Abstract
This article examines the relationship between collective memory, historical interpretation and political identity. It focuses on the dissolution of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) as constructed through collective narrative memory, and on Marxist interpretations of history. The divisions within the party and the wider Marxist community, stretching from 1956 until 1991, were often framed around questions of historical interpretation. The events of 1989–1991 created an historical and mnemonic crisis for CPGB members who struggled to reconcile their past identities with their present situation. Unlike the outward-facing revisionism of other political parties, this was an intensely personal affair. The solution for many was to emphasise the need to find new ways to progress socialist aims, without relying on a discredited grand narrative. In contrast, other Communist parties, such as the Communist Party of Britain, which had been established (or ‘re-established’) in 1988, fared rather better. By adhering to the international party line of renewal and continued struggle, the party was able to hold its narrative together, condemning the excesses of totalitarian regimes, while reaffirming the need for international class struggle.
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Notes
In May 1989 the EC minutes record 17 votes in favour of the title Manifesto for New Times over Strategy for New Times. The votes against and abstentions are not given.
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Acknowledgements
A version of this essay will appear in my forthcoming book, History, Heritage and Tradition in Contemporary British Politics: Past Politics and Present Histories (Manchester: Manchester University Press, January 2012). I am grateful to MUP for permission to reproduce it here. I would also like to thank Richard Grayson, James Martin, Steven Fielding, Andrew Flinn, Lawrence Black, John Greenaway and two anonymous reviewers who all read and commented on drafts of this article and provided invaluable advice for its improvement.
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Robinson, E. New times, new politics: History and memory during the final years of the CPGB. Br Polit 6, 453–478 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2011.24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2011.24