Democratic Left

Democratic Left was a British post-communist political organisation active from 1991 until 1998. It emerged from the dissolution and reconstitution of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), particularly from the party's Eurocommunist tendency and the intellectual milieu surrounding Marxism Today. Rather than continuing as a conventional communist party, Democratic Left sought to develop a pluralist and reformist form of socialism suited to the political, economic, and social changes of the late twentieth century. The organisation was formally established on 11 November 1991 after the CPGB adopted a programme of transformation associated with its Manifesto for New Times. Nina Temple, the CPGB's final general secretary, became Democratic Left's secretary and was among the leading advocates of replacing the old party structure. The reorganisation was contentious. Some former CPGB members rejected the reformist direction and aligned themselves with the Communist Party of Britain, while a separate Scottish development eventually produced Democratic Left Scotland. Democratic Left's political outlook was shaped by the New Times current that had developed during the 1980s through Marxism Today. Writers and theorists associated with that current, including Martin Jacques, Stuart Hall, and Eric Hobsbawm, argued that the transition from Fordist industrial capitalism to a more fragmented, service-based and post-industrial economy required new political concepts. Traditional assumptions about a unified industrial working class, workplace organisation, and class-based political mobilisation were seen as insufficient for understanding contemporary Britain. Democratic Left carried these arguments into organisational and campaigning work. Although the organisation was initially conceived as a possible political party, it abandoned plans to contest elections directly. During the 1992 general election it instead supported tactical voting intended to defeat Conservative candidates. It subsequently operated primarily as a non-partisan campaigning and intellectual organisation, combining socialist objectives with a broad coalition-building strategy. Its stated vision was a pluralist society based on socialist values and opposed to the structures and values of capitalism, but its methods emphasised democratic reform, diversity, anti-racism, trade-union modernisation, and cooperation across progressive movements. Its activities included Unions21, an initiative concerned with the modernisation of trade unions; work associated with the Make Votes Count campaign for democratic and electoral reform; anti-racist and cultural-diversity initiatives; and anti-poverty work through the Social Exclusion Network. In this role, Democratic Left functioned less as a membership party than as a bridge between left-wing intellectual debate, civil-society campaigning, and practical political alliances. Historians have described it as a socialist anti-Conservative front and as a transitional organisation between traditional communist politics and the social-democratic currents that became influential in Britain during the 1990s. Democratic Left also had an indirect relationship with the Labour Party's ideological development. The New Times analysis influenced debates among Labour strategists during the leaderships of Neil Kinnock and Tony Blair, while personal links connected former Eurocommunists and New Times figures with Labour advisers. Themes such as moving beyond a narrowly class-based political identity, responding to post-industrial economic change, and constructing wider progressive coalitions later appeared in discussions surrounding New Labour and Third Way politics. This influence was intellectual and network-based rather than the result of formal organisational integration. By 1997, Democratic Left was attempting to address declining membership and changing political circumstances through publications including the Futures series of policy magazines. Internal conflict intensified in 1998 when members associated with the Trotskyist-dominated Socialist Alliance sought to join. Democratic Left used legal action to prevent the attempted takeover or membership entry, and its leadership argued that the organisation should not become trapped in sectarian left-wing disputes. In December 1998, Democratic Left in England and Wales was dissolved and reconstituted as the New Times Network. The successor adopted a more open membership policy that allowed Labour Party members and people from other political organisations to participate. It published New Times and worked with the Fabian Society on the Getting Real conference in June 1999. The New Times Network was renamed the New Politics Network in December 1999. Scotland followed a separate path, with Democratic Left Scotland established in May 1998. Democratic Left's historical importance lies in its attempt to rethink the British left after the decline of orthodox communist politics and the end of the Cold War. It combined a critique of traditional class politics with commitments to socialism, pluralism, anti-racism, democratic reform, and broad progressive alliances. Although short-lived and not an electoral force, it preserved and extended debates associated with Marxism Today and contributed to the wider intellectual environment in which reformist and post-industrial approaches to British left politics developed.

Democratic Left developed from the Eurocommunist and reformist current within the Communist Party of Great Britain. Its formation followed years of argument that the political and economic conditions of Britain had changed so substantially that the CPGB's traditional organisational model and ideological vocabulary were no longer adequate. The 1980s debates associated with Marxism Today, especially the New Times project, provided the intellectual setting for this transformation. New Times theorists argued that the industrial society associated with Fordist production was giving way to a more fragmented post-Fordist order. Employment was becoming less concentrated in large factories and more distributed across services, public institutions, and smaller workplaces. Social identities were also becoming more diverse, making it harder for a single class-based political language to represent the full range of progressive constituencies. This analysis encouraged a politics that combined socialism with attention to gender, race, culture, democratic participation, and new forms of coalition-building. On 11 November 1991, following the CPGB's decision to dissolve and reconstitute itself, Democratic Left was created as a new political organisation. Nina Temple, the CPGB's last general secretary, became its secretary. The change was sharply contested. Members who opposed the reformist and post-communist direction continued their activities through the Communist Party of Britain, which had split from the CPGB in 1988, while Scottish developments later produced Democratic Left Scotland. Democratic Left initially considered becoming an electoral party, but it did not proceed to field candidates. Its approach during the 1992 general election was to encourage tactical voting against the Conservative Party. This decision signalled its movement away from orthodox party competition and toward the role of a campaigning and intellectual network. It described its objective in terms of a pluralist socialist society, while rejecting the structures and values of capitalism. In practice, it concentrated on building relationships among trade unions, anti-racist organisations, democratic-reform advocates, anti-poverty campaigners, and other progressive groups. The organisation's initiatives included Unions21, which addressed the modernisation of trade-union structures and practices; involvement in Make Votes Count, a campaign for democratic and electoral reform; anti-racist and cultural-diversity work; and activity connected with the Social Exclusion Network. These projects reflected Democratic Left's belief that progressive politics needed to engage with social exclusion, institutional democracy, cultural difference, and the changing nature of employment rather than rely solely on traditional industrial class mobilisation. Its intellectual and personal networks overlapped with debates inside the Labour Party. New Times arguments were discussed by Labour figures during the leaderships of Neil Kinnock and Tony Blair, and some former Eurocommunists and associated thinkers became advisers or informal influences around Labour. Democratic Left therefore occupied an unusual position: it remained committed to a socialist critique of capitalism but promoted a political method that was pluralist, coalition-oriented, and attentive to post-industrial social realities. Scholars have linked this approach to themes later associated with New Labour and Third Way politics, while also treating Democratic Left as an independent organisation rather than a Labour subsidiary. The organisation faced declining membership and uncertainty about its future during the late 1990s. In 1997 it issued policy magazines under the Futures title as part of an effort to renew its intellectual and organisational purpose. In 1998, a conflict arose over an attempt by members connected to the Socialist Alliance to join. Democratic Left obtained legal protection against the proposed entry and argued that it needed to avoid being drawn into sectarian disputes characteristic of parts of the traditional far left. The English and Welsh organisation was formally dissolved in December 1998 and replaced by the New Times Network. The successor broadened participation by welcoming Labour members and people belonging to other political organisations. It published New Times and collaborated with the Fabian Society on the Getting Real conference in June 1999. In December 1999, the New Times Network changed its name to the New Politics Network. Scotland followed a distinct organisational trajectory, with Democratic Left Scotland established in May 1998. The organisation's legacy is primarily intellectual and organisational. It represented an effort to move from communist party politics toward a broad, reformist and pluralist left. Its work helped carry New Times arguments into debates about democratic reform, social exclusion, trade-union change, cultural diversity, and the future of socialism. Its short existence also illustrates the difficulties of maintaining a coherent left organisation between orthodox communist traditions, emerging social-democratic politics, and competing activist tendencies.

• 1999

  Successor renamed New Politics Network

  [1]Democratic Left (Great Britain)en.wikipedia.org

  The New Times Network adopts the name New Politics Network in December.

• 1998

  Democratic Left Scotland is established

  [1]Democratic Left (Great Britain)en.wikipedia.org

  The Scottish development separates institutionally from the English and Welsh organisation and forms Democratic Left Scotland in May.

• 1998

  Organisation becomes New Times Network

  [1]Democratic Left (Great Britain)en.wikipedia.org

  Democratic Left in England and Wales is dissolved and reconstituted as the New Times Network in December.

• 1997

  Futures policy series published

  [1]Democratic Left (Great Britain)en.wikipedia.org

  The organisation releases policy magazines under the Futures title while attempting to respond to declining membership.

• 1992

  Electoral strategy shifts to tactical voting

  [1]Democratic Left (Great Britain)en.wikipedia.org

  Democratic Left decides not to contest elections directly and supports tactical voting intended to remove the Conservatives from office.

• 1991

  Democratic Left is established

  [1]Democratic Left (Great Britain)en.wikipedia.org

  The organisation is founded on 11 November after the Communist Party of Great Britain dissolves and reconstitutes itself along reformist lines.

A post-communist, pluralist and reformist left organisation positioned between traditional communist politics, progressive civil-society campaigning, and emerging social-democratic approaches to post-industrial Britain.

• Policy magazine series · 1997

  Futures

  A series of policy magazines published by Democratic Left in 1997. The series formed part of the organisation's attempt to renew its intellectual programme and address declining membership. It reflected the organisation's interest in developing forward-looking approaches to progressive politics rather than returning to the programme and structures of orthodox communist politics.

• Trade-union initiative

  Unions21

  An initiative associated with Democratic Left that focused on the modernisation of trade unions. It reflected the organisation's belief that labour organisations needed to adapt to changes in employment, workplace structure, and post-industrial society.

• Political magazine · 1998

  New Times

  A monthly magazine published by the New Times Network, Democratic Left's successor in England and Wales. It continued the organisation's effort to develop an inclusive and post-communist progressive political discussion.

• 1992Tactical voting against the Conservatives

  United Kingdom

  Democratic Left chose not to field candidates in the 1992 general election and promoted tactical voting as a way to oppose Conservative candidates.

  Outcome. The organisation continued as a campaigning and political network rather than becoming an electoral party.

  Source
• Make Votes Count

  United Kingdom

  Democratic Left participated in the Make Votes Count campaign, which advocated democratic and electoral reform.

  Source
• Social Exclusion Network

  United Kingdom

  The organisation undertook anti-poverty work through the Social Exclusion Network, extending its programme beyond traditional class and workplace politics.

  Source

• 1998

  Defence against factional entryStrategy

  Background

  Members associated with the Trotskyist-dominated Socialist Alliance attempted to join Democratic Left, creating a dispute over the organisation's political character.

  Action taken

  Democratic Left used legal action to block the attempted entry and rejected a direction that it believed would return the organisation to sectarian left-wing politics.

  Aftermath

  Leadership concluded that the organisation should be replaced by a more inclusive network, leading to the creation of the New Times Network in December 1998.

  Source

• 1998

  Reconstitution as New Times NetworkStrategy

  Background

  Democratic Left faced declining membership and sought an organisational form that could include progressives from different political backgrounds.

  Action taken

  The English and Welsh organisation was dissolved and reconstituted as the New Times Network, with membership opened to Labour members and people from other political organisations.

  Aftermath

  The successor published New Times, worked with the Fabian Society, and was renamed New Politics Network in December 1999.

  Source

• 1992

  Abandonment of direct electoral contestsStrategy

  Background

  Democratic Left was initially conceived partly as a political party, but its founders sought a broader role after the CPGB's transformation.

  Action taken

  The organisation decided not to field candidates and instead endorsed tactical voting against Conservative candidates in the 1992 general election.

  Aftermath

  Democratic Left developed primarily as a non-partisan campaigning, networking, and policy organisation.

  Source

1. 1Democratic Left (Great Britain)en.wikipedia.org