Red Droylsden

Harry Pollit, one of the most loved and respected leaders of the CPB died 60 years ago, on the 27th June. A delegation from the Greater Manchester branch, the North West District and YCL as well as a few trade union members took part in a ceremony on Saturday to remember him and celebrate his life and his work. One comrade in his eighties, had travelled from Blackburn to attend.

Our Branch Secretary, Les Doherty and Phil Katz, CPB Centenary Project Officer paid tribute to Pollitt in the Saturday edition of our favourite daily socialist newspaper, The Morning Star and a report of our event appeared in Monday's edition. 

Many of our photographs from the day are on our social media channels, but we are sharing a few more here, along with a statement from our General Secretary, Rob Griffiths, who was unable to attend as planned. 

Statement from CPB General Secretary, Rob Griffiths: 

 I am sorry that last-minute family health reasons have compelled me to cancel plans to be with you, dear comrades, to celebrate the life of Harry Pollitt today. 

 He was the most outstanding of Communist Party general secretaries in our party's 100-year history, admired and even loved way beyond the ranks of party members. Millions of workers and family members saw in him the embodiment of all that was and is best in the working class - the commitment to help others, the hunger for justice, the deep belief in people's intrinsic worth and the hope for a better society for those who come after us. 

 But he not only had what he called "the gleam of socialism" in his eye. He devoted much time and thought to working out how we can move from where we are now - a world dominated by capitalism - to a new society, socialism, the first stage of communism. 

 He was a working class thinker, one of Antonio Gramsci's "organic intellectuals". And he was a doer. A trade unionist and a Communist who understood that no plan or programme can be brought to fruition without action. 

 When Lenin wrote that theory without action is sterile, while action without theory is blind, nobody understood that better than Harry Pollitt. 

 When Harry died, tributes poured in from communist and workers' parties, trade union organisations and national liberation movements around the world: from Belfast, from where he had been deported in 1933, to apartheid South Africa whose pro-Nazi government had refused him an entry visa in 1936. 

 One international news agency used by thousands of capitalist newspapers paid tribute to Harry Pollitt as "one of those rare individuals - a Communist with a sense of humour" ... But it also added that "whatever was thought of his views, his honesty and sincerity were beyond question". 

 So, too, was his belief that humanity needs and will build a socialist society - and that capitalism can not be overthrown in Britain without a strong, influential Communist Party able to show decisive leadership in the political class struggle. 

 Building that party is the challenge that Harry Pollitt rose to every day of his adult life - and that is the challenge his life throws down to us now. 

Long live the memory of Harry Pollitt! 

Long live the Communist Party! 

Long live socialism and communism!