Below are three statements. One is from the non-SWP side of the argument.  The second is signed by John Rees and others and does not directly address  the key points in the first. You can see a pattern emerging. Though they are very keen to ensure the conference takes place as scheduled. If the experience of the lat two Tower Hamlets meetings is anything to go by that is not a very smart idea.

The other is in the name of the SWP which I lifted from Socialist Unity. You can make up your own mind. The piece above expresses my thinking.

We are astonished that the Respect National Secretary John Rees has spoken publicly in support of four councillors who have split from Respect in Tower Hamlets.

Today, Monday 29 October, there was a press conference called by four former Respect councillors in Tower Hamlets. They announced that they had resigned the Respect whip on the council and were forming a Respect (Independent) party. This is a clear split from Respect.

John Rees answered questions at the press conference. He expressed his support for the four breakaway councillors. In answer to questions from journalists he said that Respect (Independent) candidates could be standing against Respect candidates in elections. Cllr Oliur Rahman, who was a member of the National Council and a national officer, did not rule out standing against George Galloway, who is Respect’s only nominee to be the Respect parliamentary candidate in Poplar and Limehouse.

No party could be expected to tolerate its purported National Secretary colluding with those who have split from the organisation and discussing standing candidates against it.

By this action he has betrayed the members of Respect and the party he is supposed to advocate, defend and build. He has forfeited his position as National Secretary and as a member of the National Council. He has clearly indicated that he and the leadership of the Socialist Workers Party are splitting from Respect.

Nothing could more clearly demonstrate the duplicitous behaviour of the SWP leadership, which has been asking for support for its petition against “witch-hunts” whilst preparing its forces for a split from Respect.

Yours in solidarity,

Linda Smith, National Chair

Salma Yaqoob, National Vice Chair

Ayesha Bajwa, National Council

Victoria Brittain, National Council

Rita Carter, National Council

Ger Francis, National Council

George Galloway MP, National Council

Jerry Hicks, National Council

Abdul Khaliq Mian, National Council

John Lister, National Council

Ken Loach, National Council

Abjol Miah, National Council, Leader of Tower Hamlets Respect Councillors Group

Bernie Parkes, National Council

Yvonne Ridley, National Council

Clive Searle, National Council

Alan Thornett, National Council

Nick Wrack, National Council

STOP PRESS – THE SWP RESPONDS:

The Socialist Workers Party has no intention of leaving Respect and will not be “splitting” from the coalition it helped create and to which it has been so central.

John Rees did not state support for standing candidates against Respect candidates or against George Galloway.

The statement sent out earlier today is a further attempt to remove John as National Secretary and the SWP and those who share our views from Respect and to force a split in the coalition.

Our statement opposing the attack on the left in Respect has the support of 21 National Council members and six councillors, plus some 900 activists who have been central to the success of Respect.

We continue to believe that the best way to resolve our differences is by letting the members decide at the National Conference, which is now less than three weeks away. We desire a democratic settlement of the outstanding issues in a way that ensures members have their say.

The statement issued today, by threatening John’s removal and by trying to declare a split in Respect would undermine a democratic solution to the debate within Respect.

John can only be removed through Respect’s democratic structures, not by the issuing of a letter. The crisis within Respect is best resolved at our National Conference.
John Rees   Lindsey German  Chris Bambery  Elaine Graham-Leigh

SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY
PO BOX 42184 LONDON SW8 2WD
NATIONAL OFFICE 020 7819 1170 FAX 020 7819 1179 CIRCULATION 020 7819 1171 INDUSTRIAL 020 7819 1175 EMAIL enquiries@swp.org.uk

THE SWP LEADERSHIP IS NOT SPLITTING FROM RESPECT

Dear comrades,

You may have just received a shocking E-Mail sent from the Respect’s National Office without consultation with the headline “SWP Leadership splitting from Respect.”

I want to make it absolutely clear, as I have on a number of other previous occasions the SWP is not and has no intention of splitting from Respect.

I have just spoken to John Rees and he categorically denies making any of the statements attributed to him in the latest E-Mail.

Four Respect Councillors have withdrawn from the whip. But they have made it clear that they still belong to the organisation and stand by its original aims. They have withdrawn from the whip because they are opposed to the direction Respect seems to be heading in and they are disgusted with the bullying and intimidation they have been facing inside the Respect Tower Hamlets councillors’ group.

George Galloway and his supporters have made it clear that they do not want to have a Respect conference in less than three weeks time. Instead of allowing the Respect membership to decide the way forward, they are trying to ratchet up the pressure and make it appear that it is the SWP that wants to split from Respect.

I repeat the SWP has not split from Respect. I want to make it 100% clear that the SWP will not be bullied or blackmailed out of the coalition and nor will we just walk away from Respect. We were part of its foundation and have put as much work into the project as anyone or any other group.

The recent statements being sent out by Linda Smith and George Galloway are increasingly hysterical and are designed to confuse and disorientate Respect members and supporters who are opposed to the witch-hunt.

There should be a big health waning from any statement coming out from Linda Smith and George Galloway.

Comrades should feel free to forward this E-Mail onto their local groups – so our position is clear.

In solidarity,