Changes 22 Dec[ember] 1990 – 18 Jan[uary] 1991, Special [42nd] Congress Issue.

12 pages.

In the early 1980s a long-simmering dispute between the party leadership supported by the majority its members, and an anti-Eurocommunist faction, flared up when the London District Congress in 1984 was closed down for insisting on giving full rights to individuals whose membership of the CPGB had been suspended by the Executive Committee. After the CPGB General Secretary closed the London District Congress a number of members remained in the room and held what was, in effect, the founding meeting of a breakaway party, although the formal split did not come until four years later. In 1988 these elements formally split from the CPGB to organise a new party known as the Communist Party of Britain. Part of the collateral damage of this dispute resulted in the leadership of the CPGB losing the editorial control of its daily newspaper – the Morning Star. In these circumstances the CPGB leadership established a new weekly publication in 1985 called '7 Days', in order to ensure that the party's news and views were publicly communicated. '7 Days' was rebranded under the title 'Changes' in 1990.

The 42nd Congress of the CPGB was held from 8–9 December 1990. It marked the first occasion when the possibility of moving comprehensively away from an old-style of highly centralised political organisation could be fully debated and discussed. Five alternative positions to reform, restructure, and in some cases fundamentally reshape the CPGB were discussed.

This issue of Changes is in effect the 42nd Congress report, carrying details of the decisions taken, including printing in full the resolution adopted by the Congress on future organisation, summarising the debates held, and reproducing in full the opening speech to the Congress by its General Secretary, Nina Temple.

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