Belfast Revolutionary Communists: Interview with J.P. Hughes
By Samuel Ellis
Communism has seen growth within the city of Belfast in the last two years. What was once villainized and ridiculed, finding its place in the shadows, is now able to flourish openly in an age of Geo-Political turmoil.
To explore why, and what is happening, I spoke with a member of the Revolutionary Communists of Ireland, J.P. Hughes, a self-proclaimed socialist and ‘Elected Treasurer’ of the Belfast branch. He, like others within the movement, yearn for an international communist revolution of the working class.
What is Communism?
Communism is a political ideology, believing that the modern world can be divided into two classes, the working class, and the ruling class, ‘the Bourgeoisie’. Taken from the Communist Manifesto; ‘Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other- Bourgeoisie and Proletariat’.[1]The solution to the dissatisfaction within the working class (who form over 90% of the population worldwide), is to take power, and enact their own governance. This can be achieved by violent revolution, a seizure of private property (such as the means of production, factories etc.) and an overthrow of the capitalists. ‘The proletariat alone is a really revolutionary class’. [1]
J.P. clarified the objectives of communism, ‘The role of a socialist is to overthrow capitalism. It is the people’s role to govern and make the decisions afterward’.
This system of socialism would consist of working-class representatives, to reorganise the ruins of Capitalism, while resisting counterrevolutions to secure its position. When this system has fulfilled its purpose, Communism will begin, and the working class will rule itself without the need for government or capital (money).
J.P’s Path to Socialism
J.P. discussed with me his journey to becoming a socialist. ‘It started with how I was feeling’, ‘hopeless and dissatisfied’, before he ‘came upon the organisation and found real solutions’ to problems in society.
J.P continued, ‘capitalism is in its death throes’, and a dying last gasp is coming for a ‘world run for the benefit of the few’.
I witnessed a strong belief in J.P. that capitalism creates all problems in society, and ‘with the working class in charge, less problems would exist […], production based on want and need’. ‘We would have no need to destroy the planet’, he continues, ‘riches get in the way of solving problems. You can’t solve problems while trying to gain profit’.
When discussing what a revolution might look like, J.P. stated that ‘when pushed enough, workers will rise, with local strikes and eventually national strikes, where the working class will show their power’. ‘The goal of our organisation’, he firmly said, ‘is to redirect the anger present in the working class and point it towards the oppressive capitalist system’.
International Criticism
Issue 2 of ‘The Revolutionary Communist’ (the organisations’ soapbox) states that people ‘are filled with anger and frustration at the state of society…they are looking for a way out. These people might not be communists yet, but they are open to being persuaded’. [3]J.P mentions ‘the Gaza situation, for example the constant marches. J.P. has a unique perspective, he says that people are tired, and the lack of action as a result of protest is ‘the kind of thing that proves the system fails […] the capitalist system is creating these problems’. Quoting Vladimir Lenin [2] J.P. states ‘Capitalism is horror without end’, ‘and if you want to make a change, fight for communism, become a professional revolutionary’.
A Developing Present and a Hopeful Future for Communists
J.P. continued, ‘there are up to 50 members on the island, and we have our first full-timer, who’s left his job. He’s paid by donations solely’. An inconceivable devotion to Marxism is apparent, to commit to this level. ‘He works 40 plus hours per week, it’s virtually a full-time job’. This reveals that the revolutionary communist movement exists on a larger scale than you might think.
Included in ‘The Revolutionary Communist’ are snapshots of communist movements in other countries. ‘Over 400 communists from across 50 cities gathered in Philadelphia on July 27-28th for the founding congress of the Revolutionary Communists of America’, and ‘Between 9 and 12th August the revolutionary Communist Party in Pakistan organised their first country-wide communist school’.[3] A branch also exists in Limerick City, and ‘comrades in Sligo have begun organising regular reading groups’.[3] Global outreach is on the horizon for the Revolutionary Communists.
Contained within Issue 2 of ‘The Revolutionary Communist’ is the following quote: ‘Following many months of preparation by thousands of comrades in dozens of countries; the founding conference of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI)concluded with a unanimous vote to launch this new international’.[3] It became obvious to me that the communist movement won’t stop with Belfast but has hopes for a global communist revolution.
J.P. hopes to become a writer in a communist society. It appears, like others within the movement fighting capitalist oppression, that he will find much peace after his desired revolution.
Bibliography:
1. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “The Communist Manifesto”, Global Grey, 2018
2. John Peterson, “Capitalism: “Horror Without End”, In Defence of Marxism, Published: 21 May 2013, Accessed March 25, 2025, https://marxist.com/capitalism-horror-without-end.htm
3. “Revolutionary Communist” Issue 2, https://communism.ie/new-issue-of-the-revolutionary-communist-out-of-the-old-world-is-dying-fight-for-communism/
