13 April 2026
CPI National Congresses past and future – a critical analysis Part 2
In Part 2 we look at some practical and strategic/organisational sections of the A Unity Programme: A pathway forward – Building working-class resistance.
Part 2
It is said that empty vessels make the most noise: It’s not necessarily true – there is barely a whimper out of the vessel that is the CPI.
The history of the CPI, let’s say over the past 30 years, is that it jumped from one ‘brilliant’ idea to the next without the important bits in between: focus and sustained implementation of any plan.
There are a number of reasons for this but the main one is that – without exception – they did not have any plan at all. Just another ‘brilliant’ idea. Without a plan, there was no focus and without focus there was…..nothing.
And so it goes. Do not rely entirely on our assessment: name one thing the party has done that has in any way furthered the cause of the working class in Ireland in any sustained way? Flipping from one issue to another at the whim of individual members, branches or external influences has resulted in the party failing to engage in a single organised, sustained and influential campaign. The sustained levels of ineptitude are impressive – for all the wrong reasons.
The fact is that the leadership never provided the conditions that would pave the way for a sustained activity in any one area that the party itself had determined to be its primary activity. As always, we are happy to have the CPI contest this assertion with us.
Left unity? Health? Housing? Neutrality? Repudiate the Debt? Health again? Transformative something or other? Housing again?
Where are all those campaigns now?
This takes us to another important section of the programme that emerged from the 26th Congress. Sections 154 – 223 of the Programme – approximately one-third of the entire document – are dedicated to broadly organisational and structural aspects of future party activity under the heading: A Unity Programme: A pathway forward – Building working-class resistance.
This looks quite promising and considering the amount of time and space dedicated to this section, it would be expected that there would be firm proposals and strategies to work from.
Wrong. Indeed, the lack of substance in the document is accurately reflected in the rambling, disjointed and long-winded text that comes across like a speaker who has lost his train of thought but goes on and on until he finds what sounds like a reasonable exit.
The section leads with “the housing crisis and the need for a programme for dealing with homelessness and for providing state-funded public housing” followed by “an all-Ireland public health service for the whole of Ireland.” Look at Part 1 of our analysis to see how all that went.
Then, it is the turn of the trade union movement: “The trade union movement needs to have a clear position on what it wants and seek the mobilisations of members behind concrete demands. To date, the leadership of ICTU has failed to mobilise workers around a clear vision of what change will help revitalise the trade union movement.”
Without getting into this pot calling the kettle black too deeply, surely it is the CPI leadership that has failed to mobilise the workers or provide a clear vision on how that process might make some progress?
Now we get to the serious stuff and it is important to read the following four paragraphs from this “minimum programme” to get a full flavour of the complete and utter failure of the party to make any progress in any shape or form in any of the areas designated as the main focus of party activity for the years 2022 to the next Congress:
“Recognising the current balance of forces, we are confronted with the major task of building up working-class power, organisation, campaigning, and, above all else, class consciousness. It is on this basis that within this political resolution we propose the establishment of a “Unity Programme”—a minimum programme for gaining maximum support within the wider working-class, anti- capitalist and anti-imperialist movements. The following outlines the first potential areas of focus within a Unity Programme.
“A Unity Programme: Weakening the structure of capitalism”
“With this in mind, the CPI commits to developing a detailed a Unity Programme—a minimum programme with the goal of gaining maximum support. This Unity Programme will be developed with the support of all progressive allies who are willing to build a united front, where each party or group can maintain its autonomy but remains committed to working towards the fulfilment of shared strategic objectives and pursuing the material basis for a united Ireland in a planned, democratic and participative manner.
“The strength of this Unity Programme, or any other similar initiatives, will not be determined by the number of political parties willing to work towards a united front in a top-down framework. The success of a Unity Programme, of creating a united front, must be built from the ground up, from grassroots movements, from the workers’ movement both urban and rural, from the environmental movement, from the trade union movement, from the myriad of community activists and campaigns driven to action by the deteriorating material conditions created by the contradictions and antagonisms of the capitalist mode of production. It offers real, material objectives and campaigns for working people and ultimately seeks to shift the balance of forces away from capital towards labour.
“When both a speaker and an audience are confused, the speech is profound.” Oscar Wilde
“The objective of the CPI today however, is to highlight our analysis, be active on the ground in daily struggles, outline our strategy and present a programme that is in line with the hopes and aspirations of working people and families across the whole breath and width of country, from Cork to Derry, Dublin to Galway, and which will open new opportunities to advance the goal of a United Socialist Republic of Ireland.”
Remember, this Unity Programme took about 18 months to put together and was unveiled four years ago as the core activity of the party. We can only repeat the proposition laid out by the party itself on how the success or otherwise of the programme should be measured: “The strength of this Unity Programme, …., will not be determined by the number of political parties willing to work towards a united front in a top-down framework. The success of a Unity Programme, of creating a united front, must be built from the ground up, from grassroots movements, from the workers’ movement both urban and rural, from the environmental movement, from the trade union movement, from the myriad of community activists and campaigns driven to action by the deteriorating material conditions created by the contradictions and antagonisms of the capitalist mode of production. It offers real, material objectives and campaigns for working people and ultimately seeks to shift the balance of forces away from capital towards labour”.
Further comment from us on the success or failure of the programme would be superfluous.
It is highly unlikely that the Congress Programme got a reading within the party since it was agreed at the last Congress and that is true of all the previous declarations from past congresses. This Unity Programme was, and remains, a cosmetic exercise and it will be replaced by another cosmetic exercise in a couple of week’s time – under the new guise, “Peace, Independence and Socialism.”
The problem with cosmetics is not just that they are easily removed, it’s that they have to be removed and constantly replaced – or reality gets exposed.
In Part 3 we will look, positively, at some opportunities the incoming leadership and National Executive Committee will be in a position to exploit and the necessity for the restoration of internal party democracy