Sid French
Encyclopedia
Sid French was a British communist activist and organiser, former Surrey
district secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain
and the founding general secretary of the New Communist Party of Britain.
in 1942, but had been politically active with communists in the 1930s.
French joined the Young Communist League
at the age of 14. He first worked in an accountant’s office and then as a reporter for the South London Press
.
, he was called up and served in the Royal Air Force
. Promoted to Sergeant in 1942, French was posted to Gibraltar
and later to North Africa
and Italy
. While on active service French wrote an article for Labour Monthly
about the problems facing the Gibraltarians
under war conditions
. In Algiers
he met Henri Alleg, a French communist journalist, who later joined the Algerian resistance against French colonialism and spent five years in prison for his activities.
. In 1950, he was appointed secretary of the newly formed Surrey District Committee of the CPGB in 1950. He remained in that position for more than twenty five years until he resigned, together with other supporters, to establish the New Communist Party on 15 July 1977.
Despite the later characterisation of him by detractors as being an unflinching Stalinist, French was actually long known to be critical of personality cults – especially those involving himself. For example, he opposed the sending of a special message and gift to Stalin on his 70th birthday.
constituency five times, the last being in 1974. Related to this concern, was his long-standing criticism of the downgrading of the CPGB's policy of support for the Labour Party
. He was also member of the Political Purposes Committee of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society
for many years and, for a while, even the vice-chair, a unique position to be in for a Labour Party-affiliated mass organisation.
French’s critical eye had begun early on in his full-time career and appeared to be a feature throughout his time as a CPGB full-time official. Although many shared his concerns, including the CPGB’s own later leadership, he had been an early and vocal critic, within the confines of internal discussion, of the CPGB’s immediate post-war shift away from organising workplace branches. Whilst twenty years later, he was one of those firmly opposed to changing the name of the Daily Worker
to the Morning Star
in 1966.
It might be thought that French and the Communist Party had moved a considerable way from each other over those two decades. Yet, although it is possible to discern a cumulative build-up of views held by French that significantly distanced him from the mainstream within the Communist Party from at least around 1962, it would take another 15 years for this to formally take the form of an organisational breach.
It might be thought that his role as the lead political worker in the Surrey
District of the CPGB clearly enabled him to maintain a semi-detached position within it. Yet, in many ways, he had seemed at odds with the CPGB’s strategic plan, the British Road to Socialism, ever since it had been first adopted in 1950.
The intensity of conflict within the YCL was much fuelled by the flagrantly hostile attitudes of the bulk of its national leadership. The fact that much of this leadership delighted in anti-Soviet rhetoric contrasted starkly with French and those around him who were especially associated with a relatively uncritical stance regarding the Soviet Union and its policies.
By the end of the 1970s, French’s Surrey district won supporters in a few parts of the country to its view that the CPGB had abandoned a principled Leninist view. During the inner-party discussion on the 1977 draft of the British Road to Socialism, French was especially sharply critical of the new text. This dropped the term 'dictatorship of the proletariat', accepted a seemingly gradualist approach to the achievement of socialism and gave a commitment to always honour the verdict of the electorate, event to the extent of a socialist government standing down if it failed to achieve a renewed mandate.
It was clearly a personal achievement of sorts for French, though others would point to the manner in which Marxist thinkers in the CPGB and YCL now began to be targeted heavily by Eurocommunists. Within a mere three to four years a virtually open war had begun inside the CPGB, in which the particular stance of the NCP appeared not so relevant as the CPGB imploded.
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
district secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
and the founding general secretary of the New Communist Party of Britain.
Early years
He was born in 1920, to Ernie French, an active communist, and Ethel Wilkinson, from a family with left-wing views. Sid’s sister, Doris, joined the Communist Party of Great BritainCommunist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
in 1942, but had been politically active with communists in the 1930s.
French joined the Young Communist League
Young Communist League
The Young Communist League was or is the name used by the youth wing of various Communist parties around the world. The name YCL of XXX was generally taken by all sections of the Communist Youth International.Examples of YCLs:...
at the age of 14. He first worked in an accountant’s office and then as a reporter for the South London Press
South London Press
The South London Press is a bi-weekly tabloid newspaper based in Streatham, South London, covering local news within the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Wandsworth....
.
Military service
In 1941, during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was called up and served in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Promoted to Sergeant in 1942, French was posted to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and later to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. While on active service French wrote an article for Labour Monthly
Labour Monthly
Labour Monthly was the magazine of the Communist Party of Great Britain .-Authors published:* Alexander BogdanovLabour Monthly was the magazine of the Communist Party of Great Britain .-Authors published:...
about the problems facing the Gibraltarians
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
under war conditions
Military history of Gibraltar during World War II
The military history of Gibraltar during World War II exemplifies Gibraltar's position as a British fortress since the early 18th century and as a vital factor in British military strategy, both as a foothold on the continent of Europe, and as a bastion of British sea power...
. In Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
he met Henri Alleg, a French communist journalist, who later joined the Algerian resistance against French colonialism and spent five years in prison for his activities.
Full-time CPGB official
In 1946, he was appointed to be what was then the full-time post of treasurer of the London District of the Communist Party of Great BritainCommunist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
. In 1950, he was appointed secretary of the newly formed Surrey District Committee of the CPGB in 1950. He remained in that position for more than twenty five years until he resigned, together with other supporters, to establish the New Communist Party on 15 July 1977.
Despite the later characterisation of him by detractors as being an unflinching Stalinist, French was actually long known to be critical of personality cults – especially those involving himself. For example, he opposed the sending of a special message and gift to Stalin on his 70th birthday.
Differences with CPGB
He was a disciplined communist and often subordinated his views to those of the party. For example, despite the fact that he privately had serious doubts about the electoral strategy of the CPGB he stood as a candidate in the MitchamMitcham
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
constituency five times, the last being in 1974. Related to this concern, was his long-standing criticism of the downgrading of the CPGB's policy of support for the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. He was also member of the Political Purposes Committee of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society
Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society
The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society was a consumer co-operative based in south east London; taking its name from the royal munitions works at Woolwich....
for many years and, for a while, even the vice-chair, a unique position to be in for a Labour Party-affiliated mass organisation.
French’s critical eye had begun early on in his full-time career and appeared to be a feature throughout his time as a CPGB full-time official. Although many shared his concerns, including the CPGB’s own later leadership, he had been an early and vocal critic, within the confines of internal discussion, of the CPGB’s immediate post-war shift away from organising workplace branches. Whilst twenty years later, he was one of those firmly opposed to changing the name of the Daily Worker
Daily Worker
The Daily Worker was a newspaper published in New York City by the Communist Party USA, a formerly Comintern-affiliated organization. Publication began in 1924. While it generally reflected the prevailing views of the party, some attempts were made to make it appear that the paper reflected a...
to the Morning Star
The Morning Star
The Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
in 1966.
It might be thought that French and the Communist Party had moved a considerable way from each other over those two decades. Yet, although it is possible to discern a cumulative build-up of views held by French that significantly distanced him from the mainstream within the Communist Party from at least around 1962, it would take another 15 years for this to formally take the form of an organisational breach.
It might be thought that his role as the lead political worker in the Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
District of the CPGB clearly enabled him to maintain a semi-detached position within it. Yet, in many ways, he had seemed at odds with the CPGB’s strategic plan, the British Road to Socialism, ever since it had been first adopted in 1950.
Heading toward the split
From the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the resulting schism in the CPGB, Sid French clearly saw the New Communist Party project in the same light as the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks split within the Russian Social Democratic and Labour Party. His Surrey District began to operate as a factional entity within the Young Communist League, which was much more destabilised by differences over the events in Czechoslovakia in 1968 than the CPGB.The intensity of conflict within the YCL was much fuelled by the flagrantly hostile attitudes of the bulk of its national leadership. The fact that much of this leadership delighted in anti-Soviet rhetoric contrasted starkly with French and those around him who were especially associated with a relatively uncritical stance regarding the Soviet Union and its policies.
By the end of the 1970s, French’s Surrey district won supporters in a few parts of the country to its view that the CPGB had abandoned a principled Leninist view. During the inner-party discussion on the 1977 draft of the British Road to Socialism, French was especially sharply critical of the new text. This dropped the term 'dictatorship of the proletariat', accepted a seemingly gradualist approach to the achievement of socialism and gave a commitment to always honour the verdict of the electorate, event to the extent of a socialist government standing down if it failed to achieve a renewed mandate.
Foundation of the New Communist Party
The Surrey District took the adoption of the programme as a signal for a breakaway, which had been mooted to have the sympathy of several thousand CPGB members, although only several hundred in actuality joined the New Communist Party when it was founded on July 15, 1977.It was clearly a personal achievement of sorts for French, though others would point to the manner in which Marxist thinkers in the CPGB and YCL now began to be targeted heavily by Eurocommunists. Within a mere three to four years a virtually open war had begun inside the CPGB, in which the particular stance of the NCP appeared not so relevant as the CPGB imploded.