Despite sweltering global-warming heat, supporters rallied in London last weekend to mark the founding in July 1977 of the New Communist Party (NCP). Friends and comrades, old and new, marked the struggle of the NCP to keep the banner of Marx and Lenin flying against all odds for the last 49 years at a reception at the Party Centre, celebrating the anniversary with speeches, food and drink.

National Chair, Richard Bos MCed the social and welcomed guests, including comrades from People’s Korea and Socialist Vietnam as well as representatives from the labour movement that have long worked alongside us in London and other parts of the country.

These included Marie Lynam of the British Posadist movement, Ian Donovan from the Consistent Democrats, Dermot Hudson from the Korean Friendship Association and Theo Russell from the International Ukraine Anti-Fascist Solidarity (IUAFS) campaign. Other tributes came from the embassies of the DPR Korea and Socialist Vietnam. NCP leader Andy Brooks recalled the heady days of the last year that’s seen the end of Starmer, the growing campaigns in solidarity with Cuba and Venezuela and increasing calls for an end to NATO’s proxy war against Russia, while London is rocked every month by hundreds of thousands of protesters in support of the Palestinians and the defiant Iranian people resisting American aggression.

No NCP event can end without an appeal for the New Worker newspaper. Richard Bos called on everyone to dig deep to boost August fighting fund. They did, with a collection that raised £461 for our communist weekly.