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Blessed relief – Respect's committee meets

These jottings will be worked up into an article for the issue of Respect’s newspaper that is being produced this weekend. Respect Renewal’s Tower Hamlets committee had its first meeting of 2008 tonight. It was incredibly businesslike and forward looking. The first item on the agenda was a discussion on the organisation’s name. This was…

Liam
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These jottings will be worked up into an article for the issue of Respect’s newspaper that is being produced this weekend.

Respect Renewal’s Tower Hamlets committee had its first meeting of 2008 tonight. It was incredibly businesslike and forward looking.

The first item on the agenda was a discussion on the organisation’s name. This was dealt with very quickly. Up to a point it’s in the gift of the Electoral Commission and we’ll have to wait to see how things pan out. (I could go into a lot of tedious detail but can’t see the point.)

Next up was the Greater London Assembly (GLA) elections. The National Council (NC) meets on Saturday and the committee wanted its views to be passed on. The strong feeling was that standing candidates in the election will reinvigorate the organisation and help it re-build. Everyone had a sober assessment of the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses. It has lost a significant number of talented and motivated members. Nevertheless Respect has strong bases of support in Newham and Tower Hamlets. There are communities in other parts of the city to whom we can reach out. This was the day when Gordon Brown told six million public sector workers to expect three years of pay cuts and his government reaffirmed Labour’s commitment to nuclear energy. The audience for radical politics is there and standing in the elections is a way of letting working class voters know that there is a party that is willing to fight for them.

Building up the organisation locally is a big priority. There are seventeen electoral wards in the borough. The aim is to have a functioning ward organisation in all of them. To support this there will be a roadshow around the borough. George Galloway will speak at a number of large and small meetings and councillors will lead in consolidating the grassroots organisation. Next week every member will receive a copy of the newspaper and a local newsletter through the post.

The committee was clear that the branch has to re-establish a rhythm of activity. Branch meetings will be on the first Thursday of every month and the committee will meet every fortnight. The meeting agreed to build local support for the Campaign Against Climate Change and more details of this will follow.

For my money this is what Respect was supposed to look like. Everything was open and fluid. There were no blocs voting unanimously together. People were willing to change their mind if someone else made a persuasive case. It was exhilarating to be sitting in a room in one of the most economically polarised parts of England with a large number of young people new to politics who are up for a fight, alongside experienced socialist activists and radicalised local people working out together how to build an organisation that is willing to fight against New Labour. What a great way to start the political year!

21 responses to “Blessed relief – Respect's committee meets”

  1. jj Avatar
    jj

    out of interest
    what position did this meeting take regarding Ken Livingstone as I understand the non elected national cttee will discuss this weekend wether to back KL against the democratically elected respect candidate.
    I am aware that Liam is opposed to this right ward move but it would be good to hear this report mention its discussion on the matter which of course is a vital tactical decision in London.

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  2. jj Avatar
    jj

    come on can we have an answer??>?

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  3. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    The mayoral election wasn’t discussed at this meeting the discussion was on the politics and tactics of the GLA election.
    As regards the mayoral election Socialist Resistance would call for a first preference for Lindsey German if she stands and that is bound to guarantee that she wins. However jj we all have to accept that the Respect that selected her no longer exists. There are now two separate organisations.

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  4. jj Avatar
    jj

    why was not the issue discussed. this seems strange to me! seriously this is a crucial issue does it not. If your strongest area doesn’t give a view to the non elected nat exec but GG and Salma clearly have made there views public then this doesn’t seem a good move in relation to the debate.
    as to now there are two organisations- this is true. but the RESPECT candidate has been selected by 300 members does this not count?
    anyway your views to there being no discussion on the mayoral question would be welcomed.

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  5. jj Avatar
    jj

    also Liam
    surely part of the tactics re GLA elections includes the question of the mayoral elections don’t you think?

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  6. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    Probably because there will not be a RR candidate and comrades were trying to work out if the elections could be turned into an opportunity to rebuild the organisation across London. That was the focus of the discussion.
    The discussion on the mayoral election is certain to be lively inside RR and I’ve no doubt that it will crop up at a branch committee before long.

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  7. jj Avatar
    jj

    ummm seems odd that GG and Salma are very keen to back KL then the cttee of RR in th doesn’t even discuss the matter. Don’t really buy the we will chat about it later line to be honest.. I presume the issue will be discussed at the non elected exec of RR this weekend? if so wouldn’t the views of the cttee in TH be of value?
    It would appear RR is just going to let GG get his way with minimum of fuss.
    but let history be the judge!!

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  8. Kevin Ovenden Avatar
    Kevin Ovenden

    Liam

    If I were you, I’d leave jj in fantasy land. Think about that committee meeting. A 17 year old confidently taking a central role in building up ward organisation; a serious discussion about accountability; universal concern and great ideas about making the committee representative of the whole of Respect; enthusiasm and inspirational ideas for the meeting on climate change from the different perspectives that make up Respect; disagreement, debate but no hectoring; loads of work done and political understandings advanced. All this, for the likes of jj, shouldn’t be happening – because you and I have headed off to the right. In fact this was a radical left organising meeting. The number of brown skins was high, the number of university degrees low, the political discussion was excellent and it was joyful. It’s what the SWP leadership has turned its back on. In doing so it’s led most SWP members in east London into a sectarian cul de sac.

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  9. martinohr Avatar
    martinohr

    Is either branch of the respect split supporting the abortion rights campaign Public meeting (
    Wednesday 16th January 2008
    7pm for a 7.30pm start
    Committee room 10, House of Commons)

    Perhaps this striking statement from Salma Yaqoob about unamimity “One indication of which way the wind is blowing has been the complete absence of any serious dissent inside Respect over the kind of secular/religious fault lines that run through wider society. This includes issues such as abortion law, homosexuality, gender equality or faith-based schools.” Has a significantly different meaning to the one intended by whichever ex-swper wrote it.

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  10. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    Kevin’s priorities for building an organisation seem to focus on age, skin colour and lack of a university qualification. As for getting together to discuss accountability to the whole of Respect, would these people not have to reapply for membership of Respect first? And before they were allowed to rejoin they might have to promise not to boycot conference when it became clear that they could not win any votes there. They would have to promise to stop arguing that the members should ignore the democratically elected officers of the party, and to ignore the democratically determined policies voted through by conference. They would have to stop threatening to use an ex-member of the party to stop Respect standing any candidates anywhere in the country. They would have to stop threatening to canvass for member of other parties to defeat candidates selected by Respect. They would have to agree that votes of the majority actually meant something, and that the party’s MPs could be entitled to no free votes on whether women should be forced to have children against their will, and that elected representatives could not express indifference or hostility toward the oppression of gay, for example. They would have to agree not to use their columns in tabloid newspapers to tell women that they should be seen but not heard. They would have to consult with the membership before appearing on national television to promote their egos in the most degrading fashion possible. And Respect member that did promise to abide by democratic accountability in this way would have their reapplication for membership of Respect given careful consideration. If you made these commitement, Kevin, even you might be allowed to rejoin.

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  11. tonyc Avatar
    tonyc

    “Kevin’s priorities for building an organisation seem to focus on age, skin colour and lack of a university qualification.”

    You just have to love the way these supposed “socialists” so easily fall into the spin language of the right.

    If it helps, I’ll explain: No one in the SWP seemed overly concerned at just how unrepresentative of the movement the leading people are.

    It just doesn’t consist of people like me, with almost zero education and who was radicalised by real life rather than by the space that university (brilliantly) creates for debate and radicalisation.

    While no one has a problem (duh!) with white people with degrees being prominent in the movement, if we’re serious we need to always be looking for those organic leaders, the ones without privilege or years of political education, the ones who society shits on. We don’t want what we’ve got now with the SWP, a leadership that’s never really had jobs outside the organisation.

    People like me and Kevin are thrilled to see these kind of leaders emerge. Kev with his degree and brown skin, me with my NVQ in train driving (yes, seriously) and very white skin.

    We don’t fetishise it – we just recognise that it’s a real problem within the movement that there’s a real disconnect between the life experience of those at the top and the life experience of those on the ground.

    It’s a bit like the tube SWP group – when I joined, all of them were former SWP full-timers, and most of them had a degree.

    Nothing wrong with that, but the party never recognised the brilliant change when people who were very uneducated and had never been involved with politics started to join the SWP – indeed, it never even noticed that I was the one who seemed to be able to recruit them.

    When you get kids off the street getting radicalised and taking leading roles in the movement, it’s a time for celebration. No one condemns a lack of it, but anyone who’s serious should always, always be asking questions about why the cadre of the leading socialist organisations are almost exclusively white and degree-holding.

    Duh.

    The rest of Tom’s post is the usual deranged mish-mash of twisted logic and lies.

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  12. jj Avatar
    jj

    kevin ovenden makes me laugh
    little presence of “people with degrees.”
    how was oxford university education kevin!
    and as someone who always loved to show off this is a bit rich. student organiser as well in the past I am led to believe!!

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  13. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    jj , well done on deliberately missing the point. The socialist organisations that make an impact have always been those that have a mixture of people without and with educational qualifications. Readers can supply their own examples.

    Respect in Tower Hamlets has just started to develop a leadership of young militants who have been radicalised by their situation and imperialism. That’s a good thing.

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  14. jj Avatar
    jj

    Liam
    thats not the issue and of course I agree with you but honestly when I see this right wing stero typed attack on the SWP from Ovenden it just makes me laugh. First he writes a dreadful smear to his local rag followed up by they are all students etc etc I mean this is standard fair from blairites etc don’t you agree?
    Ovenden it seems clear to me is simply spouting any smear he can think of. He never stood up in any SWP conference to argue any of this. Ovenden appears to be converted to a position that when revolutinary socialists stand within a coalition in elections this is decietful etc just as was argued against the militant albeit in different circumstances. Now one would expect this massive shift of opinion to be overnight so why didn’t ovenden argue this over the last number of years inside the SWP?
    Now Ovenden will justify anything GG does- yes using marxist language but with no purpose other than to justify his own shift to the right. I bet he will argue for RR not to stand for mayor and back KL.
    I think its a problem for your organisation that he appears to be one of the “Leading members” when he simply backs GG wiht no independent posiiton at all.
    And it is given his comments amusing since this son toil went to Oxford University-

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  15. jj Avatar
    jj

    “We don’t want what we’ve got now with the SWP, a leadership that’s never really had jobs outside the organisation”

    the above is from TONYC and the we is himself and Ovenden. Please let me know what job Ovenden has done since leaving Oxford university? I would be delighted to know…well I do… he worked for the SWP and that is it.. until working as GG goffer. Thats right Tonyc he has never “Had a job outside the organisation” so I think what you dish out should be consistent and get rid of Ovenden from the unelected leadership. Of course GG has recently been in an ordainary job, Ger Francis years full time political activist etc. Oh how about Hoveman- umm working for SWP, SA and Respect for donkeys years. I don’t have a problem with that at all to be honest but when you attack the SWP beat have a look at Ovenden’s credentials. what do you think?

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  16. tonyc Avatar
    tonyc

    Oh dear, “jj”. When you learn to read what people are saying and then learn to respond without a) putting words into people’s mouths and b) distorting their meaning beyond recognition, we can talk.

    Until then, you’re just another poisonous anonymous troll who doesn’t actually have any interest in real debate. Anyone who lies and distorts as much as you do really doesn’t have any credibility.

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  17. johng Avatar
    johng

    I understand that Lenin is a discreditable liar and all round bad person these days. I was wondering when this transformation occured.

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  18. johng Avatar
    johng

    Sorry the above is directed to Tony. Have to confess I’m a mite pissed off with him after something I read. He’s welcome to take it off-line.

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  19. ff Avatar
    ff

    tonyc dismisses Respect members who don’t identify themselves to George Galloway’s “key” members. Why should we? He describes each and every one of us as a “poisonous anonymous troll who doesn’t actually have any interest in real debate.” And what, pray tell, is his attitude to George Galloway’s entryists inside the SWP, those who leak internal documents of the party to Galloway’s favourite blogger, Andy Newman? What about these poisonous anonymous trolls who lack the courage of their convictions. Where is their willingness to argue their case with their comrades? As for the internet trolls, Andy Newman’s site (this one less so) is nothing but a cyber convention for Galloway’s trolls. Many of them do take off their mask. Others do not. Why no condemnation of the latter, comrade? Let’s have a bit of consistancy?

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  20. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    Tony’s point, and it’s one that I agree with, is that pretty much everyone on the RR side of the discussion is transparent about their political identity and consistently argue their positions openly. This is also true of, for example supporters of PR who engage in these debates.

    The same is not true of those on the other side of the debate who, and there are exceptions to this, prefer unattributable names, email addresses and are coy about saying which organisation they support.

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  21. andy newman Avatar
    andy newman

    Not to mention the fact that several of the different people posting supportinig the SWP are all in fact Tom Delargy.

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