling class at home.

Recommended reading: Britain: TUC Congress – solidarity with Ukraine, or support for NATO imperialism?

Further reading: The war in Ukraine: For an internationalist class position / West faces humiliation in Ukraine / War and the 2nd International (V.I. Lenin)

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When we take any country in the world today, we can see a deep dissatisfaction building among its masses. There is a growing layer of workers and youth who are sick of the capitalist system, who are beginning to look toward revolutionary solutions. To connect these layers to the fight for communism, we need to build an international revolutionary leadership, steeled in Marxist theory.

The IMT traces its roots all the way through the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Internationals. In the post-war period, there was a general retreat by the forces of genuine Marxism, and the left was dominated by Stalinism and reformism. While other groups were preparing for a Third World War or denying the existence of the working class, our tendency put up a firm defence of the theories and traditions of Marxism — which have been proved correct at every turn.

In this session, Fred Weston will discuss the history of the International Marxist Tendency, and why, by building on the firm basis of theory, it has been able to emerge as the strongest revolutionary force amongst workers and youth internationally.

Recommended reading: The class, the party and the leadership: How to organize revolution

Further reading: History of British Trotskyism / The Unbroken Thread

The rapid fall of the French-backed government in Niger is only the latest in a series of anti-French coups in the Sahel, a region beset by instability and imperialist interference. Having suffered setbacks across the so-called ‘coup belt’, from Guinea to Sudan, French imperialism and its allies are in a state of panic.

The desire of the African masses to expel Western imperialism is thoroughly progressive, and will be a driving force in the revolution across Africa. But the imperialists to the east, both Russia and China, are seizing the opportunity to cover their own desires of domination in flowery phrases about ‘democracy’, ‘development’, the ‘rule of law’. This is taken straight out of Western imperialism’s playbook.

In this session, Josh Holroyd will discuss the collapse of French imperialism in West Africa, and why, if the revolution is to succeed, the masses of Africa must rely on their own strength, and the support of the international working class.

Recommended reading: French imperialism is collapsing in West Africa

Further reading: Coup in Niger reflects tectonic shifts in Africa / Coup in Gabon: pressure continues to build on the African continent / Senegal: instability intensifies in West Africa

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Monday 11th September 2023 marked 50 years since the coup in Chile, when General Pinochet and the military – backed by US imperialism – violently overthrew the socialist government of Salvador Allende.

Allende’s election was the first time in history that a candidate who identified as a Marxist came to power through the electoral route. As president, however, Allende failed to carry the revolution through to its conclusion. The ensuing counterrevolution was relentless. The cost was paid by millions of Chilean workers.

In this session, Jorge Martin will detail essential lessons on the state and the limits of reformism from the coup in Chile — lessons we must absorb for the sake of future class struggle.

Recommended reading: 50 years since Pinochet’s coup in Chile: The defeat of reformism

Further reading: Lessons of Chile 1973

The events of the Russian revolution were the greatest in all human history. For the first time, the exploited masses fought back and won. The revolution birthed the most progressive state the world had ever seen, with the Communist International — led by Lenin and Trotsky — becoming a beacon of internationalism, inspiring workers and poor everywhere.

And yet, within 10 years, the Soviet Union had degenerated into a bureaucratic and totalitarian regime. The Communist International went from a harbinger of world revolution to a tool for the narrow, national interests of the Soviet bureaucracy, with Stalin at its head.

How did this happen? Was bureaucratic degeneration inherent in Bolshevism, as many academics like to claim?

In this session, Rob Sewell will discuss the main processes that led to the degeneration of the Russian revolution, answering the question: What is Stalinism?

Recommended reading: The death of Stalin – and the disaster of Stalinism

Further reading: The Revolution Betrayed (Trotsky)

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The Iranian revolution was one of the most inspiring revolutionary episodes of the post-war period. Here, without any pre-adopted plan, programme, leadership or organisation, the Iranian masses rose up against the Shah regime, a key ally of US imperialism notorious around the world for its brutality.

Not only did the movement sweep this decrepit regime away, it also managed to push out the old ruling class and take charge of the whole of the economy. With factory and neighbourhood councils rising everywhere, power was in the hands of the working class and the poor. And yet, this power was not consolidated, leading to the decline and defeat of the revolution.

In this session, Hamid Alizadeh will discuss this great historic drama, which holds a wealth of lessons for revolutionaries today — not only in Iran, but across the world where the working class is preparing to go onto to he offensive once again.

Recommended reading: Thirty years since the Iranian Revolution

Further reading: The Iranian Revolution

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We’re told we live in a democracy, but right now it looks like whoever we vote for we’re going to get pretty much the same thing. What’s democratic about that?

We’re told we have rights like freedom of speech and a free press, but the government is banning protests and the newspapers are all owned by billionaires. What’s the point of these “rights” if they don’t actually mean anything?

Some people say proportional representation will bring more democracy, or maybe more regional mayors. But that hasn’t worked in other countries, why would it work here?

The fact is that the world is run by and for the rich. They decide everything, and it always benefits them. The rest of us don’t get a say, and we just have to accept whatever they do. That isn’t democracy, that’s a dictatorship.

This session with Ben Gliniecki is going to give us the arguments we need to prove that what we live in today isn’t a real democracy. It will give the vision for what socialist democracy will look like.

Recommended reading: The role of the state and social democracy

Further reading: The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky (V.I. Lenin) / Thesis and Report on Bourgeois Democracy and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (V.I. Lenin)

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Following the 1905 revolution, Leon Trotsky arrived at a brilliant development of Marxist theory. He concluded that, in backward countries in the epoch of imperialism, the capitalist class was unable to lead their own bourgeois-democratic revolution. Instead, this task was left to the working class, leading the peasantry behind it. Once in power, however, they would not be able to stop here; they would push on towards socialist tasks.

Additionally, since socialism can’t be achieved in one country, it would have to be spread internationally. In that sense, the revolution would be ‘permanent’. Quite apart from being a deviation from Marxism, it extended Marx’s own analysis of Germany in 1848 to its logical conclusion. The test of any theory is practice.

In this talk, Jack Halinski-Fitzpatrick will demonstrate that Trotsky’s theory was proven correct, positively in the 1917 Russian Revolution and negatively in China in the 1920s. This contrasts with the so-called theory of socialism in one country, which is not a theory whatsoever, but an empirically-deduced reflection of the interests of the ruling bureaucracy of the USSR, after it had degenerated.

This question is not an outdated academic debate, but an important question that the communist movement must be clear on, in order to guide the struggle today.

Recommended reading: In Defence of Trotsky: A reply to the Morning Star

Further reading: The Permanent Revolution (Trotsky) / Results and Prospects (Trotsky)

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The powerful rise of the Scottish independence movement once struck fear into the British ruling class, threatening to break the United Kingdom and raise the rebellious spirit of the working class. Nearly ten years since the referendum that unleashed opposition to Tory Britain, and raised the Scottish National Party to unprecedented support, the movement is at a crossroads.

The SNP leadership clique have proven themselves to be politically bankrupt, unable to retain their rosy reformist image as they carry out attacks on the working class, and completely lack any sincere strategy for the independence movement. Those who realise the bankruptcy of petty-bourgeois nationalism are looking for a way forward, in the class struggle and the fight for national self-determination.

In this session, Shaun Morris will discuss the crisis faced by Scottish nationalism, and why we can look toward the class struggle for a way forward for the fight for independence.

Recommended reading: SNP’s troubles have just begun — Prepare for class struggle!

Further reading: Marxists and the national question

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Following the brutality forced upon the working class by the First World War, and the epoch making events of Red October in Russia 1917, the powder keg of revolution was ignited in Germany.

The German revolution of 1918 saw the splitting of the armed forces on class lines. From the 3rd to the 9th of November that year, Sailors’, Soldiers’, and Workers’ councils (Soviets) seized the major cities, including Berlin, with little to no resistance. Renditions of the Internationale rang throughout the streets.

Socialism in Germany appeared to be within reach. But there was a key ingredient missing — a hardened revolutionary leadership like that of the Bolsheviks. The reformist leaders, in a move of utter betrayal, handed the revolution to the capitalist class, who organised the Freikorps for the execution the of the revolution’s most essential cadre, including Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.

The years to follow would see the working class make several more attempts to seize power, each ending in defeat. Had they succeeded, the isolation of Russia would have been broken, and the revolutionary wave would have continued throughout Western Europe. Capitalism could have been destroyed.

In this session, Andy Southwark will draw out the lessons of the German revolution that we cannot afford to ignore in the fight for communism today.

Recommended reading: The German Revolution of 1918

Further reading: When the communists ruled in Bavaria / Germany 1918-1933: Socialism or Barbarism / The Revolutionary Legacy of Rosa Luxemburg

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More and more workers and youth all over the world are being drawn to the ideas and banner of communism, much to the anger and anxiety of the bosses, bankers, and bourgeois politicians.

With capitalism at a total impasse — and no end in sight to wars, economic hardship, state violence, and oppression — the growing enthusiasm for a revolutionary alternative is hardly surprising. The inspiring legacy and accomplishments of the October Revolution of 1917, and the heroic lineage of generations of communists struggling for a better world, offer a beacon of hope to humanity amidst the chaos and catastrophe of capitalist crisis.

But what is communism? What does it mean to be a communist in the 21st Century? In this plenary session at the Revolution Festival, Alan Woods will discuss why we are communists, and why only the fight for communism can rid us of the nightmare of capitalism.

Opponents of Marxism often accuse it of being immoral or amoral. According to them, Marxists are indifferent to the moral sanctity of the individual, and we are perfectly happy to kill and oppress millions of people to make society conform to our cold ideology.

Is this stereotype of Marxism true? And do capitalism and its apologists really respect the individual any more than Marxism does? What is the real role of morality in class society, if this society is based upon exploitation, poverty and war? Is there some moral philosophy which can show us the error of our ways and lead us out of the sinfulness of capitalist society, without the need for revolution? And do Marxists have their own morality?

In this session, Ellen Morton will demonstrate how morality, far from being independent of society and fixed in time, is tied to the interests of particular classes, and why we must reject the hypocritical bourgeois morality in favour of a proletarian one in the fight for communism.

Recommended reading: Marxism and morality

Further reading: Their Morals and Ours (Trotsky) / Identity politics: The ruling class’ favoured weapon against the left

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Is history just a series of facts “one after another”? Or is there a structure to history, is there a logic to the way events unfold? If so, what determines the direction of history? Is there such a thing as “progress” from lower levels to higher?

It has become fashionable to deny that there is a logic, a direction to history. Those with this view claim that human will, i.e. the human mind, determines everything. To accept this would mean denying the ability to even understand history. It would become a random series of moments in which humans decide to go this way or that.

A caricature of Marxism is often presented in which Marx and Engels “reduced everything to economics”. This is completely false. As Engels stated: “We make our history ourselves, but, in the first place, under very definite assumptions and conditions. Among these the economic ones are ultimately decisive.” [our emphasis]

In this session, Fred Weston will show that history is indeed governed by laws, and that understanding them will help us intervene in its processes, allowing us to better fight for the communist transformation of society.

Recommended reading: What is historical materialism?

Further reading: The Materialist Conception of History (Plekhanov)

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The capitalist system is in a deep global crisis. Its decline has devastating consequences, not only in terms of social and economic conditions, but also the destruction of the planet.

This is bringing about a political awakening amongst many layers of society, with an increase in political activity of all kinds. In particular, some are drawn towards the methods of ‘direct action’ and ‘civil disobedience’,

In this talk, Joe Russell will examine the limits of ‘direct action’ groups like Just Stop Oil, XR and, even to some extent, the self-proclaimed communist organisations.

By revisiting some of Lenin’s theory in the early 1900s, and by examining political developments today, Joe will present a Marxist approach to these struggles, which match-up to the period of revolution that is opening up in front of us.

Recommended reading: Direct action versus class struggle

Further reading: What the ‘Friends of the People’ Are and How They Fight the Social-Democrats (V.I. Lenin) / Socialism and Political Struggle (Plekhanov)

In its youth, the ascendant capitalist class produced intellectual giants like Galileo, Bacon, Descartes and Spinoza: men who challenged the theological dogmas that had kept human thinking chained throughout the Middle Ages. In turn, they cleared the way for a blossoming of culture and thinking: the age of the Enlightenment, which produced men like Locke, Newton, Diderot, Helvetius, Rousseau, and Kant.

But today, capitalism is crumbling, outworn and irrational. The ruling class, saturated with despair, has turned its back on rationality, science and Reason. Capitalism today threatens us with a great throwback to a new Dark Age.

In this session, Ben Curry will discuss what we mean by the ‘Enlightenment’, why the ruling class in its decline rejects it, and why we as Marxists defend it, despite all its limits.

Recommended reading: The Enlightenment and Spinoza’s revolutionary rationalism

Further reading: In Defence of Materialism / Scientific revolution and materialist philosophy

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Unsolved national questions are surfacing around the world, as the crisis of capitalism deepens.

Millions who suffer national oppression are increasingly searching for a way forward out of this impasse. Meanwhile the ruling class deliberately uses nationalism as a way to divide the working class.

How do communists approach this complicated question, which can become a key factor in revolutions?

In this session, James Kilby will give an overview of how Marx and Engels developed their approach to the national question, and how this was expertly put into practice by Lenin and Trotsky in the Russian Revolution.

Examples from various national struggles across history to the present day will be given, in order to arm comrades with the ideas necessary for the success of the world revolution.

Recommended reading: The Socialist Revolution and the Right of Nations to Self-Determination (V.I. Lenin)

Further reading: Marxists and the national question / Critical Remarks on the National Question (V.I. Lenin) / The Right of Nations to Self-Determination (V.I. Lenin) / Marxism and the National Question

Recommended listening:

“Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.”

With these words Karl Marx announced the arrival of a new revolutionary movement, based on the profound, scientific conclusions that he had worked out alongside his close friend and collaborator, Friedrich Engels. 

Their ideas would have a colossal impact on the course of world history. Today they continue to inspire millions.

In this session, Josh Holroyd will explore the theories and events which inspired and influenced the young Karl Marx. In doing so we hope to better understand not only the core principles of modern Communism, but also the differences between this and many other socialist trends that influence revolutionary movements to this day.

Recommended reading: The Communist Manifesto (Marx & Engels)

Further reading: Socialism: Utopian and Scientific (Engels) / On the History of the Communist League (Engels)

One of the greatest events in history, the French Revolution bore witness to the heroic efforts of the masses to transform society along the lines of “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.” In just four years, they swept away the ancient regime that stood for centuries, igniting revolutionary flames across Europe. Yet the heroic efforts of the masses could only herald what was to come, that of the proletariat in its fight for socialism.

Nevertheless, it is vital that all who are struggling for socialism carefully study these titanic events, to truly understand the dynamics of revolution — made even more important as capitalism convulses in crisis and we enter a period of wars, revolutions and counter-revolutions.

In this session, Keelan Kellegher will discuss the Great French Revolution, drawing out the lessons essential for every communist to understand the laws of revolution today.

Recommended reading: The Great French Revolution

Further reading: The rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte / Marx’s Works on France Trilogy

In the first complete Marxist history of the Roman Republic, Alan Woods’ recently launched book provides a gripping and accessible analysis of the titanic struggles that shaped the Roman world, and continue to resonate today.

Spanning more than a thousand years of development, the book delves into the fundamental processes which gave rise to the emergence of Rome as an imperial power, the crisis of the Late Republic and the rise of the Caesars. It also features additional material by the author on the eventual decline of the Roman Empire and the Marxist theory of the state.

In this session, Alan Woods will discuss the treasure trove of history and theory covered in his new book, and why all serious revolutionaries must study these lessons to better equip themselves for the battles ahead.

Recommended reading: Spartacus: a real representative of the proletariat of ancient times

Further reading: Civilisation, Barbarism and the Marxist view of History

15 years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the economy is once again taking a turn for the worse. The past decade and a half has seen capitalism go from one crisis to the next. There is no stability to be had.

Whether it’s environmental crises, economic crises or political crisis. The world has lunged from one extraordinary event to another.

The bourgeois economists have started calling it “permacrisis” or “polycrisis”, but this really is nothing more than a description of the symptoms. It tells us nothing about the cause.

Every measure they take to attempt to solve one crisis only creates another. They seem to be able to do nothing right.

Niklas Albin Svensson will explain why the capitalist system has found itself in a dead end and why there is no way out without a communist revolution.

Recommended reading: The Organic Crisis of Capitalism

Further reading: The First Five Years of the Communist International – Flood Tide (Trotsky) / World Unemployment and The Five Year Plan (Trotsky) / Whither France? (Trotsky)

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Dialectical materialism is the philosophy of Marxism. Every political movement bases itself, consciously or unconsciously, on some sort of philosophy or world outlook.

Marxism is concerned with radically changing society, and therefore requires an exceptionally clear and thoroughgoing set of philosophical principles. It is not a fixed dogma but a system of tools and general principles for analysing the world materialistically and scientifically.

The basic tenets of dialectical materialism are: that everything that exists is material or is derived from matter; that matter is in a process and constant change; and that all matter is interconnected and interdependent. Human society is itself material or natural, and there is no fixed ‘human nature’ – like everything else, it develops over time.

In this talk, Grace Dee will discuss why we need a revolutionary philosophy to understand the world, but more importantly, to change it.

Recommended reading: The ABC of Materialist Dialectics (Trotsky)

Further reading: Introduction to the Revolutionary Philosophy of Marxism / In defence of Hegel

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Fanon has been used by academics as a basis for a whole series of confused and reactionary ideas about “de-colonisation of the mind”. However, “Wretched of the Earth” is a book about revolutionary struggle against colonialism, arms in hand.

In the book, Fanon issues very sharp and prescient warnings about the treacherous role of the bourgeoisie after independence, but at the same time he argues that the only revolutionary classes in colonial countries are the peasantry and the lumpen-proletariat, as opposed to the working class.

In this talk, Jorge Martin will discuss how Fanon reached these conclusions, what role he played in the Algerian revolution, and why the strategy he advocated was wrong.

Recommended reading: How French imperialism was defeated in Algeria

Further reading: The Algerian Revolt / France: the massacre of 17 October 1961 / The Colonial Revolution and the Sino-Soviet Dispute

The history of the British Empire is littered with hideous crimes. From the partitions of India and Ireland, to the suppression of the Mau Mau uprising, to the violent Jallianwala Bagh massacre, to its murderous role in the Easter Rising and Bloody Sunday; it is impossible to mention all the brutality of British imperialism.

Many brave anti-imperialists fought and died for the cause of expelling the British from their countries. It is our duty to learn from this history. The British empire has been reduced to a faint shadow of its former self; with its former colony, India, overtaking it economically. 

Despite this, the legacy of the British Empire lives on. Many previous colonies are still struggling to break free from the economic and political backwardness forced upon them by the British state. 

In this session, Sarah Vedrovich will discuss the rise and fall of the British Empire and the heroic attempts to fight back against British forces, showing the treasure trove of historical lessons which must be absorbed if we are to end imperialism and capitalism today.

Recommended reading: The staggering crimes of British imperialism

Further reading: Indonesia: How British spies helped destroy the Communist Party / Writings on Britain (Trotsky) / The road to India’s freedom: The permanent revolution in India and the tasks of the British working class

Recommended listening:

The Chinese revolution is one of the greatest events in human history. After decades of titanic struggle, Mao led the Communist Party to victory, ending capitalism in China and the humiliating dominance of Western imperialism.

For these reasons, many young communists revere Mao as a communist hero. In China, a new generation of revolutionaries, opposed to the capitalist regime in Beijing, look to Mao for ideas on how to overthrow it.

But the regime also claims the heritage of Mao. Why did the state Mao established return to capitalism? Was he simply betrayed? What is the significance of his ‘sinification’ of Marxism? Can Marxism base itself on peasant guerrillas? What is the link between the way in which the revolution was carried out from the countryside, and the subsequent return to capitalism only a few decades later?

In this talk, Daniel Morley will explore these questions, and provide an answer to whether Mao was really communist.

Recommended reading: The Chinese Revolution of 1949

Further reading: 90 Years of the Chinese Communist Party / The Chinese Communist Party 1927-37 – The development of Maoism / The Chinese Communist Party 1937-49 – The Unfolding of Historical Necessity: China’s Great Revolution

Recommended listening:

Capitalism is at an imperialist impasse. After decades of domination by the US, the world capitalism system is being destabilised by America’s relative decline. Now China is seriously challenging the US for markets and spheres of influence.

The relative decline of US imperialism, means the rise not only of China, but of regional powers such as Russia. The shifting tectonic plates of the imperialist system have been producing tremors for a few years, but the war in Ukraine is an earthquake.

In this turbulent context, the question of Taiwan has become central. The parallels with Ukraine are very clear. Does this mean that we will see war fought over Taiwan? Would this lead to World War III? That this prospect is dangled over the lives of billions of people, more than 75 years after WWII, is an indictment of the capitalist system.

In this session, Daniel Morley will discuss imperialism and the question of Taiwan, and why capitalism must be overthrown and replaced with international communism if we are to ever see an end to war.

Recommended reading: Taiwan: What is behind the imperialist saber–rattling?

Further reading: The Taiwan national question and the tasks of the Taiwanese Marxists / Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism (V.I. Lenin)

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‘Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition’, by Cedric Robinson, has featured in countless anti-racist reading lists across schools and universities. The title suggests it will be a synthesisation of Marxism and the Black struggle. In reality, it is an attempt to divert the two entirely.

What is the ‘Black Radical Tradition’, and how does the Marxist method apply to it? In this session, Fiona Lali will explore whether historical materialism can explain the development of racism, if the working class in the West can overcome racism, and whether a ‘black consciousness’ exists.

Reading list to follow.

The oppression of women is one of the most reactionary elements of class society. All over the world, every day, women are being exposed to sexism, harassment, and violence.

Marxists have always stood on the frontlines in the fight against this brutal oppression. Yet one the most common prejudices against Marxism is that it views the struggle for women’s emancipation as secondary.

For example, Silvia Federici, who calls herself a Marxist-feminist, criticises Marxism and says Marx’s analysis of capitalism falls short — due to its focus on commodity production, its blindness to the significance of women’s unpaid reproductive work, and because it ignores the sexual division of labour in capitalist accumulation. This could not be further from the truth.

In this talk, Lotta Angantyr will explain what Marxists actually have to say about women’s oppression — both in terms of women’s role in family throughout history, and what we need to do to end it once and for all.

Recommended reading: Marxism and the emancipation of women

Further reading: The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Engels) / Women, Family, and the Russian Revolution

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The current crisis in the world economy shows that the bourgeoisie and their representatives do not understand their own system. They cannot explain why capitalism is stuck in a rut; why the banks and markets are plagued with instability; or where inflation comes from, and how to tackle it.

By contrast, writing over 150 years ago, Karl Marx was able to draw out the fundamental laws and dynamics of the capitalist mode of production: from the labour theory of value, governing the exchange of commodities; to his analysis of exploitation and profit; to his discussions on accumulation, inequality, and overproduction.

In this talk, Natasha Sorrell will outline the basics of Marxist economics, showing how Marx stripped away the mysticism of the market in order to reveal the forces that lie behind the chaos of capitalism.

Armed with these theoretical tools, we can make sense of the economic events taking place today – and fight to overthrow this crisis-ridden system.

Recommended reading: Introduction to Marxist economics

Further reading: Understanding Marx’s Capital: A reader’s guide

Recommended watching:

From teachers, doctors, and nurses; to dockers, bus drivers, and rail workers: the last year has seen a reawakening of the organised working class in Britain, with levels of industrial activity not seen since the 1980s.

More recently, this strike wave has begun to ebb. Nevertheless, with the crisis of capitalism deepening, it is clear that the class struggle is only going to sharpen and intensify in the months and years ahead.

In this talk, Dylan Cope will examine the disputes that have broken out over the past year. These have led to inspiring victories and disappointing defeats. Both equally provide important lessons about the demands and strategy required across the labour movement – and of the tasks facing militant activists in this epoch of class war.

Recommended reading: What strategy for the Left in the trade unions?

Further reading: May Day and the need for Marxist leadership

Recommended listening:

From wildfires in Europe, to floods in Pakistan and China, to heatwaves in North America, to drought across the African continent: it is clear to all that climate catastrophe is already with us. The wolf is at the door. Capitalism is killing the planet.

One wing of the establishment pins the environmental crisis on overpopulation and other Malthusian excuses: on ‘too many people’ consuming too many goods; on society ‘living beyond its means’.

Another wing, increasingly gaining traction in left-wing circles, denounces the idea of ‘growth’, calling instead for an economy based on ‘zero growth’ or ‘degrowth’.

In this talk, Lubna Badi will explain why both these camps are wrong; why it is the logic of capitalism – an anarchic system of production for profit – that is to blame for climate chaos; and why only revolutionary struggle and socialist planning can save nature and society.

Recommended reading: IMT theses on the climate crisis

Further reading: The Green New Deal: system change or saving the system?

Recommended listening:

Bourgeois commentators tend to see history as the product of ‘Great Men’ and their ‘Great Ideas’. Karl Marx, by comparison, noted that: “Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past.”

This outlook, as outlined by Marx and Engels, is known as historical materialism. Scientific socialism explains that major historical events are not simply the result of individuals and ideologies, but are the result of material conditions and class struggle. History, in other words, is governed by objective laws and processes that can be understood and explained.

In this talk, Laurie O’Connel will discuss the Marxist view of history, explaining the theoretical fundamentals that can help us to make sense of historical developments and social changes – and that can guide our actions and activities today.

Recommended reading: A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy – Preface (Karl Marx)

Further reading: An Introduction to Historical Materialism, Part One / The Marxist view of history: historical materialism

Recommended listening:

Lenin and the Bolsheviks led the Russian working class to power and set about transforming society along socialist lines. But the revolution remained isolated and besieged. The nascent Soviet Union was plagued by economic backwardness, chaos, and scarcity. 

There could be no hope of constructing communism in these dire conditions. Nevertheless, the period from 1917 to 1937 saw enormous advances and progress on the basis of the planned economy. But it also saw crises, along with fierce debates over how best to develop industry and take society forwards.

In this talk, Adam Booth will discuss the laws and dynamics at play in the early Soviet economy, explaining the objective forces that propelled the Bolsheviks and the young workers’ state, and later Stalinist planners and their policies.

With such an understanding, we can see the potential of socialist planning in modern times, and gain glimpses of what a future communist society could look like. 

Recommended reading: The Revolution Betrayed: A Marxist masterpiece

Further reading: The Soviet economy in danger – Leon Trotsky 

Recommended listening: