THE launch of the Communist manifesto for the May 6 elections on Tuesday night will reflect “the confidence and enthusiasm of a growing Communist Party,” party general secretary Robert Griffiths says.

The all-Britain manifesto Capitalism Is the Problem – Socialism Is the Solution outlines the party’s policies for Scottish, Welsh and English local elections that will see it stand more candidates than at any time since the early 1980s.

The CP accuses the “Tory government in Westminster and, to a lesser extent, the devolved administrations” of a “heavy responsibility for the carnage caused by the coronavirus outbreak,” pointing out that “Britain has one of the highest Covid death rates in the world.”

Though Labour is moving away from socialist policies, the party argues that “socialist measures are exactly what is needed as we emerge from a pandemic into a major economic crisis.”

Mr Griffiths said: “Hundreds of billions of pounds are being used to bail out the capitalist monopolies, but our candidates are campaigning for socialist priorities instead, such as investment in the NHS, public services, manufacturing, housing and climate security in a federal Britain.”

Lorraine Douglas, one of the party’s candidates on the Greater London Assembly list, told the Morning Star that a stronger left voice is vital as we are “back to the early 1980s as far as unemployment goes,” with Covid-related unemployment hitting the capital especially hard.

She highlighted the manifesto’s emphasis on rebuilding council houses and stopping the handover of land to property developers.

The party is standing candidates for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd and in English local elections. Register to watch the manifesto launch at zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cKgV8qhQTZGRrCj9QIaN0Q or read the manifesto at communistparty.org.uk/votecommunist.