supporters in London threw themselves into the Respect campaign in Poplar and Canning Town where Oliur Rahman was standing. Every weekend, and some weeknights we went over to support the Respect campaign in East London. Karen O'Toole reports. This was the first time Respect had stood in a general election, so the main emphasis of the campaign was to ensure our publicity and message were everywhere.
We worked with, and met, many people, both potential voters and Oli's campaigners, who made all the legwork both enjoyable and rewarding.
This was helped by the scores of Bengali kids - too young to vote - who were always stopping us on the streets and shouting yeah, Oli! whenever they saw us, and who took leaflets and posters to give to their families and friends.
The degree of goodwill towards us in the community was fantastic, particularly since most of us didn't live in the area, and we also found many people of voting age who, whether they said they would vote for us or not, were willing to stop and discuss Respect and its political impact on the Bengali community.
We met families of prominent Labour members who told us that Oli was a serious
threat to Labour in the constituency, and even they were
split over whom to vote for.
I followed Oli around on
one of the days the Respect
battle bus was doing the rounds of the constituency
just to get a feel for an average day in the life of a Respect candidate.
This proved more difficult than I expected because Oli never stays in one place for more than two minutes. It was made a bit easier when we got on the bus at Aldgate East because it limited his ability to disappear!
We had problems with the sound system, which meant he couldn't speak through the microphone when the bus started moving, so we stood on the top of the bus and just waved at all the passers by.
The London Marathon was due to go past Oli's campaign office the same day, and by the time we drove past the office, there were thousands of people on the streets watching the marathon.
The weather had been kind to us, and many people who came to watch Paula Radcliffe were waving at the battle bus, some in recognition, and others because we were waving at them.
We joked that we should try to get Paula Radcliffe to endorse the campaign, but unfortunately she was a bit too fast even for Oli.
A few days later on the canvassing trail we met a family member of the former Labour councillor who Oli had unseated last year in the local
He called us over to have a chat about the attack a few
RESPEC PECT MAN days before on George Galloway by Islamic fundamentalists calling on Muslims not to support Respect.
He told us his understanding of the incident was that Respect had not caused any violence, although there were accusations by the Labour camp that we had, and told us he thought the involved weren't local.
We came to the conclusion that even though the assault -and accompanying poster campaign showing Respect's support for lesbian and gay rights - had created a debate, the people we spoke to on doorsteps and in the streets did not agree with it, and that the strength of Respect; its diversity and ability to attract all sections of the oppressed, was precisely why people saw it as a serious force.
We later heard that Salma Yacoob had also received death threats, which confirmed our own view that Respect was beginning to succeed in replacing New Labour as the default party of the Muslim community.
Whilst we were talking to the ex-councillors family member, other locals from the Bengali community came over to join the debate, one said that it was cynical for Respect to target the Muslim community.
We stayed and talked it through, explaining that Jim
HMANX B Fitzpatrick, the pro-war Labour MP, was also targeting the community, and there was no controversy about it, even though he had not represented the real interests of the community over Iraq.
We also argued that we didn't want to build a party that had developed out of the anti-war movement that was made up only of the white left, and which wouldn't be representative of the movement as a whole.
Just before we left them we asked how they thought George Galloway would do in Bethnal Green.
The ex-Labour councillor's family member said thought George would take 75 percent of the vote, and that as a Bethnal Green resident, he would definitely be voting for George.
After this we had a real sense that Respect had a strong dynamic in the local As people come and go with their Respect cards in hand, some
coming more than once with different
family members which I'm introduced
to; This is my daughter, she used to work with Oli in the
Jobcentre. Bengali community, and that people were genuinely torn between voting for the traditional party of the community - New Labour - or Respect.
This was something we came to experience quite often during the course of the campaign.
We finally get to Election Day and are duly posted outside our respective polling SHOES
I'm given the one on Devas Road near Bromley By Bow. Marouf from Respect has been there since the crack of dawn and, as he lives just round the corner, knows everybody personally who Comes ute
The Labour Party has sent the former Mayor, a very personable man, who also knows everybody.
Even though I'm from South London, everyone is very friendly, regardless of political affiliation and there is still more debate on Labour versus Respect. When I first arrived the ex Mayor jovially gave me a few digs against
After a while his grandson comes along and helps to distribute Respect literature for us in front of his grandfather which he thinks is very funny. So do I, but I don't show it...
Around 4pm before I go off for a break, the ex-Mayor comes up to me again. I ask him how he is, as he was also there from the crack of dawn and I have not seen him stop once, even though he's not young.
He nods his head, looks down at the ground and says; All the young people are f voting Respect.? I actually feel like giving him a consolation hug after that. Marouf goes off to work at 3.30 and will be back at 8pm, so I'm on my own for a while.
I've been doing my own exit poll all day just to relieve the boredom. I estimate (allowing for mistakes) that at this polling station in a very run-down area of London, between 50 - 75 percent of voters are going with
I text Maggie the agent to let her know, but I have no idea about the other polling stations in the area, but if this is repeated in other areas, Oli hasn't just won, he's demolished Fitzpatrick.
As people come and go with their Respect cards in hand, some coming more than once with different family members which I'm introduced to; *This is my daughter, she used to work with Oli in the Jobcentre.
I get some reports back that our vote is uneven across the constituency, but our polling station is one of the best.
As I'm pondering as to why this area in particular is so
good, a young woman comes
along and gives me the
answer.
She is Marouf's wife and
they have systematically been
visiting all the families that
they know in the area and sitting down and convincing
them to vote for us.
I'm blown away by this
news because all the work
they have done has been completely invisible to the rest of
us, but they deserve a medal
for the effort and commitment they, and others have
put in.
Marouf comes back at 8pm
on the button and insists that
I stop for the night and have a
break. Just before I go I meet
the Ex Labour Mayors daughter.