From an idealist point of view, the split in Respect didn't really need to happen. But in the real world, the sectarian politics of the Socialist Workers Party have made it inevitable.
There was no reason in principle why when George Galloway wrote his critical
the National Council back in August, echoing and amplifying many of the points that Socialist Resistance has been making for three years, National Secretary John Rees could not have acknowledged there were some problems and opened up a constructive dialogue.
With a conference scheduled for November 17, joint motions could have been drawn up to take account of the issues raised: a new leadership could have been elected, with a more representative officers committee more responsive and proactive in building Respect and its profile as a broad, campaigning coalition to the left of Labour.
But instead Galloway's criticism was interpreted as an act of war against Rees and the SWP.
SWP meetings were convened to vilify Galloway, Respect's only MI, and also its high-profile Vice-Chair (and elected councillor) Salma Yaqoob, who had also had disagreements
witn John Rees.
In the first signs of the split that was to come, 13 out of 14 SWP members present at the National Council meeting on September launched ferocious verbal attacks on Galloway, seeking to drive him out, forcing him into an against the SWP" angry reaction in which he walked out of the meeting.
He was persuaded by others to return to a recall meeting on November 29, where a whole series of motions were adopted unanimously: but within hours of that meeting it became clear that the SWP would work to subvert the decisions they had just voted to support. Not one of those decisions has since been implemented.
Instead it became very clear that the conference on November 17 would be used as a device to batter down the opposition and reinforce the position of John Rees and the SWP in the driving seat of Respect.
This triggered disagreements over the Conterence Arrangements Committee, the election of branch delegates and the basis on which dozens of delegates were being nominated from spu"Student MOUS groups.
And to tighten its grip on the SWP members active in Respect, the national leadership devised the absurd notion of a "witch-hunt against the SWP", a wholly fictional right-left split, in which the SWP and a tiny handful of co-thinkers were depicted as the "left" and Galloway, Yaqoob, Linda Smith, Ken Loach, Alan Thornett and John Lister had to be branded as the "right wing".
To cap it all, a breakaway
of four Tower To tighten its grip on their members active in Respect, the SWP leadership devised the absurd notion of a "witch-hunt ", a wholly fictional right-left split... Hamlets Respect councillors staged a press conterence to announce that they were renouncing the whip and setting up their own
(Independent) group. National Secretary John Rees, present at those proceedings, has said nothing to condemn this political split which has lost Respect its status as the main opposition party in Tower Hamlets: he has issued not one appeal for unity within Respect.
Instead SWP full-timers up and down the country have strong-armed their members to sign the "petition against the witch-hunt" (whether or not the members were even members of
and it became increasingly obvious that a conterence on November l would be a bear-garden, with bust-ups between rival delegations, a demoralising clash over almost every item ... and no prospect that even if the opposition DID manage to get a motion adopted, it would ever be implemented if it was not to the liking of Rees and the SWP.
Socialist Resistance does not celebrate the split in Respect: but we have nothing to apologise for, either.
We have argued for the same basic principles - a campaigning, socialist, pluralistic organisation, responding to events, developing its publication and developing from a coalition towards a party - since Respect was formed.
What we have seen is Galloway and more and more of the independent forces, and now some expelled from the SWP, declaring their support for precisely this conception -while the SWP has retreated from the vision of Respect as a broad coalition to the blinkered view of an electoral tront.
With the Brown project derailed, the Labour left in disarray, the Morning Star and Communist Party debating the need for a new party, and the RMT exploring its options, there has
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AND EQUALIT never been a more fitting time to build a broad, campaigning alternative to New Labour.
mav have beer hijacked and discredited by the SWP's antics, but the task it set out to accomplish is still a vital one, and the core of independents from Respect's National Council along with its MP and many of the councillors are fighting on - calling an alternative conference November 17 for all those who want to Renew Respect and defend its founding principles.
We note that the basis on which George Galloway, Salma Yaqoob and the other Too broad in support for the SWP to tolerate: Galloway and Salma Yaqoob PEACE councillors have swung in support of the opposition includes a commitment to make all elected representatives accountable to the organisation.
Of course there will be political differences and debates within a Renewed Respect, just as there will in any genuinely broad party: the challenge is to create a framework in which we can unite in the overall project while debating out tactical differences in an inclusive way.
But as the SWP takes stock of its losses and goes back to the 'route one' system of sectarian party-building (paper sales and individual recruitment) they will not have much time or energy to maintain the pretence of support for the rump of Respect, which will no doubt go through the motions of a conference on the appointed day with few if any non-SWP delegates to disturb the proceedings.
There's no doubt which will be the most rewarding and positive event, and Socialist Resistance is proud to offer our full practical and political support to those who have stood firm for the need to Renew Respect and build an organisation that can reach out and tap the potential for a large and broad left party to challenge Gordon Brown. Saturday 17 November Renew Respect Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate London EC2M 4QH 11am to 5pm. Speakers include George Galloway MP, Linda Smith, ClIr Salma Yaqoob, Ken Loach.