The upcoming Communist Party congress will focus on how to regenerate town, village, and city centers. The party has a clear understanding of the social and economic decline. That many communities are enduring, and they well-placed to offer meaningful solutions.

Two of the acute crises that the party is concerned with are the cost of living crisis and the national health crisis. The soaring cost of living has already caused enormous hardship to millions of households across the country. Wages have fallen further and further behind inflation, and essential public services have cut to the bone.

Radical change is needed

The NHS is also undergoing a prolonged assault, hollowed out before our eyes. In England, the dental care sector is in a critical state. It is increasingly difficult to find a local dental practice accepting NHS patients.

The decline in the quality of life and the fall in wages have had a major impact on our high streets. Many have filleted, with the exodus of post offices and banks, redirection of bus services. Making the high street less relevant to everyday working-class community life.

The party believes that radical changes needed right across the economic and political landscape. They calling for true public ownership of the energy sector, investing in affordable, renewable, and low-carbon energy; and help urgently needed from millions of people at serious risk of destitution.

So, why not public ownership in our high streets?

Healthcare for All, Not Just the Wealthy

Communists will continue to campaign for the universally popular policy of a fully funded and comprehensive health service that fit for purpose. Including dental, eye, and hearing services. They are also arguing that these should be provided in local centers at the heart of communities and easy to travel to and from.

The creation of jobs, too, must be at the heart of rebuilding our communities. Over a fifth of workers in Greater Manchester are not even earning the living wage, a statistic replicated and in many cases worse in regions across the country. Communists campaign for a full, meaningful living wage, and employment rights for workers from day one.

Young people: the exodus and the solution

A result of the decline in communities is the exodus of young people who move in search of work or to university but they do not return because of lack of opportunity to practise locally in their communities, the new skills they acquire.

Young people need support in education and training: the means to acquire skills and quality jobs. Government and local authorities must prioritise long-term plans to eradicate poverty. Beginning by working and co-operating with communities, health professionals, schools and social workers.

These reasonably modest proposals for regeneration are just the beginning. Urgent steps needed now in order to meet the immediate, most critical challenges we face every day.

Council Tax Abolition: Communists Propose New Wealth Tax

Communists campaign for the abolition of the council tax. And its replacement with a new wealth tax based on property, wealth, and ability to pay.

Their congress will discuss not just this revolution in local government financing, but how Scottish and Welsh parliaments. Along with new regional assemblies for England — can strengthen their capability through greater tax-raising powers over land use and direct intervention in local economies.

Rebuilding high streets as centers of community

This includes a popular strategy for rebuilding our high streets as centres of community. Seizing abandoned major retail space and public ownership of local transport services among the proposals to debated along with how councils contribute their power to the struggle to deal with the impact of climate change.

There is an enormous disconnect between our communities and the politics of Westminster. The decision-makers in Whitehall — not to mention the corporate boardrooms. Where decisions affect our day-to-day living just as much.

Capitalism is in a death-spiral of its own making. One that only co-ordinated, planned, scientific socialism can adequately mitigate and replace.

As communists, they understand that the solutions are obvious, and long overdue: jobs, services, and socialism. They will be contesting local elections near you with such policies so you will have the opportunity to campaign alongside them. Get in touch and get involved.