Liam redux

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George Galloway seeks Poplar nomination

Dear Comrades, I have been reflecting on the unanimous vote, moved by Jeannie Robinson, at last Saturday’s National Council meeting asking me to reconsider my decision of seven days previously to withdraw from the selection process for the Poplar and Limehouse seat. I found that vote very encouraging, particularly coming as it did after many…

Liam
1–2 minutes

Dear Comrades,

I have been reflecting on the unanimous vote, moved by Jeannie Robinson, at last Saturday’s National Council meeting asking me to reconsider my decision of seven days previously to withdraw from the selection process for the Poplar and Limehouse seat. I found that vote very encouraging, particularly coming as it did after many members and supporters from Tower Hamlets and nationally had prevailed upon me also to reconsider. Since Saturday more members have got in touch with the same message.

I have been swayed especially by the argument that my standing will increase the chances of not only taking the Poplar seat, but of us holding on to the Bethnal Green seat – the two together presenting a major challenge but an historic prize. Comrades in Birmingham and elsewhere in the country also say that my candidature would help them.

It is on that basis – and following the expression of the National Council’s unanimous opinion – that I have decided to let my name go forward to seek the nomination for Poplar and Limehouse.

There is now a likelihood that we will be in a full-blown general election campaign by the middle of next week. If so, all my energies will be devoted to securing a further historic breakthrough for Respect. I’m sure that will also be the case for every single member and supporter.

In solidarity and looking forward to the battle,

GG

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41 responses to “George Galloway seeks Poplar nomination”

  1. Neil Wiliams Avatar
    Neil Wiliams

    George has my full support and should have the support of every one who calls themselves a Socialist in or outside of Respect.

    If an election is called in the next week or so the internal debate in Respect will have little meaning to the average working person on the doorstep. We must unite in Respect around buiding a democratic, open and ‘inclusive’ socialist alternative to ‘New’ Labour that offers hope and an alternative view of society and of the world to all working people.

    Respect must be prepared to work with all who share this alternative vision both inside Respect by showing RESPECT for each others views and outside in UNITY with others in struggle and campaigns (while working with other groups/parties in a larger coalition if this becomes possible).

    Respect without George Galloway or Salma Salma Yaqoob would be a dead duck in the water and equally without the energy, socialist ideas, committment and support of Socialist Worker Party members it would be hard pressed to survive.

    So brothers and sisters we need to unite and move on in the most democratic ”open’ way possible with no one group or faction allowed to dominate or control Respect. Perhaps the most important outcome of the Respect National Committee on 24th September was this mtoion:

    “Take urgent steps to ensure that the Executive Committee, which comprises the officers and others, is a balanced reflection of the organisation, including, if necessary, by expanding its numbers though election at this meeting”.

    Neil Williams
    Respect Suporters Blog.

    P.S. I have been nominated by Milton Keynes Respect to stand for the Respect National Council this year and I will fight for the maximum democracy in Respect and Unity of all within it to building a socialist alternative to ‘New Labour’.

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  2. tim Avatar
    tim

    Who’s the Bethnal Green candidate?

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  3. Andy Newman Avatar
    Andy Newman

    Tim

    Are you proposing yourself?

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  4. tim Avatar
    tim

    How dare you.
    I have never taken corrupt cash in my life.
    Neither has my wife and I do not have a press spokesman.

    Who are you backing Andy?
    JohnRees?

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  5. bill j Avatar
    bill j

    There’s further comment from an SWPer on the Socialistunity sight. Basically he reports that at the National SWP meeting the next day Rees attacked GG as did the entire leadership.
    Clearly whatever was agreed in terms of tiding things over until the election has only postponed the denoument.
    This really does pose to the left the type of organisation we need. For me, I’m not in favour of just saying we should unite in a new party, invariably this is used as a way of pretending political differences either don’t exist or are unimportant.
    Rather I think we need to adopt a far more open approach towards working together in united front campaigns and begin a really thorough ideological examination of the present very poor state of the UK left.

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  6. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Respect without Galloway or Yaqoob would be dead in the water writes Neil a supporter of Respect the populist coalition. One can but hope so.

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  7. Ian Donovan Avatar
    Ian Donovan

    “Clearly whatever was agreed in terms of tiding things over until the election has only postponed the denoument.”

    Right, this is your own superior Marxist insight speaking;-)

    “Rather I think we need to adopt a far more open approach towards working together in united front campaigns and begin a really thorough ideological examination of the present very poor state of the UK left.”

    Speak for yourself. You may think you lack the political tools to begin to build a left-wing party, but others don’t agree and simply intend to get on with it. This is a form of sect-building patter in itself …, ‘reject the whole concept of a new left party, follow our united front schema instead of the SWP’s and hopefully you will see the error of your ‘poor ideological’ ways and end up in our [narrow little] group instead’. Not much of a choice, is it? Still a mechanical caricature of Marxism.

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  8. wellssimon Avatar
    wellssimon

    The Bethnal Green candidate has yet to be decided. I should imagine the frontrunner would be Kumar Murshid. KM recently joined Respect, and has a strong Labour background. It appears he left Labour because of it’s trajectory. Furthermore, he appears to have the support of the councillors and will occupy the same unifying role that Galloway has been playing.

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  9. bill j Avatar
    bill j

    Well we’ll see soon enough won’t we?
    And by all means get on with building your left wing party, what’s stopping you? Certainly not GG or the SWP by your own account.

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  10. twp77 Avatar
    twp77

    Absolutely spot on bill. It’s amazing how these enthusiastic Galloway lovers get their knickers in a twist when you simply point out the obvious. I thought it was about the class, not personalities. However for them it looks like the “great man” has prevailed once again and will now ride to victory on his white stallion – oh great saviour of the working class! – or wait is it great saviour of small businessman and misogynist bigots? – I get confused!

    I will not be supporting Galloway’s candidacy in Poplar and encourage all decent socialists – those who support LGBT rights and a woman’s right to choose (abortion that is – not the hijab) – to do the same.

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  11. tim Avatar
    tim

    The people of Poplar must be ready to serve Galloways bank account.
    Are they ready to serve?

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  12. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    Is anyone out there willing to make a positive case for giving a vote to Jim Fitzpatrick? I’d been under the impression that the scabbed on the FBU, supports and voted for the imperialist wars. But I’m open to persuasion that he has the best interests of the British working class at heart.

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  13. modernityblog Avatar
    modernityblog

    Liam,

    be interesting to see the SWP campaign against one of their
    ex-member, Jim Fitzpatrick.

    Fitzpatrick used to be lionised by Socialist Worker,
    in the late 1970s/1980s

    I’ll bet those copies have been burnt!

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  14. tim Avatar
    tim

    Will the SWP campaign for Galloway (if he stands)?
    Their putting about a good bit of stuff about Georgies wallet & motives behind the scenes.

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  15. Andy Newman Avatar
    Andy Newman

    Tami

    Look at this from the point of view of an Iranian friend of mine who has seen the inside of an islamist gaol becasue of her opposition to the theocracy.

    The New Labour government have turned down her claim for asylum and want to send her back to Iran, where she may face further persecution.

    Respect defends asylum seekers.

    Now in fact she doesn’t have a vote, but according to your argument it woudl be better to vote for the party deporting asylum seekers to islamist gaols, rather than the one opposing their deportation?

    And this is apparently something to do with womens’ rights? How will me friend (a real person BTW – I haven’t made this up) have her rights protected by being sent unwillingly back to an Islamist country that she fled?

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  16. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    A positive case for voting for Jim Fitzpatrick? Well he’s not George Galloway and that seems pretty positive to me.

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  17. tim Avatar
    tim

    And he’s not got a history of corruption.

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  18. Victor Avatar
    Victor

    just the small matter of his appaling politics then

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  19. tim Avatar
    tim

    I’m sure some on the right preferred Archer and Aitkens politics to those who replaced them.
    Same applies on the left with Galloway and Sheridan.

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  20. charliemarks Avatar
    charliemarks

    Whatever we think of Galloway, it is better for all of us that he wins this. The fact Fitzpatrick is former SWP and has completely abandoned his commitment to the working class will not be hidden during the campaign.

    And Tim, do you ever post on anything other than Galloway?

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  21. tim Avatar
    tim

    yes.
    A lot this week on Osbornes non dom nonsense.
    And an amnesty for ilegal immigrants.

    Why do you want a chat show host with a history of corruption to represent the left?

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  22. charliemarks Avatar
    charliemarks

    So you’re backing Fitzpatrick on this one, Tim? Nice.

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  23. Liam Alba Avatar
    Liam Alba

    So what we are reduced to is a choice between a money-grabbing, corrupt communalist or a right-wing, career-seeking ex-revolutionary?
    If I was living down there I don’t think I’d vote for either so it’s not about backing one or the other. Surely it’s about time to form a genuine left party which doesn’t allow the SWP through the door – they push away thousands more than they attract.

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  24. Andy Newman Avatar
    Andy Newman

    Interesting by the way that Tami cals on all “decent socialists” to support Fitzpatrick.

    the word decent only entered the political lexicon as the self-description of the pro-war liberals.

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  25. twp77 Avatar
    twp77

    It’s clear that one of the only thing a lot of Respect supporters give a damn about is “the war”. I oppose the war and have done for years – but as a bisexual woman there are many other issues that Galloway has been frankly atrocious on. It seems too many people (mostly “straight” Left males I might add) are willing to explain away or sweep under the rug Galloway’s horrible record on women and LGBT as being subordinate to his singular postion on “the war”.

    The class deserves a party and candidates that are good on these issues as well as international ones. I happen to agree that Fitzpatrick has a rubbish position on the war and I didn’t call on people to “support Fitzpatrick” as Andy suggests – only to NOT vote for someone who has such a bad record on the rights of women and the LGBT community. This may not strike a personal chord for some of the boys out there, but if you learned anything from the movements of the 70s, it damn well should!

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  26. Louisefeminista Avatar
    Louisefeminista

    Tami: I think you are absolutely spot on. A battle between a pro-war imperialist and sexist maverick MP whose voting record other than on the war in Iraq is … terrible. What a stunning choice…..!

    L&G rights, and women rights, for example are expendable and are ditched by the political wayside. Well, many Lefties are kinda happy to see these ditched btw. I have come to the conclusion that many of the Left don’t care about fighting oppression instead any criticism gets slapped down. And angry men are seemingly tolerated yet the same can’t be applied to women (and believe as women we have a lot to be angry about being undermined and marginalised by male lefties who can’t understand why we are angry at sexism and bad male behaviour).

    And this is reflected in the Respect website.. as where are women and L&G rights? they are in “other policies”.. Yes, other policies….That is how much respect is shown to the oppressed.

    And I don’t think the straight male leftie clique is able to grasp why people are angry that liberation politics are diched in favour of capitulating and subordinating to religion. I really don’t think many lefties learned the lessons much from the liberation campaigns from the ’70s as they paid lip service on a superficial level but not to really truly understand why liberation is integral to the class struggle.

    If the Left carries on with this bad defensive attitude to women and L&G rights etc. it won’t grow and become smaller but still be the white straight male talking shop.

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  27. Andy Newman Avatar
    Andy Newman

    It is the most bizarre criticsim of respect that they are going in the trajectory of being a “white straight male talking shop”, given that a Moslem Asian woman is vice chair of the party, and a majority of their elected representatives are Asian.

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  28. twp77 Avatar
    twp77

    C’mon Andy, you know that is not what Louise or myself are saying. And frankly dragging poor old Salma Yaqoob out every time you want to brandish Respect’s so-called credentials on women’s issues is tiring and disingenuous, not to mention condescending. Salma is the exception and not the rule and frankly I think calling her a “feminist” is stretching it.

    Where are the open and radical feminists in Respect? Where are the prominent LGBT members and leaders? These are things the as women and members of the LGBT community we DEMAND of a true left party in the 21st century!

    Instead of throwing more rubbish into the conversation why not try addressing the issues that we are raising?

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  29. charliemarks Avatar
    charliemarks

    Tami, how have “liberation politics are diched in favour of capitulating and subordinating to religion”? Galloway is a Catholic and a supporter of gay rights — hardly something that the Church is keen on. You will forgive me if I don’t see the horrible record. Here’s an example:

    and another

    and yet another in which he draws a comparison between homophobia and Islamophobia.

    Onto women’s rights:

    “I am not opposed to a woman’s right to choose and neither is the Respect coalition: we recognise people’s right to express their own views and choices on this matter.”

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,1232817,00.html

    Louise, you are right that the struggle for liberation of oppressed minorities is integral to the class struggle, and that’s why I hope that you join Respect and help to develop a forthright policy on LGBT and women’s rights.

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  30. Andy Newman Avatar
    Andy Newman

    well no-one is suggesting that Respect is the finished article.

    But it has an electoral base, and it can therefore be a component in any progressive realignment of English politics. And that should and must include reaching out to women and LGBT activists.

    It is interesting for example that when I suggested to Salma that respect should support Peter Tatchell for Oxford East, then she was quite positive about that. But in the Oxford Respect AGM last week it was SR supporter John Lister who said (perhaps semi-serioulsy) that he would rather support New Labour in that seat. Now John may have been semi serious, but others immediatley agreed very seriously with him.

    The difficulty is that Respect’s internal political culture has been dominated by the SWP preventing the organisation developing in its own organic way, and deciding policy through open debate and disagreement.

    You ask where the radical feminists are in respect, but I am not sure that any progressive organisation of the left has a lot of Radical Feminists in it. there used to be rad fems in the Labour party back in the day, but I don’t think that is the case any more.

    With regard to the relationship between libertaion politics and the left. the question here is that there has been a general retreat over these questions in society as a whole, and much less self-organisation. The “Leninist” left becasue of their centralised culture have always been uncomfortable with self organisation, and progressive movements that are not primarily rotating about class.

    BUt generally lots of comrades (particularly straight male white comrades) have forgotten or never heard the arguments. In that regard we are back where we were in the early 1970s, but without the positive forces of the liberation movements and self organised LGBT and women groups in the outside world.

    Now I am convinced we can win back that space, but we won’t do it by shouting or being cross with comrades who simply reflect the more generally sexist norms of society now.

    To contradic john major, we need to understand a little more, and condemn a little less.

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  31. twp77 Avatar
    twp77

    But the problem is Andy, the orientation of Respect AWAY from women’s and LGBT rights has precisely to do with it’s opportunisitc attempt to win the Muslim vote. This isn’t simply a typical left organisation that reflects the “generally sexist norms” of society at large.

    While many groups on the far left may have this problem, the problem inside Respect and its stance on such issues is even worse in my view because it has been a planned attempt by the SWP to not criticise both Galloway or Muslim supporters who in their large majority have frankly dodgy positions on women and LGBT rights and German, Reese and others have been complicit in this.

    People not supporting LGBT people or a woman’s right to choose on religious grounds are hardly representative of society at large (in the UK anyway) and their views should not be pandered to in order to win a few votes. That’s hardly what a left party by and of the working class should be for.

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  32. twp77 Avatar
    twp77

    Charlie,

    I’m sorry but having no political view beyond calling people “stupid” as George does on his talk show is not a good record on LGBT rights. His demeaning talk of the Pride parade in his document that some here seem to think is so wonderful is proof enough for your average activist.

    I find is risable that you are suggesting that Galloway is a supporter of women’s rights by finding a few random quotes on the net. There are numerous interviews where his descriptions of women are sexist to the core. Claiming ignorance of these, which are much more prevalent than any lip service he pays to “women’s rights” is beyond belief.

    Finally, look at his voting record on abortion, particularly his support for anti-abortion EDM’s. He can say what he likes but his record speaks for itself.

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  33. twp77 Avatar
    twp77

    Oh and just so you don’t accuse me of not providing evidence, here is one of many such sexist statements (which are usually in interviews revolving around his “celeb” rubbish) from the Daily Record from June 07:

    I’M SCENT CRAZY BY MY CHANELLE NO.1

    “FOLLOWING my week hosting Big Brother’s Big Mouth (or foul mouth judging by last week’s “celebrity” host Leigh Francis, aka Keith Lemmon) I’ve had to keep abreast in case they ask me back.

    I have a Big Sister in the house, anti-war activist Carole. But my eye has focused on Chanelle. The pulchritudinous 19-year-old has surely secured her future as a face.

    As pretty as a picture and with a strong provincial accent, she is as fragrant as the flower she looks.”

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  34. Andy Newman Avatar
    Andy Newman

    But Tami there has been no orientation of Respect AWAY from women’s and LGBT rights, except in the imagination of the ultra-left. What there has been is constructuve engagement with Moslem communities, part and parcel of chich is challenging conservatove social atitudes.

    As i have pointed out before, Eric Heffer was anti-abortion, but was still accepted as the flag carrier for the Labour left. you accuse Charlie of “claiming ignorance”, but are you “claiming ignorance” of Heffer’s position on abortion?

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  35. bill j Avatar
    bill j

    No orientation away from Women’s rights, LGBT, and you might add immigration controls, a workers wage, accountability of MPs, the centrality of the working class, indeed Socialism itself etc.etc.etc.?
    Come off it.
    We all know the sorry tale of how they gave up the Socialist Alliance because it was “too socialist”, we know how they describe L&G rights as not a “shibboleth”, we know how they dropped the word abortion from their manifesto, we know, we know, we know.
    Enough painting up Respect. The sooner it goes the better.

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  36. charliemarks Avatar
    charliemarks

    Tami, Galloway does more than insult his callers – he points out that if gay rights go, other rights will follow — which is a pretty clear message to those who would reverse the gains in LGBT rights. As to his sexism, the quote you gave is terrible, but it is not hateful.

    Galloway says in his document: “There are LGBT people who don’t feel comfortable being on a float on a parade.” This happens to be true, I am one of them.

    How’s about Labour’s homophobic hate speech? Here’s a litle example:

    “A Labour councillor has been found guilty of falsely branding a Liberal Democrat rival a paedophile and telling electors he had sex with teenage boys.

    “Miranda Grell slurred gay Lib Dem candidate Barry Smith while campaigning for the Leyton ward in Waltham Forest Council, east London, in 2006.” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7006231.stm

    Look, we could throw quotes at each other til the cows come home. I am not a member of the SWP or the George Galloway Appreciation Society – I just think that if Respect were to fail, it would be a disaster for socialists and yes, for the working class. The issue here is about supporting New Labour over progressive alternatives, about staying in the Labour party when you could be doing something more effective…

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  37. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    I’m starting to find the focus on GG many faults very tiresome. I’ve been very acutely aware of them for a long while. I posted Tami’s Daily Record quote at the time and if you click on the “tragi-comic” tag you’ll find much in a similar vein. I have no intention of deleting or altering a single word.

    You make an assessment based on what you think of the rival party’s programmes. So, to take a random example, Respect’s most prominent (and most flawed figures) will be supporting the CWU 100%, thus making it some sort of class struggle formation. This dialectic of the class struggle has some sort of effect inside the organisation. When people new to politics see class struggle it changes the way they start to think.

    Labour’s most prominent figures will be:

    a) on the picket lines tomorrow?
    b) supporting the Post Office management?

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  38. charliemarks Avatar
    charliemarks

    It would be b), but they haven’t the guts to admit it. In fact, there’s yet to be any comment from anyone in government on the dispute…

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  39. tim Avatar
    tim

    George at a sorting office?
    “Theres cheques for me in that building, you know”

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  40. twp77 Avatar
    twp77

    Liam,

    You’re not comparing apples with apples here. You are comparing an actual mass party with a tiny conglomeration. So you deftly avoid the obvious point that can be made by saying “most prominent” thereby excluding the large number of LP members who are postal workers and will be on the picket line as well as any LP activists like John McDonnell who will most certainly be there.

    This is a very weak argument.

    Now you will also see that the reason I posted the info on Galloway is because Charlie said that he thought Galloway had a good record on women’s rights. So I think it was perfectly appropriate to do so whether you find it “tiresome” or not.

    I think it would be useful Liam if you would answer some of the points that Louise and I have raised about women and LGBT issues within Respect.

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  41. Andy Newman Avatar
    Andy Newman

    Tami

    No we are not comparing an “actual mass party”, of workers but a former mass party.

    To use your example of the posties. There may be a few dozens of passive members of the LP still working in the post. BUt I can only think of one well known militant who is a LP member. Whereas the bulk of CWU militants hate the LP – from my experience, and what I am told by very well known CWU militants – I am not using names obvioulsy during the dispute.

    The CWU clearly want to disaffiate from the LP, as as been shown for the last few conferences, and only clever tactics from Hayes have postponed this, by winning support for various triggers that would lead to automatical disaffiliation.

    So to use the CWU as an example of the as working class base of the LP is disingenuous.

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