Who we are

Communist Future is a new project initiated by communists from different backgrounds in Manchester, coming together with the aim of making an openly communist political intervention. We want to bring communists across Greater Manchester together with this in mind, developing some common work between us locally.

Communism

Crisis and instability appear as a constant feature of our lives, but while discontent and despair at the state of things might be everywhere—what hope is voiced in all this for a truly different world? 

Capitalism maintains its legitimacy through the belief that really there is no alternative, that this society really is the only one we could hope for. This isn’t just something we’re told, it’s a feeling that hangs all around us—shaping our social, cultural and political horizons. This holds back our imaginations, our ideas of the possible, our dreams of the world we could have.

The absence of a vision of the future is felt all around us. But what do we do about it?

As communists we know there is an alternative. A real, winnable vision of the future does exist—one in which society is completely transformed and re-organised into a world which enables the collective freedom and flourishing of all. This is what we share as communists: the vision of a communist future.

This is a vision, though, that in practice is often hidden away. Maybe it is something we discuss in private spaces and spheres; in the pub, on the internet, in reading groups. Maybe we are involved in wider activism and organising; in the community, in campaigns and movements, but not openly as communists.  Maybe we hold these ideas but can’t see how to enact them in practice.

Revolutionary, transformative communist politics—our politics—are very rarely advanced in an open, creative and confident way in the public sphere. Seldom do they spill out into general society.

We believe that it is fundamental to crack through this. To crack through the resignation and despair of ‘common sense’ thinking, to crack through the moderation of our political horizons. To break out of our isolation. To declare clearly, stridently and openly our commitment to a wider political strategy: the absolute transformation of society as a whole.

The project

Communist Future seeks to contribute locally in a meaningful way towards this process. Standing a candidate at the general election represents an opportunity to advance a communist voice publicly by engaging in a political intervention that brings communist politics out into the open — serving as a pole of attraction to pull together communists in the region. This draws on the tradition in the communist movement of using elections as an important tactic to communicate our politics and programme.

We want to do this in a way that contests accepted ideas under capitalism of what it means to have control and power over our lives, of what truly democratic change and a truly democratic society looks like.

We want to bring together and develop our political, artistic and organising skills to advance communist politics in ways that are strident, clear and radical but also creative, innovative and inspiring. Connecting familiar and everyday experiences in a real way to the transformative vision of a communist future.

Communist Future presents a practical opportunity for those both inside and outside the (often fractured) left groups to come together around a shared project, to develop our political ideas and explore our political differences, to consider together the ways forward for advancing communist ideas and organisation on a much wider scale.

If you would like to get involved in any way or would like to discuss these ideas together please get in touch.