More RCP memories

Following on from my mention of the RCP yesterday, Jamie (of new blog Blood and Treasure) has some reminiscences of his own about dealings with them at the old Polytechnic of Central London (is that now part of London Met, formerly London Guildhall, or am I getting my old Polys confused?) (Update: It's now the University of Westminster)

The RCP had another unique feature. They were the only sectarian communist group on planet earth with a dress code. Like bouncers of the revolution, they would only admit people wearing smart casual clothes to the cause. I believe this was something to do with winning the suburbs over to Marxist Leninism. It certainly made them odd to talk to in general social situations, as though they had joined the RCP as everyday people and then been told to imitate their normal selves as a conscious act of revolutionary practice. They marketed themselves, which must have facilitated their eventual move into corporate public relations.