Arthur MacManus & Albert Inkpin
Source: Communist Unity Convention: Official Report
Date: July 1920
Publisher: Communist Party of Great Britain
Transcription/Markup: Brian Reid
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive
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THE National Convention to establish the Communist Party of Great Britain was held on Saturday, July 31st, 1920, at the Cannon Street Hotel, London, E.C., and on the day following at the International Socialist Club, 28, East Road, London, E. C.
The Convention was summoned by the joint Provisional Committee of the Communist Unity Conference, representing the British Socialist Party the Communist Unity Group and the S. Wales Communist Council.
The circular of invitation to Convention read as follows:—
July 7th, 1920.
TO THE SECRETARY,
Dear Comrade,—The negotiations for uniting the various revolutionary left wing organisations in Britain in one Communist Party have now taken definite shape. A great National Convention to establish the Communist party and settle all questions of immediate tactics, will be held in the Cannon Street Hotel, London, E.C., on Saturday, July 31st, at 2 p.m.
An invitation to representation at this National Convention is cordially extended to all organisations, branches of organisations, local communist groups and independent socialist societies that accept the fundamental bases of communist unity: (a) The Dictatorship of the working class; (b) The Soviet System; (c) The Third International.
All bodies participating in summoning the National Convention are pledged to abide by its decisions on points of tactics, and to merge their organisations in the new Communist Party. Representation at the Convention will be held to imply that the branches, groups and societies represented will also accept its decisions and become branches of the Communist Party.
Your branch, group or society is cordially invited to send delegates to the Convention to inaugurate the Communist Party and determine its tactics and policy. Representation will be at the rate of one delegate for every 25 members or part thereof, and voting at the Convention will be on the same basis. The representation fee will be 2s. 6d. for every 25 members or part of 25 members represented.
Delegates’ application form and agenda for the Convention are attached hereto. Copies of a manifesto, “A Call for a Communist Party,” are also enclosed.
Delegates’ application forms should be sent in at once. Further copies of the manifesto can be obtained on application. The names and addresses of secretaries of unattached groups and societies to whom invitations to representation should be sent will be warmly appreciated and where speakers are required to explain more fully the object of the Convention, they will gladly be sent if mutually satisfactory dates can be arranged.
The Communist International calls us to action. We are confident that all sincere Communists will respond to that call and help us to make the National Convention and the Communist Party an overwhelming suceess.
On behalf of the Joint Provisional Committee for the Communist Party.
ARTHUR MACMANUS,Chairman
ALBERT INKPIN, Secretary.