Albert Inkpin

Early years

Albert Inkpin was born on 16 June 1884 in London. He was employed as a clerk and was a member of the National Union of Clerks from 1907.^[1]

Inkpin was a Marxist and joined the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) in 1906 and was chosen as an Assistant Secretary the following year. He followed the SDF into the new British Socialist Party (BSP) in 1911, continuing in an Assistant Secretary capacity in that new organization.^[2]

In 1913 Inkpin was elected General Secretary of the BSP. He was a committed internationalist and anti-militarist, an opponent of World War I, and a delegate to the Zimmerwald Conference. This placed him at odds with former SDF leader H. M. Hyndman's support of British participation in the conflict. This tension between the Left and Right the BSP ended in 1916 with Hyndman and his co-thinkers departing the group. Inkpin assumed editorship of the BSP's weekly newspaper, The Call, at this time.^[3] Inkpin's application in 1917 as a conscientious objector for exemption from military service was rejected by the Hornsey military service tribunal and the Middlesex Appeal Tribunal, but he does not appear to have been called up.

Inkpin and the more radical elements were thus in a position of firm control of the BSP organisation after 1916 and were well able to join the unity discussions which led to a Communist party in Great Britain in 1920.

Communist leader

Albert Inkpin was Secretary of the Joint Provisional Committee of the Communist Party, the group of representatives of member organisations who set the agenda for the upcoming founding congress. This convention was held in London over the weekend 31 July to 1 August 1920 and was attended by 160 delegates, presenting 211 mandates.^[4] Inkpin delivered the keynote address to the gathering and was elected to the governing Central Committee of the new political organisation, becoming General Secretary.^[5]

In 1920 Inkpin was convicted of circulating pro-Soviet propaganda, and was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

Inkpin was named a member of the honorary presidium of the 3rd World Congress of the Communist International, held in Moscow during the summer of 1921.

Inkpin returned from Soviet Russia to face more legal difficulties with British authorities. He was charged and convicted for printing and circulating Communist literature, serving a six-month term from January to June 1922. While in prison Inkpin stood as a candidate for London County Council.^[6]

Inkpin emerged from jail to become the CPGB's National Organiser, but reverted to being General Secretary the following year. As was the case with top leaders of the early American Communist movement, such as C.E. Ruthenberg and Charles Dirba, Inkpin's background in clerical work no doubt served him well in many of the administrative tasks necessary to run a political organization on a day-to-day basis.

In 1925 Inkpin was again imprisoned, this time as one of 12 prominent Communists charged under the Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797. He was sentenced to six months in prison and remained inside until just prior to the eruption of the British General Strike of May 1926.

Inkpin stood down as General Secretary in 1929, to be replaced by Harry Pollitt, while he moved over to head the CPGB offshoot, the Friends of the Soviet Union. He remained at its helm and that of its successor organization, the Russia Today Society, until his death in 1944.