I considered it while swimming. I considered it while drinking and the conclusion was the same. There is no point in me remaining in Respect any longer. Below is the resignation message I sent to the Tower Hamlets branch committee yesterday. Consider it an early Christmas present to those in the organisation who want it to become ever more hegemonised by the SWP.
Supporters of Socialist Resistance who feel that they have something to contribute in their area will continue to remain in Respect but last weekend’s rally was the clincher, in particular the reaction of those who thought one of its main achievements was to piss off every other socialist in the room. The fact that some of the most disappointed were people who led unoffical, illegal strikes, organised anti-deportation campaigns, shut down their workplaces when the war broke out and the loudest sneerers haven’t done much more than read Althusser and Tony Cliff was just the icing on the cake. A little self questioning is a useful virtue in politics.
I’m resigning from Respect. I joined it because it represented a real opportunity to create a mass class struggle socialist party to the left of Labour. I am still committed to the establishment of such a party. Last weekend’s Organising For Fighting Unions conference was the final proof for me that Respect will not be the vehicle for this.
Even at this stage in the organisation’s life it is not clear if it is a party or a coalition. All the fundamental decisions and arguments are thrashed out in private between rival cabals rather than in front of the organisation. Members who are not in the SWP or the councillors’ support base are left guessing about much of what is going on. This is an undemocratic method of working that disempowers ordinary members and prevents the development of a democratic, socialist ethos in the organisation.
I have always welcomed the participation of large numbers of SWP members in the life of Respect at the national and local levels. Now however the boundaries between one section of Respect and the SWP are virtually invisible. By my reckoning half of the Tower Hamlets delegates to this year’s conference were SWP members. I do not question the entitlement of any of these comrades to have been elected. What I find alarming is that a political current operating in something that is supposed to be broader doesn’t see why this might be a problem. The final straw is the bookstall which sells nothing but SWP literature at branch meeting.
The open hostility to political discussion inside Respect is its most serious handicap. The vast majority of working class and socialist militants expect to be able to discuss ideas freely. The entire history of socialist organisation in the twentieth century proves that this type of freedom is a necessity not a luxury. The tradition established at Respect conferences is to use a block vote and apolitical sneering to reply to debates. This method repels most activists. That is why Respect is politically narrower now than at any time in its history. Where are the thousands of ex-Labour members, the environmentalists and the other fighters who should be in Respect?
None of what I have written here is new. I took the limited opportunities available to raise these concerns during my time as a loyal member of Respect. Equally I have defended Respect on countless occasions in public and in private against its critics. Evidence of this can be found at http://macuaid.blogspot.com.
I will continue to vote for Respect candidates who maintain its programme of fighting imperialism and capitalism. However I cannot remain a member as it is presently structured and functioning and feel unable to ask anyone else to join it. I hope that I will be able to continue collaborating with the many fine class fighters who are in Respect and I look forward to the day when we are re-united in a democratic, socialist, anti-imperialist party.
In solidarity
Liam
Liam redux 
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