Following the launch of Respect at the tive committee is faced with a formidable task - to build a new organisation and at the same time prepare to stand in three major elections on June 10: the European
the London Assembly and Mayoral elections.
Respect is also likely to stand in a limited number of local election seats, although the details of this have not yet been agreed.
These elections mean we will need to raise something approaching a million pounds and produce and deliver millions of leaflets. The Euro constituencies are vast -there are nine of them with electorates of between five and eight million.
The Executive committee has met twice, and each time the agenda has been over subscribed with urgent issues. Fortunately political developments are on our side. Local launch meetings of Respect have demonstrated that a substantial proportion of the activist base of the Stop the War Coalition (STWC) is interested, or involved in Respect.
This has been clear not just from the size of the meetings - generally of similar size to the StWC meetings at the time of the warbut they have also been younger and more diverse than the Socialist Alliance has been able to achieve.
The situation in the unions is also moving fast. The RMT decision to affiliate to the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) in Scotland and the union's subsequent expulsion from the Labour Party is not only an historical event but potentially a key development in the construction of an alternative to new Labour in England.
The Fire Brigades Union conference the union on this issue. The postal workers' union (CWU) Scottish Eastern Region has decided to affiliate to the SSP this could have repercussions in England on the issue of the political fund and Labour Party affiliation.
The Executive has made a number of important decisions. Respect will be an organisation in England only.
The executive has decided that Respect will stand for the London mayor position, which is important in terms of profile in the Assembly elections. Respect will also call for asecond Livingstone.
lot of energy has been put into A
developing a relationship between Respect and the Obviously the Greens and Respect will both be appealing to the anti-war vote, and many of the people radicalised through the anti-war movement. On some issues our policies are similar.
But Respect's attempts to develop this relationship have not got anywhere. The attitude of the Greens seems to be that they are an established party, and have selected their candidates, so Respect should go away or shut up and stop splitting the vote.
This issue is sharpest in the South East constituency, where Caroline Lucas, who has been prominent in the anti war movement and on a number of other progressive issues is the sitting Green Party MEP.
Respect from the outset has been reluctant to stand against her, and desired to come to some kind of arrangement. After failing to get an agreement nationally there was an agreement to "go the extra mile" and preference vote for Ken
Green Party. minds. offer the Greens a joint slate in the South East, with Caroline Lucas at the top of the month. list: but this has also been rejected by the Green Party at national level. Respect is still trying to get the Greens to change their
It is very difficult for Respect to simply not stand in that constituency, since this would disqualify Respect from an election broadcast - which is contingent on standing in every
I don't think there has yet been an adequate discussion on the local elections, which will also take place on June 10. There seems full list of candidates by the end of the
London is a single constituency for the Euro elections, so the London meeting will be difficult, in that it will need to elect two lists of candidates: one for the Euro elections and one for the London Assembly, as well as the candidate for mayor.
The whole process is complicated both These elections mec we will need to raise something approaching a millio pounds and produce and deliver millions leaflets. .... practically and politically. At the end process Respect has to produce a ra candidates which is diverse - and attr to the people we want to involve in ou paign and movement.
The executive has discussed some criteria, including targets for the num women and an ethnic mix which refler constituency itself. Selection will be a stituency level but there will have to be coordination from the Executive and to ensure the right overall balar achieved.
t is vital that inclusive organising
mittees are established locally to c
lise these conventions - whic ensure that as many people as possib involved from the start and resolve lems in advance of the actual conventi
Now Respect needs a much str infrastructure. It has elected its princip cers, including Nick Wrack as chair and Rees as convenor. An officers' commit meeting between Executives, and there office with a basic staff. A press and pul group meets weekly.
But none of this is going to be en once the election campaign starts. The need to be a much stronger structi national level, as well as campaign and o isation structures in the constituencies t selves
Respect is planning a high profile o March 20 anti-war demonstration biggest left event between now and Jun It has been argued that Respect ne have a big intervention - by implica much bigger profile than the Socialsit A was able to achieve on such demonstrat
It was argued that Respect needs to hundreds of people promoting it on tha That would be a very good developme