Democratic Left (Great Britain)
| Predecessor | Communist Party of Great Britain |
|---|---|
| Successor | New Politics Network Democratic Left Scotland |
| Formation | 11 November 1991 |
| Dissolved | December 1998 |
| Type | Think Tank, campaign group |
| Legal status | Dissolved |
| Headquarters | 6 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF |
Region | England, Scotland, Wales |
| Membership | 1,600 (1991) 836 (1998) |
Secretary | Nina Temple |
Democratic Left was a post-communist political organisation that operated in the United Kingdom from 1991 to 1998. It emerged from the Eurocommunist faction within the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) and was closely associated with the magazine Marxism Today, which ceased publication around the same period.
The organisation was founded on 11 November 1991 following the CPGB's decision to dissolve and reconstitute itself as a left-wing reformist think tank and grassroots campaign group. This transformation was guided by the party's Manifesto for New Times, which outlined a vision for post-communist politics in Britain. Nina Temple, who had served as the final general secretary of the CPGB, became the organisation's secretary. Temple, who had been Press and Publicity Officer of the CPGB from 1983 to 1989 before becoming general secretary in 1990 at age 33, was one of the leading proponents of the CPGB's dissolution.
The CPGB's transformation into Democratic Left proved controversial within the party. Many members rejected this reformist direction and instead affiliated with the Communist Party of Britain, which had split from the CPGB in 1988, while others in Scotland established the Communist Party of Scotland.