Arthur MacManus

Arthur MacManus (1889 - 1927) was a Scottish trade unionist and socialist politician.

MacManus joined the De Leonist Socialist Labour Party (SLP) [http://sites.scran.ac.uk/redclyde/redclyde/rc038.htm Arthur MacManus, first chairman of the Communist Party of Great Britain, 1914-1919] ] and began work at Singers in Clydebank, then known as part of the Red Clydeside. However, he was sacked in April 1911 following an unsuccessful strike . [ [http://sites.scran.ac.uk/redclyde/redclyde/rceve1.htm The Singer Strike 1911] ]

Supporting the SLP's opposition to World War I, MacManus was arrested in 1915 at a meeting in George Square, Glasgow, for speaking against the introduction of conscription. [ [http://sites.scran.ac.uk/redclyde/redclyde/rc222.htm Warrant summons issued to Maxton, Shinwell, Maclean, 12 Dec 1915] ]

MacManus became a leading member of the Clyde Workers Committee, and for supporting David Kirkwood in the William Beardmore and Company strike of 1916, he was one of five people deported to Edinburgh. [ [http://sites.scran.ac.uk/redclyde/redclyde/rc200.htm Deportation of CWC leaders 1916, 1 April 1916] ]

In the 1918 UK general election, MacManus stood unsuccessfully for the SLP in Halifax. Following the October Revolution, he became a proponent of a united communist party. In January 1919, he was appointed to serve on a Unity Committee, to engage in discussions on uniting with the British Socialist Party, Workers Socialist Federation and various smaller groups.Mark Hayes, "The British Communist Left 1914-45" (International Communist Current)]

In an attempt to resolve differences between the various socialist groups, the Committee proposed to form a communist party, then hold a vote on Labour Party affiliation one year later. The SLP executive publicly repudiated this proposal, and decided to cease unity negotiations. Together with Tom Bell and William Paul, MacManus did not accept this. They continued to attend the negotiations, and in April 1920, formed the Communist Unity Group. In August, this became the second largest group to participate in the formation of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), and MacManus became the party's first Chairman, a post he held until 1922. That year, he attended a special conference of the Executive Committee of the Comintern, at which it was decided to reorganise the party. [Steve Reynolds, " [http://www.marxist.com/History/early_CPGB.html The Early Years of the Communist Party of Great Britain - 1922-1925] ] MacManus became its Colonial Secretary, [" [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,728589,00.html Reds Warned] ", "TIME Magazine"] and attended the Fourth Congress of the Comintern in September, [ [http://www.gcal.ac.uk/radicalglasgow/chapters/tom_bell.html Tom Bell: Radical Glasgow] ] at which he was elected to its Executive Committee and Praesidium. [ [http://www.marxisthistory.org/subject/usa/eam/cominternofficials.html The Communist International (1919-1943) Officials] ]

In 1924, the Zinoviev Letter was circulated, calling for increased communist agitation in Britain. This forgery, intended to damage the Labour Party's chances in the general election, was purportedly signed both by Gregory Zinoviev and MacManus.

In 1925, MacManus was one of twelve CPGB officials to be imprisoned for seditious libel and incitement to mutiny. [ [http://sites.scran.ac.uk/redclyde/redclyde/rc035.htm Postcard of 12 defendants in trial of Communist Party officials, Nov 1925] ]

MacManus was able to attend the founding conference of the League Against Imperialism in 1927, [" [http://www.cpim.org/marxist/199601_marxist_saklatvala.htm Shapurji Saklatvala and the Fight against Racism and Imperialism 1921-28] ", "The Marxist"] but died later in the year. His ashes were placed within the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.

References

External links

[http://www.marxists.org/archive/mcmanus/index.htm Arthur MacManus Archive] Marxists Internet Archive