THE Young Communist League held its 49th National Congress on Saturday 24 November 2018 at Ruskin House, in London.

The Congress saw delegates from YCL branches across Britain meet to discuss, debate and agree on the organisation’s policies, priorities and strategies for the next two years.

For the majority of delegates this was their first time attending a YCL Congress with many branches only having been established in the last two years. YCL outgoing general secretary Owain Holland stated “this reflects the reality that we are a growing and increasingly active militant organisation.”

Key points of discussion included Tory government austerity and Brexit. Delegates noted that the two were intrinsically linked and vowed to redouble their efforts to remove the Conservative government and deliver a People’s Brexit.

Delegates warned that Nato and US imperialism, which is increasingly reckless under Trump, remain the greatest threat to world peace. On the floor of Congress delegates agreed that the unfolding climate crisis presented a threat to the very existence of humanity and directed the YCL to increase campaigning on environmental matters.

Resolutions were passed committing the YCL to increase its involvement in the student and trade union movements. A resolution calling for increased representation of women in the YCL and campaigning on women’s issues was unanimously approved.

Congress also elected a new executive committee to carry out its decisions over the next two years. The newly elected committee includes: James McLelland, Holly Morcos, Owain Holland, Johnnie Hunter, Julio Romero, Gary Steele, Peter Ward-Stoddart and Robin Talbot.

A fraternal delegate from the Connolly Youth Movement, the YCL’s sister Communist youth organisation in Ireland, brought solidarity greetings and, in addressing Congress, thanked the YCL for its longstanding support for Irish unification.

Gary Steele, a member of the newly elected executive committee attending Congress for the first time said that “it was a great experience and there was excellent debate between delegates. I’m looking forward to two years of building the YCL.”

Below is an excerpt from the opening address of the outgoing YCL chair.

“The importance of the Congress to the democratic lifeblood of our organisation cannot be overstated. Our constitution provides that: “The Sovereign Body of the League shall be the Congress.”

As Communists we are democrats in the fullest sense of the word. Indeed we have all been led here to our membership of the Young Communist League, to our participation in this Congress, by a lifetime of dedication to the class struggle and by a fundamental belief in democracy.

We believe in a truly democratic society. A society controlled by working people. A society which operates not only in the interests of the working class of Britain but also our planet and all humanity.

We reject the deception and cleverly constructed edifice that is bourgeois democracy in Britain in 2018. A democracy in name only where all political power is wielded by bankers, financiers and their servants in the interests of finance capital. A country where the voice of the youth, working people and our communities is drowned and smothered by greed and the power that money can so easily by.

All of this we have set ourselves the task of doing away with and ushering in a new era of working class state power and real people’s democracy based in our communities, workplaces, schools, universities and colleges.

In this struggle we must embody and exemplify the ideals of working class democracy which we fight to make a reality. Within our own organisation, within the league we must foster the democratic ambitions of our class. Our own organisation must stand as a beacon, popular and incorruptible.

This is the context in which our congress is so essential. We organise according to the Leninist principle of democratic centralism. Without democracy this is nothing more than bureaucratic domination.

It is the duty of this congress, constituted by you, the delegates of our branches from up and down the country to decide the policies and priorities of the league for the next two years. This is no small task in the current chaotic domestic and international situation. As delegates you should not underestimate not only the difficulty but also the fundamental importance of the task before us.

As the proud chair of this organisation I appreciate better than most the straits that the communist movement, the party and the YCL find themselves in at this crucial hour. Our numbers remain pitifully small. Our level of organisation and the effect of our agitation are at best a minor thorn in the side of the British capitalist class.

Nowhere near sufficient to meet the task which history has laid before us which is nothing less than the dismantling of the dictatorship of capital and big business and the construction of the socialist system. Nowhere near enough to fulfil our duty to the class.

But this is no reason to despair. And we as the young communists do not. Not even for a single second. Instead we brim with hope and optimism. I’m sure that this Congress would join me in noting that it is impossible to be a member of our organisation in the absence of both these feelings.

As communists we have hope. Hope in the very best of what makes us human. We have optimism. Optimism that society can advance to socialism before its too late. Before time runs out. Before capitalism poisons the earth.

In this setting I would ask that no delegate underestimate the significance of our congress or their role in it. True our organisation is small, but it is growing. Day by day. Member by member. Branch by branch. From the acorn comes the oak. From a dedicated and well organised cadre of young communists is the kernel of a mass movement.

Comrades, here in Britain we face an especially hard task. Britain remains one of the major poles of imperialism. Our country plays a pivotal role in maintaining the chains of the global imperialist system. Historically the communist movement has been small compared with the power of social democracy.

Does this make us resile from the task at hand? Does this make us accept the limitations of social democracy? As young communists we say no. Not for a day. Not for a minute. The daunting power of the British state has to be smashed and will be smashed. In doing so we will usher in a victory not just for working people in Britain but for oppressed peoples everywhere.

Far from deterring us, the difficulty of our task and the importance of our task spurs us on to greater dedication to the struggle. We know that a decisive blow for the workers of Britain will be a mortal blow against global imperialism.

We proudly raise the banner of communism in Britain to a new generation of youth. Only the communists offer a genuine explanation of the chaos of the current system and how this can be resolved to offer a future in the interests of the working class and of humanity. More and more working class youth will join the league if we remain clear in our direction and militant in our stance.

The next two years will be pivotal not only in rebuilding our organisation but in fighting for our class. This congress is entrusted with determining how we will fulfil our historically essential role.

Do not doubt for a single second the importance of the league. Do not doubt for a single second the importance of this congress. Do not doubt for a single second the importance of your role in it.

In closing comrades I would reiterate the concluding words of the executive committee’s political resolution:

“We are part of a truly global political movement and tradition. For the first time since the defeats beginning in the 1980s, before many of our member were even born, momentum is shifting back to the socialist camp.

“Across the planet communists are on the march. In our hands and in our hearts is the birth of a new world based on co-operation and human freedom.

“Communism is the youth of the world! Congress demands that no member of the league shrink from their duty to our class and to humanity!”

“Comrades, we have a generation to win to our cause!

“Comrades, we have Britain to win for future generations!

“Comrades we have a world to win!

“Long live the international Communist youth!

“Peace, jobs and socialism!

“Solidarity forever!”