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Monday, 31 May 2010
Massacre in the Mediterranean
"Israel has massacred unarmed peace activists aboard a flotilla taking emergency aid to the besieged Palestinian people in Gaza. This is a watershed that will change the perception of the world, as Sharpeville and Soweto did to the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
"It unmasks Israel which no-one can now consider a member of the 'international community' but is rather a rogue state, a pariah state.
"The embargo and blockade of Gaza must be brought to an end. This has been underwritten by the United States, by Britain and the European Union, but this has got to end now."
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Progressive Politics after the General Election
The battle for our public services has begun. The new ConDem government has pledged to impose devastating cuts on public spending. The plans to reduce the deficit will be accelerated, with the burden falling on public spending rather than increased taxes for the better off.
Already, more than £6 billion of cuts have been announced with more to follow in the next four months as the coalition government builds its confidence. The economic crisis in the Eurozone and its effect on the British banking system is fuelling the increased pace of public service cutbacks.
The programme of the new government amounts to one of the most severe attacks in British history on public services, jobs and the living standards of working people and the poor. To minimise resistance and to strengthen itself, the government plans to rewrite the rules to force further coalition government in the event of failure rather than calling a new general election (the 55% rule). Cameron aims to reduce the number of MPs in a move that is widely believed will cost Labour up to 40 seats. The coalition has also pledged to ‘pursue a detailed agreement on limiting donations and reforming party funding in order to remove big money from politics’.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Lib-Dems show their true colours
For many years, the Liberal Party and then the Lib-Dems were known by working class people as 'yellow Tories.' They were rightly distrusted as a party that could always be relied to side with the rich against the poor, with big business against trade unions. Yet, Labour's failures and, above all, Blair's wars abroad allowed the Lib-Dems to pose as a progressive alternative. On 11th May 2010 the Lib-Dems returned to type, ushering the Tory government so feared by working people.
Monday, 10 May 2010
After the Elections - The discussion
Manchester Respect Branch meeting - Thursday 13th May
Starts 7.30pm @ Basement Meeting Room, Saffron Restaurant, 107 Cheetham Hill Rd
After the Elections - The discussion
Manchester Respect would like to welcome all those who participated in the election campaign to the meeting to take part in the post-election discussion and debate.
What next for Respect? What lessons are there to learn? What did we do well? Can we build a genuinely progressive alliance? What does the future hold for politics in Britain?
Starts 7.30pm @ Basement Meeting Room, Saffron Restaurant, 107 Cheetham Hill Rd
After the Elections - The discussion
Manchester Respect would like to welcome all those who participated in the election campaign to the meeting to take part in the post-election discussion and debate.
What next for Respect? What lessons are there to learn? What did we do well? Can we build a genuinely progressive alliance? What does the future hold for politics in Britain?
Sunday, 9 May 2010
After the election - some thoughts and some thanks
By Clive Searle, Respect Party National Secretary
Firstly, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked so hard in the election campaign across the country. We could not have asked for greater effort or dedication from candidates, members and supporters. Our supporters certainly cannot be criticised for a lack of effort or commitment.
But there is no hiding from reality. The 2010 General Election was not a good day for Respect. We had hoped to add to our single MP, two more in Abjol Miah and Salma Yaqoob. Instead we are reduced to none. Electoral politics is a brutal game - and where you can win elections you can just as easily lose them.
Everyone will naturally be disappointed. We are still awaiting all the council results in Tower Hamlets but they are unlikely to change the general picture. It appears that our core vote has been swamped by the huge increase in turnout.
Friday, 7 May 2010
Results for Blackley and Broughton
Graham Stringer Labour 18,563 54.3%
James Edsberg Conservative 6,260 18.3%
William Hobhouse Liberal Democrat 4,861 14.2%
Derek Adams British National Party 2,469 7.2%
Kay Phillips Respect-Unity Coalition 996 2.9%
Bob Willescroft UK Independence Party 894 2.6%
Shafiq-Uz Zaman Christian Party 161 0.5%
Majority 12,303 36.0
Turnout 34,204 49.7 +3.8
James Edsberg Conservative 6,260 18.3%
William Hobhouse Liberal Democrat 4,861 14.2%
Derek Adams British National Party 2,469 7.2%
Kay Phillips Respect-Unity Coalition 996 2.9%
Bob Willescroft UK Independence Party 894 2.6%
Shafiq-Uz Zaman Christian Party 161 0.5%
Majority 12,303 36.0
Turnout 34,204 49.7 +3.8
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Last few hours - the campaign goes on.
With voting day just a few hours away I'd like to thank all the members of my campaign team who've been out across Blackley and Broughton over the last few weeks and months. There are too many to mention but everyone has been more then welcome and I hope to see you on Thursday for some final campaigning. With every vote needed we'll be working right to the close of polling at 10.00pm.We'll meet from 10.00am at the campaign stall on the corner of Cheetham Hill Road and Esmond Road.
Attacking the weakest - utter, utter madness!
There’s something particularly nasty about a desperate political party turning on the weakest in society. But Alan Johnson, Labour’s Home Secretary chose to do exactly that on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning. Attacking the Liberal Democrats Johnson declared, “They would allow asylum seekers to work, which is utter, utter madness.”
Of course, what is 'utter madness' is not allowing people who have fled persecution to work, pay taxes and become a productive part of society. Instead we make them live on pitiful state benefits at the expense of the taxpayer or lock them away in detention centres like criminals. The ban on asylum seekers working has nothing to do with a sensible asylum policy but has everything to do with trying to appear tough on immigration – while ignoring genuine concerns over issues such as the shortage of affordable housing.
I'm proud to have signed the Liberty's Asylum pledge. I wish a few more Labour candidates had as well.
Kay Phillips
Of course, what is 'utter madness' is not allowing people who have fled persecution to work, pay taxes and become a productive part of society. Instead we make them live on pitiful state benefits at the expense of the taxpayer or lock them away in detention centres like criminals. The ban on asylum seekers working has nothing to do with a sensible asylum policy but has everything to do with trying to appear tough on immigration – while ignoring genuine concerns over issues such as the shortage of affordable housing.
I'm proud to have signed the Liberty's Asylum pledge. I wish a few more Labour candidates had as well.
Kay Phillips
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Postal voting - time to end a system open to fraud
"Allegations of electoral fraud are being investigated in four Greater Manchester boroughs.
"Voters in Rochdale, north Manchester, Oldham and Bolton have all complained to police about alleged breaches of the electoral code of practice."
Respect have long argued that the postal voting system is wide open to fraud. We regularly meet people who say someone had come to their house asking for their postal votes. On Thursday 6th May most people will make their way to the polling stations to cats their votes, in secret, for the candidate of their choice. That is the way it should be. Your vote, your choice. In secret.
Respect believe that democracy is too important to allow parties and individuals to steal votes. It's time that postal voting on demand was abolished and only people too ill, infirm or abroad at the time of the election should be able to apply for a postal vote.
Kersal celebrates the Chartists
"During 1838-1839, Kersal Moor was the site of the biggest demonstrations that this country had ever seen, as the Chartist movement mobilised demanding the right to vote.
Monday, 3 May 2010
Old parties' deficit sums don't add up
Despite them refusing to say where the axe will fall, all the three old parties still insist we've got to cut, cut and cut some more to reduce the national debt. Yet take a look at the graph. It shows the proportion of national debt to gross domestic product (GDP - the value of all the goods, services and raw materials produced in Britain each year).
Last few days - Help elect Respect
Meeting @ Respect Campaign Stall. Corner of Esmond Rd /Cheetham Hill Rd
Respect activities starting at 11.00am, 1.00pm, 4.00pm & 6.00pm
Wednesday 5th May
Meeting @ Respect Campaign Stall. Corner of Esmond Rd /Cheetham Hill Rd
Respect activities starting at 11.00am, 1.00pm, 4.00pm & 6.00pm
Thursday 6th May - Polling Day
Meeting @ Respect Campaign Stall. Corner of Esmond Rd /Cheetham Hill Rd
Respect activities start from 10.00am onwards.
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