Connolly Youth split from the Communist Party of Ireland
A first crack in the wall of reformism?
19 January 2021
There is a fundamental reality to the current political situation in Ireland that is frequently ignored. That is the almost total suppression of independent working class action. Political action is almost totally electoral and industrial action is tightly controlled by union leaders within the context of social partnership with bosses and government.
It is from this point of view that we should look at the recent split between the Communist Party and the Connolly Youth Movement.
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The CPI has for many years worked tirelessly to suppress both industrial militancy and democratic sentiment in its fervent support for a continued partition and for social partnership with the Dublin government.
As with many of these divisions, the statement concentrates mainly on a long litany on suppression of democracy by the CPI leadership and says little about the political disagreements. The nearest approach is in section 12:
"The clique has led the Party down a narrow, reformist cul-de-sac. It offers no vision, no strategy for realising the dictatorship of the proletariat".
In order for this division to progress we would need to see some flesh on the bones and the articulation of some elements of a revolutionary programme.
Just now, after a long winter, it is very welcome to see the first cracks in the icy grip of reformism on the socialist movement.