The Taint of Communism: The Movement for Colonial Freedom, the Labour Party, and the Communist Party of Great Britain, 1954-70

Abstract

This article examines the three-way relationship between the Labour Party, the Movement for Colonial Freedom (MCF), and the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), and describes their efforts to negotiate the delicate politics of decolonization. Decolonization had always been a politically sensitive issue in postwar Britain, as it coincided with both the decline of British power internationally and the West’s global struggle against communism. Adding to this unique mixture, the Labour Party was in opposition during the most active years of decolonization and, as a result, was thrust into the awkward position of being preempted on colonial issues by the Conservative Party. The Labour Party’s leadership was anxious to prove Labour’s dependability as a party in power, and consequently distanced themselves from any anticolonial organizations that were potentially subversive. A byproduct of this peculiar situation was that the most effective anticolonial organization, the MCF, was forced to position itself so as not to offend British public opinion or risk losing vital support from the Labour Party. This meant that a distance also had to be maintained between the MCF and the CPGB. The resulting dynamic was one of strategic associations and disassociations that reflected these organizations’ independent struggles to exert influence over these sensitive political issues without compromising long-term goals or ideological principles.