Marxism Today

Marxism Today was a British political and theoretical magazine published from 1957 until 1991. It served as the principal theoretical journal of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), providing a platform for debate about Marxism, communist strategy, British politics, international affairs, and cultural theory. Although it originated within the institutional framework of the CPGB, the magazine became increasingly associated with a reformist and intellectually experimental current on the British left, especially during the late 1970s and 1980s. The publication was based in London and was directed at readers interested in socialist theory, political economy, party strategy, and the interpretation of contemporary British society. Its importance grew during the editorship of Martin Jacques, under whom it developed a distinctive analysis of the political and cultural changes associated with the governments of Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Through its essays and editorial interventions, the magazine helped popularise discussion of the ideological character of Thatcher's project, and Jacques is sometimes credited with coining or consolidating the term “Thatcherism.” A major intellectual contribution associated with Marxism Today was its theory of “New Times.” This approach argued that the traditional categories and organisational assumptions of the post-war left were becoming inadequate in a society transformed by changes in class structure, consumer culture, media, technology, gender relations, and political identity. Rather than treating politics solely through the conventional framework of industrial class conflict, the magazine examined how culture and ideology shaped political consent. This orientation made Marxism Today a prominent voice for renewal and reform within British communist and socialist debate, while also drawing criticism from orthodox Marxists. The magazine was especially notable for publishing and promoting work connected with British cultural studies. Stuart Hall was among the influential thinkers associated with its pages, and the journal helped connect cultural analysis with debates about power, race, identity, popular culture, and political strategy. Its reformist line placed it at the centre of arguments over the future of the CPGB during a period marked by the decline of traditional communist politics, the crisis of organised labour, the rise of neoliberalism, and internal disputes over the party's direction. Marxism Today ceased regular publication in 1991, around the period when the CPGB itself was undergoing profound political and organisational change. A special issue appeared in 1998, seven years after the magazine's regular publication ended. The New Statesman later described itself on an inside page as incorporating Marxism Today, among other titles, until 1998. The surviving archive is preserved in digital form by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, whose collection makes issues from 1980 to 1991 available without charge. The magazine is now chiefly remembered as an influential late-twentieth-century British political journal rather than as an active commercial brand.

Marxism Today was established in 1957 as the theoretical magazine of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Its original role was to provide a dedicated publication for Marxist theory, political interpretation, and debates relevant to the CPGB and the British labour movement. The magazine operated from London and addressed readers who wanted more sustained theoretical discussion than was generally available in party newspapers or shorter political pamphlets. Over time, the publication's role changed. The crisis of communist politics, disputes over the direction of the British left, and changes in British society encouraged the magazine to move beyond a narrowly doctrinal presentation of Marxism. From 1977 onward it became increasingly associated with the reformist wing of the CPGB. This current sought to revise inherited communist assumptions and to respond to the political conditions created by the decline of traditional industrial organisation, the fragmentation of class identities, the expansion of mass media, and the emergence of new forms of conservative politics. The magazine was particularly influential during the 1980s under the editorship of Martin Jacques. Its analysis of the Conservative governments led by Margaret Thatcher treated Thatcherism not simply as a collection of economic policies but as a broader ideological and political project. The publication examined how market-oriented reforms, appeals to individualism, changes in statecraft, and new forms of popular communication could reshape political consent. Jacques is sometimes credited with coining the term “Thatcherism,” although the magazine's significance rested more broadly on its sustained effort to interpret the phenomenon and its implications for the left. Marxism Today also became an important venue for British cultural studies. Work associated with Stuart Hall and related intellectual circles connected political analysis to questions of media, race, identity, popular culture, ideology, and everyday life. This widened the magazine's readership and helped make it relevant to debates that were not traditionally central to orthodox communist theory. The publication's “New Times” perspective argued that the left needed a new political language capable of addressing a society transformed by economic restructuring, consumer culture, technological change, and increasingly complex social identities. The magazine's reformist and culturally focused approach generated both influence and controversy. Supporters regarded it as an innovative attempt to renew Marxist politics in response to real social changes. Critics, including orthodox Marxists, viewed its analysis as a retreat from class politics or as an accommodation to the ideological pressures of the period. Its pages therefore functioned not only as a source of political commentary but also as a record of the internal arguments that shaped the British left in the late twentieth century. Regular publication ended in 1991, during a period of severe crisis for the CPGB and for communist movements internationally. A special issue was published in 1998. Until that year, the New Statesman described itself on an inside page as incorporating Marxism Today and other titles. The magazine's historical record is now accessible through the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, which provides digital versions of all issues from 1980 to 1991. The archive preserves the publication's contribution to British Marxist thought, cultural studies, and analysis of Thatcher-era politics.

1. 1998Special issue appears

   A special issue is published seven years after the end of the regular magazine.

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2. 1991Regular publication ends

   The magazine ceases its regular publication after 34 years.

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3. 1980Influence expands during the 1980s

   Under Martin Jacques's editorship, Marxism Today gains particular influence through its analysis of Thatcherism and its engagement with cultural studies.

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4. 1977Reformist orientation becomes prominent

   The magazine becomes a standard-bearer for the reformist wing of the CPGB during the period from 1977 to 1991.

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5. 1957Publication begins

   Marxism Today begins publication as the theoretical magazine of the Communist Party of Great Britain.

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A theoretically oriented British left-wing magazine that combined Marxist political analysis with cultural studies and reformist debate about the future of communist politics. During the 1980s it positioned itself as an intellectually innovative critic of Thatcherism and as a vehicle for rethinking the political language of the traditional left.

• Marxism Today magazinePolitical and theoretical magazine1957

  The core publication was a British Marxist magazine issued from 1957 to 1991. It carried theoretical essays, political analysis, commentary on the Communist Party of Great Britain and the wider labour movement, and interpretations of domestic and international developments. In its later decades it became known for reformist perspectives, analysis of Thatcherism, and engagement with cultural studies. A special issue was published in 1998.

• Marxism Today digital archiveDigital archive

  A digital collection hosted by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust preserves issues published from 1980 to 1991. The archive provides historical access to the magazine's political writing, cultural criticism, and debates over the future of Marxism and the British left.

• 1991End regular publicationOther

  The magazine's regular run ended amid major changes within the Communist Party of Great Britain and the wider international communist movement.

  What changed. Marxism Today stopped publishing as a regular magazine.

  Aftermath. A special issue followed in 1998, while archival issues remained available through the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust.

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• 1977Adopt a reformist and renewal-oriented editorial directionStrategy

  The magazine operated during growing debate over the future of communist politics and the adequacy of traditional Marxist categories for understanding changes in British society.

  What changed. Marxism Today became associated with the reformist wing of the CPGB and increasingly explored new political, cultural, and ideological frameworks.

  Aftermath. This orientation made the magazine influential in debates about Thatcherism, cultural studies, and the reorganisation of the British left, while also attracting criticism from orthodox Marxists.

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• 1998Special issue of Marxism Today is published

  A special issue appeared seven years after the magazine's regular publication had ended. The New Statesman continued to identify itself as incorporating Marxism Today and other titles until this period.

  Product launch
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• 1991Marxism Today ceases regular publication

  The magazine ended its regular run after more than three decades of publication, amid major changes in British communist politics and the wider international left.

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• 1980Martin Jacques editorship raises the magazine's profile during the Thatcher era

  During the 1980s, under editor Martin Jacques, Marxism Today became particularly influential for its interpretation of Thatcherism, political ideology, and the changing structure of British society.

  Leadership change
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• 1977Marxism Today becomes a leading platform for the reformist wing of the CPGB

  From the late 1970s through 1991, the magazine became closely identified with the reformist current within the Communist Party of Great Britain and its efforts to rethink communist politics.

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• 1957Marxism Today begins publication as the theoretical magazine of the Communist Party of Great Britain

  Marxism Today was launched as the CPGB's theoretical journal, providing a regular forum for Marxist political discussion and party-oriented analysis.

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• Digital archive of Marxism Today issues is made available

  The Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust hosts a digital collection of issues from 1980 through 1991, available without charge under the archive's stated copyright terms.

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1. Marxism Today
2. Marxism Today digital collection