Respect: A new crisis - or a new opportunity?
Socialist Resistance in print2000sScanned print read by OCR, and not yet proofread: expect run-together words, dropped letters and, where a piece began partway down a page, a few lines of its neighbour. The printed page is the authority.
recently been between African-Caribbean and Asian communities who often feel in competition with each other over council funding.
These tensions tragically ignited in Lozells where two young people lost their lives. There is no political figure in Birmingham more closely associated with trying to address these tensions than myselt. news coverage. That is why Respect supporters took great risks, behind the scenes, to ensure there was no retaliation from Pakistani gangs in the aftermath of the desecration of Muslim graves in Handsworth cemetery.
When I spoke from the platform of the recent Jesse Jackson rally to a 600 strong (and overwhelmingly African-Caribbean) accidental that I was the only politician to speak at the recent march in Lozells against Gangs and Guns organised by the "The fault line of "communalist politics" in Birmingham has most
That is why I initiated the women and children's Peace March in the aftermath of the Lozells riots which received very high local audience, I used my time to call for black and Asian unity. It is not Council of Black Led Churches.
Furthermore, both in my newsletters and within the council chamber I have specifically championed the issue of poor educational attainment of white working class boys from disadvantaged backgrounds.
If I wanted to pander to conservative pressure inside the imposition of Islamic dress on women, opposing the criminalisation of women in the sex industry, or opposing to go about it!" Muslim community, appearing on Question Time and opposing the homophobia in the local media, would not exactly be the best way
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breakthrough into The Muslim community by the predominantly white left. It is not surprising that there are problems following such a breakthrough, but these problems have never been brought to the NC for collective discussion.
The question is not whether there have been political problems and disagreements. The question is whether political steps were taken to discuss these problems and bring
pollica. development.
John Lister and I had submitted a discussion paper to the NC taking up these issues and other aspects debate as had Salma Yaqoob -who made a very powerful case against The communaism allegation.
In the debate on all this on
22nd, was concerned, was for a new post of national organiser to function alongside the national secretary (aimed at broadening Respect out at the top).
The SWP, however, saw this as a direct challenge to the authority of John Rees and theretore to the vertical con. trol which is implicit in both the method of the SWP and its model for Respect as one a number of united fronts in which they work. It was this which made a simple proposal emerge as a pivotal issue.
The argument the SWP used was that any elected position took precedence over any appointed one.
This arose because the new post would need to be appointed it it was to be open
the whole membership rather than just the NC. But be discussed by a working group comprising Ger Frances, Lindsey German Linda Smith and myself in an attempt to find solution.
We met, but failed to agree. I could agree with everything Lindsey German wrote with the exception of the last three words "and individual officers".
These words reversed the proposal (that both officers are responsible to the EC) and put the national secretary back in charge. I discussed it with her prior to the 29th (we met over another issue) but to Canning Town where Respect recenty won lne snadwel local by-election and which is the constituency of Government Minister Jim Fitzpatrick.
The other is Birmingham Hall Green, the new constituency replacing Sparkbrook and Small Heath, where Salma Yaqoob came a close second in 2005.
It is a mammoth task, of course. But just being a serious challenger in these seats informs the shape of Respect's election campaign. It means that Respect will stand in a limited number OT seats