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Socialist Worker (UK) on Respect Coalition

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Socialist Worker (UK) #2074 - Oct 27, 2007
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=13331

Defend socialism and democracy in Respect

Respect, the coalition which has won greater electoral success than any
left alternative for decades, is facing a deep crisis. It is a
political crisis about the direction of the left in Britain which
requires an urgent response.

Socialist Worker has never been one of those papers obsessed with the
manoeuvres of left groups. But the present division in Respect is so
important it demands comment.

We also have to speak out because Socialist Worker has been approached
by two major news programmes who say they are going to broadcast
allegations against the SWP over this affair.

Respect began as a radical product of the anti-war movement. Its name
stood for Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environment, Community
and Trade unionism. It was clearly a left project and achieved success
as such.

Proud

We proudly situated Socialist Worker as the paper which carried the
reports about Respect, organised supporters to push it forwards and
celebrated its victories.

As part of this, Socialist Worker defended George Galloway against right
wing attacks, even when it was unpopular. We researched and
investigated to provide evidence of how material was forged against him
over allegations of receiving oil gifts from Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Socialist Worker supporters campaigned tirelessly to get Galloway
elected in Bethnal Green & Bow in 2005.

When the vast bulk of the media tore into Galloway during his
appearance in Celebrity Big Brother, Socialist Worker did not join in,
and pointed to his record as an anti-war campaigner.

Now, in a concerted push which should appal those who want to see a
radical alternative to Labour, Galloway has begun to attack the core of
the left in Respect. He has decided that the political vision which has
sustained the project no longer fits.

He denounces members of the SWP as unthinking "Leninists" who listen to
nobody but their shadowy and unaccountable leadership - a classic right
wing stereotype of revolutionaries. Inside Respect a campaign has been
launched against the SWP in an attempt to drive us out.

Alternative

In Tower Hamlets in east London two extremely unpleasant meetings have
laid bare the methods at the heart of the present disputes.

At a Respect members' meeting there was an attempt to derail a
constitutionally supplied list of delegates for the Respect annual
conference.

At a subsequent Tower Hamlets Respect committee meeting - after an
initially calm beginning by other speakers - Galloway launched an
assault on the SWP.

Elsewhere Galloway has announced that he does not want to speak at
Respect meetings where SWP members are present, even though they are
active members of Respect.

Such tactics are not about honest debate inside a coalition.

The SWP is not going to be driven out of Respect. We played an important
part in creating Respect and have done as much as anyone to make the
project work. We are also going to continue to stand up for Respect as
a coalition that defends all working class people and tries to meet the
urgent need for a left alternative to Labour.

We urge everyone to support our position that we need to defend Respect
as a project that has socialism as a central part, that will not make
endless concessions in order to win votes, and that stands up for
democracy.

Copyright Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). You may
republish if you include an active link to the original and leave this
notice in place.
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