campaign Opening the Preston front Fisher Gate PRESTON Respect held a large rally last month to launch its general election campaign. Around 200 people packed the Guild Hall to hear a wide range of speakers on the theme of *Stop Political Terror, Stop Civil Rights Abuses, highly topical issue given the attempt by the government to pass its current bill.
Among the speakers were Janet Alder, Justice campaigner and Respect candidate for Tottenham, members of the family of Babar Ahmed, threatened with deportation to the USA, antiwar campaigners and John Rees of the Respect National Committee. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Michael Lavalette, Respect candidate for Preston in the general election.
It marked a strong start to the election campaign. Respect scored over 30 per cent in local elections in Preston last year and is now the main challenger to Blairite pro-war MP, Mark Hendrick.
Some Labour and exLabour members attended the meeting and Councillor Steven Brooks announced he was joining Respect to loud applause. With the increasing likelihood that the General Election will be on May 5, the same day as local elections in Lancashire, Respect will also be standing County Council candidates and has good chances of winning in two seats. Respect a two-member group on the Council. cabinet member, Elaine Abbott, resigned to join Respect last year. sort in the City.
Alan Thornett Blair has already made it clear that a Labour third term would be more radically rightwing and neo-liberal than either first or second. This is reflected his pre-election policy initiatives - from the introduction of detention without trial to new attacks on incapacity benefit, pensions and asylum rights. Blair defends the invasion of Iraq despite the absence of weapons of mass destruction and the catastrophe in Iraq today. He continues to stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with Bush as the 'case for war against Syria is built up and pressure is increased on Iran. New Labour has fully embraced the neo-liberal agenda of marketisation and deregulation. It has pushed privatisation into areas the Tories feared to treado It has privatised air traffic control and extended privatisation into all our core public services. All this makes the existence of a credible, left-wing, antiwar, alternative to the betrayals of new labour an essential component of this election. Respect is uniquely placed to be such an alternative. It WOR SULLIC breakthrough results in June 2004 particularly in deprived inner-city constituencies, previously Labour strongholds, with big working class and immigrant, particularly Muslim, communities. The opportunity exists, therefore. for some equally (or even more) impressive results in the general election predicted for May 5. Respect could even win a seat or two outright - despite the scandalous first-past-the-post system. Even one breakLabour Councillor joins Respect Preston Labour City Councillor, Steven Brooks, has joined Respect. He resigned from the Labour Part last month following a dispute over local economic policy. He joins Councilor Michael Lavalette to give The crisis of the one-time left wing local Labour Party is deepening. Former Labour group chair and The minority Labour administration is now having to implerent a Tory cuts budget after its own proposals were defeated by a Tory/Lib Dem alliance, and they failed to support Respect's alternative budget that would have preserved services at a cost of Councillor's allowances. They now face the prospect of losing control of the Council completely to the Tories, while Respect is making deep inroads into their supHer Information see www.prestonrespect.org through into Westminster would open a new stage in the development of a left alternative in England.
Respect already has almost thirty excellent and wellplaced candidates selected. These include Respect's elected Tower Hamlets councillor, Oliur Rhaman, in Popular and Limehouse, George Galloway in Bethnal Green and Bow, Lindsey German in West Ham, Salma Yaqoob in Birmingham Small Heath, Michael Lavalette (also a current Respect concillor) in Preston, and Yvonne Ridley in Leicester South. They all have the potential for very good votes.
Making a breakthrough into Westminster, however, and clocking up some good results alongside it, is a big task for It will require not only a massive commitment by members and supporters, and systematic constituency work, but it will need a campaign with a sharp political focus capable of clearly defining it against its main rivals and establishing it as a radical left alternative.
Respect is the consistent anti-war party in this election. It came out of the great antiwar movement. The Liberal Democrats supported the war once it started, and, along with the Greens, have refused to call for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops -the crucial element in any real change in Iraq today.
Despite this the Lib Dems have invested hugely in passing themselves off as an antiwar party, and with some success. The Greens have upped their profile as an antiwar party despite their equivocation on pulling foreign troops out now. 200-300 public sector workers attended a rally in East London as part of the TUC day of action against pensions cuts on February 18. Amongst the speakers were former MP Tony Benn, and Respect MP and East London candidate George Galloway as well as trade unionists from almost every public sector trade union.
Alex Kelly, Secretary of East London NUT argued that Shell and BP can earn millions in profits for the minority, but there is no money for the pensions of the majority.
Steve Cushion from Natthe's national executive said that the government had the money to bomb the hell out of Falluja, but not for pensions.
George Galloway talked about the huge pension increase MPs had voted themselves.
Trade unionists also talked about a cross union campaign of strike action in the run up to the general election, beginning on March 23.
The NUT and Natthe are talking about a date in April, possibly the 14th. This is the best way to a quick victory.
This means that Respect must stand in this election not only as the most consistent anti-war party. It must stand as comprehensive political alternative to new Labour and the other parties. A vote for Respect must be a vote to reverse the rightward march in British politics and restore to it, a clear, radical, working class and socialist voice.
This approach is common ground in Respect. But it has to be clearly reflected in the campaign itself, its election manifesto, its leaflets, and its DOCUS.
The National Council has now adopted a manifesto that should ensure that the organisation has something serious to say on a wide range of Millions will be watching how Respect performs, and what it represents, far beyond the constituencies it is able to stand in. issues, from the neo-liberal offensive against the public services - health, education, housing and transport, from agriculture and the environment to the situation facing the trade unions.
Pensions are under attack, students have the millstones of loans and tuition fees round their necks, trade union rights remain severely restricted and the gap between rich and poor increasing as millions exist on poverty wages. Respect must have clear and principled
Respect has to take head-on the racist agenda of Labour and the Tories head in this
There is an ugly competition between new Labour and the Tories as to who can be tougher on foreigners - who can pander to prejudice most effectively.
Respect has to be the best defender of asylum seekers and migrants. It has to make the case against racism and in defence of asylum seekers and actively campaign around these issues.
Respect must place the looming environmental crisis at the centre of its campaign. This cannot be left to the Greens. They have plenty to say about it but no overall solution other than a different (i.e. small-scale) form of capitalism. The defence of the environment has to be integrated into all of the activities of Respect.
Respect needs to project itself as a national party running a national campaign, despite the fact that it is only able to stand in a minority of seats. Millions will be watching how Respect pertorms, and what it represents, far beyond the constituencies it is able to stand in.