Respect Party
RESPECT - the Unity Coalition (RUC) is a left-wing electoral coalition founded on 25. January 2004 by 1400 people in London. With its anti-war, anti-privatisation/globalisation, anti-racist and pro-trades union agenda, the RUC intends to provide an electoral challenge to Tony Blair's New Labour in the London Assembly and European elections on June 10 2004.
RESPECT stands for Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environmentalism, Community, Trade Unionism. Its main components are MP George Galloway, who had been expulsed from the Labour Party, the Socialist Workers Party, leading members of left-wing trade unions such as RMT,FBU, representatives of the British anti-war movement and other left-wing figures such as director Ken Loach. According to the RESPECT website, its main campaigning issues are:
- To withdraw troops from Iraq and to let the people of Iraq decide their own future
- Halting the privatisation of essential public services
- Defeating the Euro and the proposed European constitution
- Protecting and enhancing our environment
- The restoration of trade union rights
- For equality, tolerance and a multi-cultural society
At its launch, it was not clear how the coalition's local and regional structures would be organised. However a ruling body comprising the following 18 members was elected: George Galloway, Mark Serwotka (PCS), Ken Loach, Lindsey German (SWP, StWC ), Nick Wrack, Salma Yaqoob (Birmingham Stop the War Coalition chairperson), Linda Smith (FBU), John Rees(SWP, StWC ), Dr Siddiqqui (leader of the Muslim Parliament), Michael Lavalette, John Nicholson, Shaheedah Vawda (Just Peace), Chris Bambery, Dr Mohammed Naseem, Clive Protheroe (FBU), Shelley Margetson, Alan Thornett and Sait Akgul. George Monbiot, the left-liberal anti-globalisation writer and co-author of a discussion paper which gave the initial impetus for the coalition, was not a member of the steering committee.
Left-wing critics of RUC dismiss it as an undemocratic, unprincipled and short-sighted project with a top-down approach.
The RESPECT coalition is also susceptible to be confused with London's anti-racist music festival of the same name. London's mayor Ken Livingstone threatened to sue RUC unless it changed its name. On 21.01.2004, the Greater London Authority registered 'Respect' as a trademark name for political lobbying organisations.
see also
The Awkward Squad, Stop the War Coalition, Socialist Workers Party