NationStates Jolt Archive

Here in Britain, there is a new Political Organisation called "Respect Unity Coalition", whose main platform in the European and London elections is an anti war platform, mainly around Iraq. The person who started this organisation is George Galloway, who has consistently argued against the war. He has also been the victim of vitriol and slander from the British Government and media.

I have read some of the manifesto
of this organisation and while I still am cynical of political parties, I am considering giving them my vote. I would urge all those who are against the war in Iraq to give serious thought to giving their vote also.

I have placed the link for RUC below.

http://www.respectcoalition.org/

Here in Britain, there is a new Political Organisation called "Respect Unity Coalition", whose main platform in the European and London elections is an anti war platform, mainly around Iraq. The person who started this organisation is George Galloway, who has consistently argued against the war. He has also been the victim of vitriol and slander from the British Government and media.

I have read some of the manifesto
of this organisation and while I still am cynical of political parties, I am considering giving them my vote. I would urge all those who are against the war in Iraq to give serious thought to giving their vote also.

I have placed the link for RUC below.

http://www.respectcoalition.org/

No offense and I will fully admit that I am neither British nor have I read the manifesto, but is this issue significant enough to base an entire political party around? I am a fully fledged pacifist (I mean, I quit playing Dark Age of Camelot because it made me uncomfortable), but there's more to a political theory than simply one issue.

Here in Britain, there is a new Political Organisation called "Respect Unity Coalition", whose main platform in the European and London elections is an anti war platform, mainly around Iraq. The person who started this organisation is George Galloway, who has consistently argued against the war. He has also been the victim of vitriol and slander from the British Government and media.

I have read some of the manifesto
of this organisation and while I still am cynical of political parties, I am considering giving them my vote. I would urge all those who are against the war in Iraq to give serious thought to giving their vote also.

I have placed the link for RUC below.

http://www.respectcoalition.org/


No offense and I will fully admit that I am neither British nor have I read the manifesto, but is this issue significant enough to base an entire political party around? I am a fully fledged pacifist (I mean, I quit playing Dark Age of Camelot because it made me uncomfortable), but there's more to a political theory than simply one issue.
I agree, thats why I wrote the war in Iraq is the main platform. There are many others (see the paste below). They are a coalition of socialists, trade unionists, minority interest groups, democrats, pensioners, students etc. The overiding message is respect for all and concern for social justice.


"It has emerged from the greatest political demonstrations in modern history, against the illegal invasion of Iraq. Respect stands for an end to the occupation of Iraq, a stop to privatisations and a return to democratic public ownership of our essential services, a decent minimum wage, an education system that is not dependent on the ability to pay and which gives an equal chance in life to every child, as well as the preservation and enhancement of our environment."

I agree, thats why I wrote the war in Iraq is the main platform. There are many others (see the paste below). They are a coalition of socialists, trade unionists, minority interest groups, democrats, pensioners, students etc. The overiding message is respect for all and concern for social justice.


"It has emerged from the greatest political demonstrations in modern history, against the illegal invasion of Iraq. Respect stands for an end to the occupation of Iraq, a stop to privatisations and a return to democratic public ownership of our essential services, a decent minimum wage, an education system that is not dependent on the ability to pay and which gives an equal chance in life to every child, as well as the preservation and enhancement of our environment."

Ah, that makes much more sense, then. The British have much more interesting political parties than those of us in the U.S. :D

Here in Britain, there is a new Political Organisation called "Respect Unity Coalition", whose main platform in the European and London elections is an anti war platform, mainly around Iraq. The person who started this organisation is George Galloway, who has consistently argued against the war. He has also been the victim of vitriol and slander from the British Government and media.

Well no, not exactly. Galloway is the figurehead of respect but he wasn't the sole artitect. Wet liberal and all round big girls' blouse George Monbiot alongside anti war activist and (with a penchant for Stalinist style censorship of political dissidents) Salma Yaqoob floated the idea of a 'Peace and justice' party. It was full of the same wet and windy plattitudes that you find in respect. All nice and wooly and vague so as not to frighten anyone.

The UK's largest group of irrelevent Trots, the Socialist Workers' Party were having trouble with the Socialist Alliance (which is the precursor of Respect) so they gladly jumped on board. Although Galloway has some leverage, its pretty much an SWP front. Although in true SWP fashion, they pose far to the right of their own politics, saving the 'revolutionary' rhetoric for their own membership.

I am very cynical of the whole affair for a number of reasons:

1. I'm sure Galloway will elected regardless. SWP central committee member John rees may gain a respectable vote in the midlands, given that RESPECT has gained the backing of political Islamists, the Muslim Association of Britain. The rest will get the typical fringe vote that left wing sects traditionally get in England. The BNP meanwhile will continue to build.

2. There is no internal democracy in RESPECT whatsoever. The steering committee has been appointed not voted for, there's no sign of a constiution or any democratic proceedure on the way. But even if there were, the SWP bloc holds all the votes anyway.

3. Let's get real here: it didn't emerge from the anti war movement at all. Its a lash up between Galloway and a few left sects. In that regard, as a project of left unity, its miles behind the Socialist Alliance, which if nothing else, had managed to briefly unite the far left in England.

In short, its useless. Its the SWP trying to chase after the next big thing again. They tried to worm their way into the 'anti capitalist movement' with Globalise Resistance and they failed. They tried to build the 'party' using teh terminably useless Anti Nazi League and they failed-- so much so that I'm pretty sure they contributed to the BNP's growth! They tried to pretend to be 'old Labour' with the Socialist Alliance and that failed. Respect is the worst of all their efforts.