Harry Pollitt
Source: Communist Policy to Meet the Crisis, Report of the 21st National Congress of the Communist Party, November 1949.
Publisher: Communist Party of Great Britain
Transcription/Markup: Brian Reid
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2008). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
To the Delegates to the 21st Party Congress
You will appreciate how I feel at having to miss my first Party Congress since the formation of our Party.
I am confident that the Congress is going to seize to the full the splendid new opportunities that open out before the Communist Party in Britain, because of the growth in power and unity of the democratic and peace-loving forces of the world, and the new political awakening of the British workers arising from their growing disillusionment in the policy of the Labour Government.
The Congress should stand out before the world and the British Labour movement in four important respects:
(1) The determination of the Communist Party at any cost to defend the living conditions of the workers against the attacks of the Tories and Labour Government, and also to bring Britain into the peace camp.
(2) To mobilise the Communist Party for the General Election whenever it takes place, so that 100 Communist candidates prove there is an alternative to the disastrous policy of the Tory and Labour Parties.
(3) To build our Party firmly in the factories and mass organisations so that tens of thousands of new members for the Communist Party, and scores of thousands of new readers for the Daily Worker are won.
(4) To deepen the sense of the necessity of international solidarity
I am confident that these tasks will be fulfilled.
I have been greatly moved by the way the Party has expressed its sympathy with me in my illness. At the same time it has strengthened me in my resolve to try and prove worthy of the trust and confidence that is reposed in me by the character of my future work.
Success to the Twenty-First Party Congress!
Long live Communism!
Yours fraternally,
HARRY POLLITT