http://www.permanentrevolution.net/http://www.permanentrevolution.net/images/logo.gifhttp://www.permanentrevolution.net/en-GBwww.zenblog.net(c) 2008 Permanent Revolution. http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1632http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1632Much to agree with here, especially with the need to focus on wider struggles. But three things:your faith that an "uncompromising revolutionary anti-capitalist programme" in elections would have done as well as the reformist programmes you criticize leads you to say "it could hardly fare worse than it did this time around!" Well I do think you would have done much much worse, which explains why you don't put your money where your mouth is and stand. Secondly, you write off Respect, but the renewed Respect has only been going since November and has been reeling from the car-crash with the SWP, has lost its bases in most of the country, but still achieved something in these elections - more than remember, so why not think that it is at the long slow start of building something. Thirdly, your tone is so dogmatic that it calls into question what contribution to the Convention of the Left you are going to make, except to hector others.Matthew2008-05-04 17:35:182008-05-04 17:35:18 http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1633http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1633With the fascist BNP getting near on 70 000 first preference votes in th emayoral election and 128000 2nd preference (compared to Left List 17000 and 35000 respectively) one of the first tests of left unity in action will be how to mobilsie against the facists, create well trooted campaigns to fight the attacks on the working class to send the fascists packing. Demo for 6 p.m. City Hall, Tuesday. Matthew, agree with you on the wider struggle. The only point of standing in electtions in my opinion is to moblise support for and strengthen those struggles- until we have some base in th ecommunities and campaigns I'm not sure it's worth standing in elections though it certainly could be a valid tactic when we do have that base. Secondly, on Respect I'm not sure if we write it off as such but the results aren't great so perhaps the tactic is not really working. However, we are more than happy and have actively encouraged joint work in campaigning and initiatives such as the convention of the left. Thirdly, I think we have tried fairly hard to not be dogmatic and involve people as much as possible in discussions and have always been upfront about not having all the answers- there's no point lecturing people from the sidelines. I think the idea that we 'hector' others is a little harsh, to be fair. However, you're entitled to your opinion of course so rather than get bogged down in a debate about style it would be good to work on the matters we do agree such as building the convention of the left, building a fighting rank and file in the unions and working class communities and perhaps most urgently creating a mass movement against the racism of the BNP and the establishment racism off which it feeds. Jason2008-05-04 17:54:102008-05-04 17:54:10 http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1634http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1634Respect Renewal may have done marginally better than their erstwhile cousins, but I think you do need to ask for what point? The leaflet I got through my door in Moss Side, explained how Respect was supported by local business. The candidate was someone I have never heard of, notwithstanding his claims to represent the local community in some way and the result was really awful. So how did Respect Renewal standing there, as one example, help build the a working class alternative to New Labour or the Tories? It didn't at all. And even where it has been successful, predominantly in Birmingham, then that has been achieved by pushing socialist politics ever further back. Salma Yaqoob, its most prominent representative, is of course in no sense a socialist and not at all sympathetic to building a working class organisation, in fact from what I've read she's actually against the idea. That's why I think the Respect Renewal project is no way forward, but obviously people aren't going to stop building Respect Renewal just because I think so, and fair enough, why should they? But the same thing applies, to people in the Labour Party, Greens, various socialist organisations and so on. So asking people to form a new party is clearly out at the moment. But I do think there is room to agree on campaigning proposals for the forthcoming year, and I think that's what the Convention should aim for. And notwithstanding your criticism of our tone, I hope no one can dispute we have already had a positive impact on the Convention and will continue to do so in the future. Bill J2008-05-04 19:44:542008-05-04 19:44:54 http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1635http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1635The Left List's results in London were notably worse than what Respect scored in 2004, while in the one GLA seat where Respect Renewal stood (City & East, comprised of the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking & Dagenham as well as the sparsely populated City of London) it saw a slight increase in its share of the popular vote from last time to 14% and easily eclipsed the vote of Left List candidate, the victimised local trade unionist, Michael Gavan. While Respect Renewal supporters have evidently found solace in that result and a handful of other local polls such as Birmingham Sparkbrook the organisation’s post-election statement peddled a very distorted picture of the situation in East London: “The local roots Respect has established in East London checked the forward march of the BNP. Without Respect East London could have begun to look like the 1970s with the BNP pushing into third place. Instead, Respect is one of the two major parties along with Labour in parts of Tower Hamlets and Newham, we beat the BNP on the list vote and pushed the Liberal Democrats into fifth place.” Certainly, Respect Renewal’s Hanif Abdulmuhit did beat the BNP candidate by five percentage points across the constituency as a whole, but this ignores the dramatic demographic changes that have taken place across the boroughs. The reality is that the Galloway-led version of Respect has established a foothold within the Bangladeshi and to a lesser degree other South Asian communities in Tower Hamlets and Newham. For good or will, it has thus far not progressed beyond those sections of the electorate. George B2008-05-05 01:38:122008-05-05 01:38:12 http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1636http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2075#comment-1636interesting that SWP Respect have had to recognise that the left list result was "disapointing", surprising given the usual spin given on the resultsjn2008-05-05 01:39:492008-05-05 01:39:49