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September 10, 2025

The Comintern, the CPGB, Colonies and Black Britons, 1920-1938

Key Points

The Communist Party of Great Britain neglected Comintern guidance on supporting colonial independence efforts.
Despite directives, the Party failed to address racism within its ranks, mainly ignoring criticisms from members like M. N. Roy.
Limited efforts by the Seamen's Minority Movement aimed at colonial work were short-lived and suppressed.
The Comintern's mandate for international solidarity remained largely unfulfilled in Britain during this period.

Abstract

The Comintern espoused the liberation of colonies from its earliest days and charged the parties in the "Mother Countries" to support independence movements and to recruit "colonials" at home and in the metropoles to their ranks. From 1928 Communists were also instructed to eradicate racist attitudes and practices within the parties. The Communist Party of Great Britain generally ignored these directives: no work was done in the colonies and the issue of racism within the Party, attested to, for example, by leading Indian communist M. N. Roy, was completely ignored. Two communist "satellites" in the UK, the Seamen's Minority Movement and International Labor Defence, made some attempt at "colonial work," but were quickly "liquidated" by the Party.

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Wilfrid Laurier University

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