Division of Labour: Blair sets the pace, Hewitt gets stuck in, Prentis pays the bill - and the members get stuck with the consequences June is going to bo a busy month for George Galloway. A quick look at the diary column in this Issue (p22) shows that he Is going to be speaking all over the country on Respect's challengo to Now Labour.
The purpose of this speaking tour is to got existing Rospect groups to seize the opportunity that has opened up. We have a real chance to create a party with a mass membership that Is clearly on the class struggle, anti-Imperialist loft of British politics.
Galloway's appearance In front of the American Senate's kangaroo court had an enormous impact both in Britain and on the American loft.
Apparenty hundreds of Americans have applied to become Respect members. Yet all Galloway did was tell the truth about the war In the sort of language that he has used in every meeting that he has addressed in the last couple of years.
The next few weeks need to be weeks of Intense activity for Respect members. Tons of thousands of people, particularty on the left, who have had reservations about Respect were bowled over by Galloway's performance. Many of them can now be persuaded to Joln the only party In Britaln
that is able to humiliate the American ruling class in its own debating chamber. This is the moment when we need to be organising meetIngs at ward lovel at which wo invite now people to joln the party. We need to start organIsing stalls at which people can join and Identiiying the local camp ins which Respect can help lead. Some local branches have already begun planning for the council elections noxi year. They will be Many people holding meetings to can now be start elaborating persuaded to policy, Identify potential candidates and join the only start the fundraising party in Britain and campaigning.
This process would that is able to
be helped enorhumiliate the mously by having a
American national Respect
paper which would ruling class in help keep members
its own across the country
informed of the
debating debates and activity
chamber. that are happening
elsowhere. As we report in this issue that is something that Sociallst Resistance supporters are arguing strongly for in Respect's leadership. Let's solze the golden moment that George Galloway's pummeling of the American senators has glen us. Start knocking on doors, organising your local meetIngs, street stalls and leafleting, and start recruiting to