Respect Renewal

Respect Renewal is a group that emerged as a faction from the 2007 split within Respect – The Unity Coalition a UK political party. As of summer 2008 it has presented itself as the continuation of the pre-split Respect organisation. [ [http://www.respectrenewal.org/content/view/58/74/] ]

Respect Renewal is led by Linda Smith, the National Chair, Leader and Nominating Officer of Respect, and was formed in November 2007. Its supporters include George Galloway MP, Ken Loach, Victoria Brittain, Salma Yaqoob and Nick Wrack.

History

: main|Respect - The Unity Coalition#The split in RespectIn September 2007, Galloway wrote a letter to Respect's national council members saying that the party was "too disorganised" and "faced oblivion" unless it reformed its internal party management. [ [http://www.themuslimweekly.com/fullstoryview.aspx?NewsID=215082B330A483E173B045F1&MENUID=HOMENEWS&DESCRIPTION=UK%20News Galloway slams own Respect party] , The Muslim Weekly, 14 September 2007] This was the beginning of a dispute within Respect between Galloway and his supporters and the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) on the other side.

On 3 November 2007, Galloway's side announced plans to hold the Respect Renewal conference on 17 November, the same day as the planned national conference of Respect. The Respect Renewal conference was an open event and organisers claim 350 people attended, comparable with the Respect national conference, although the figure has been disputed. [Cite web|url=http://www.isj.org.uk/index.php4?id=396&issue=117|title=The Crisis in Respect|accessdate=2008-01-05|publisher=International Socialism journal|year=2008|author=Chris Harman] This split has continued since with both Respect Renewal and the SWP-led faction claiming to be the real Respect. Respect Renewal, through Linda Smith, has control over the use of the Respect name in elections, while the SWP-led faction are using the electoral label Left List but do control the original Respect website's URL. Both Respect Renewal, as 'Respect (George Galloway)' and Left List stood in the 2008 London Assembly elections. Neither party won a seat or did as well as Respect did in the 2004 elections, but Respect (George Galloway) outpolled Left List.

Criticisms of Respect Renewal

The SWP has attributed the split within Respect to a shift to the right by George Galloway and his allies, motivated by electoralism (placing election-winning above other principles). This, say the SWP leadership, led to attacks on the SWP as the most prominent left group in Respect. [cite web|url=http://www.swp.org.uk/respect_cc.php|title=The record: The Socialist Workers Party and Respect|author=SWP Central Committee Statement|date=2007-11-03] This interpretation of events is countered by Respect Renewal, which criticises the SWP for opportunism and lack of democracy. [cite web|url=http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1407/respect_cc.php|title=The SWP’s ever-increasing welter of allegations and distortions|author=Alan Thornett, Respect National Council Member|date=2008-01-01]

References

External links

* [http://www.respectrenewal.org/ Respect Renewal website]
* [http://www.respectcoalition.org/ Respect website] , controlled by the opposing Left List faction of Respect