On April 16, Respect selected its candidates for the London Assembly and London mayoral elections in May next year at a selection meeting of 250 London members in Conway Hall.
Lindsey German was unanimously elected to stand as Respect's candidate for London mayor. There was no opposition to the proposal to stand against Livingstone.
This was not surprising given his pro-big business administration and his strikebreaking role in urging RMT members to cross picket lines.
Sixteen candidates were selected to for the Respect list for the Assembly Elections. Lindsey German was also elected to head the list. Respect Tower Hamlets Councillor Oliur Rahman is second on the list and national chair Linda Smith is third.
When the last London assembly elections took place in 2004, just three months after Respect was formed Lindsey came within 0.4 percent of winning a seat on the Assembly and came fifth as a candidate for mayor, beating the Greens and the BP.
There is little doubt that if Respect conducts a serious campaign across London - and the signs are that it will - it is in a position to make a breakthrough in the Assembly and win several seats.
To do that it needs to develop a clear alternative ot socialist plan for London covering transport, education, of healthcare, civil and human rights, and the environment and a sharp break with Livingstone's current big business orientated model.
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