13 Nov 2010

Galloway election decision splits Respect Party conference




More controversy at todays Respect Party conference.

They have decided that George Galloway is to stand for the Respect Party in Scotland in the 2011 parliamentary elections.

I have no idea how this will play out given that there are already two left parties the Scottish Socialist Party and Solidarity who will contest the elections there.

I am pretty sure that the Scottish Green Party will pick up new seats, I can't see Galloway winning though.

The Respect Party has also voted at their conference today to join the Coalition of Resistance.

The ecosocialist group Socialist Resistance have left Respect because of the Galloway decision.

I have no idea how this will play out either.

Interesting report here from Liam.

11 comments:

Liam said...

Derek,

it's not really a split. We left and did not try to persuade anyone to come with us.

Derek Wall said...

Well you have 'split' and I am sorry that Galloway is standing for the Scottish Parliament and that because of this SR have left Respect.

Any way I am not Andy Newman and may be I should stress that the divorce was as friendly as possible....which perhaps my headline does not quite manage.

Anonymous said...

Liam,

Will SR support that other left-wing party in Scotland, instead of Respect?

Derek Wall said...

SR members are involved in SSP.

I would love to see socialists and greens working together but despite once being a mighty force the socialists outside the Greens/Lab/SNP seem sadly divided.

Anonymous said...

SR in England left a party they helped build for several years because they fancied one in Scotland! It makes no sense.

Derek Wall said...

Leave it be.

For good or ill, its done.

Anonymous said...

OK Derek.
Good luck with building the Green Left mate.

Derek Wall said...

thanks, Green Party of England and Wales seems like paradise compared to

a) UK left groups
b) European Green Parties.

hope it continues to be or even better Euro-Greens become greener and UK left manages to do something constructive!

Charlie Pottins said...

Galloway encouraged the split in Scottish Socialist Party by urging Tommy Sheridan not to let a bunch of "Trots" tell him what to do.
SWP and SR just grinned and bore such insults, though SWP eventually got the elbow, and SR hedged its bets in London elections supporting Green.
As Liam says."it's not really a split". That might involve principles. They're just moving on.
I admire Galloway's confidence in moving back to Scotland. Where people know him.

Derek Wall said...

'I admire Galloway's confidence in moving back to Scotland. Where people know him.'

impressed by the subtle blade used here, a lesson for many commentators.

Any way I am on the side lines of this but hope different organisations can work together for socialism and ecology.

A lesson about distrusting leaders here some where?

Anonymous said...

Charlie Pottins,
George Galloway is known and loved all over the UK.
He is also a real Hero in the Arab and Muslim World.
He even anchors a couple of very good programmes on the Iranian English news channel, Press TV.

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