Left List
Encyclopedia
Left Alternative was a UK political party resulting from the split within Respect – The Unity Coalition in late 2007. It operated in England and Wales
. It was backed by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). Soon after the split, the electoral label Left List was adopted and this label faced its first major electoral test in the London mayoral elections
and London Assembly elections
on 1 May 2008. Lindsey German
, the Mayoral candidate, came seventh and in both the Mayoral and Assembly elections, Left List received less than 1% of the vote, well down on Respect's performance in 2004. The name Left Alternative was subsequently adopted.
agenda. Respect allows its members to hold membership of other political organisations and notably included the SWP. Respect's most high profile figure has been George Galloway
, former Respect Member of Parliament
for Bethnal Green and Bow
, who was previously expelled from the Labour Party
for "bringing the party into disrepute".
rights event.
The letter was the opening shot in a dispute in Respect initially between Galloway and his supporters (including founding member Salma Yaqoob
) on one side, and supporters of the SWP on the other. However the arguments later began to affect all of the membership including those not in the SWP or close to Galloway or Yaqoob. In particular, Galloway called for the appointment of a National Organiser, who would support the National Secretary, John Rees
(an SWP member). The SWP perceived this to be an attempt to undermine John Rees who was the dominant voice for the SWP within Respect's leadership. A letter from their Central Committee stated: "The SWP believed that the post was created to undermine Respect National Secretary John Rees."
In the course of the dispute, the SWP expelled three members who sided with Galloway: Kevin Ovenden
and Rob Hoveman, who both worked for George Galloway, and Nick Wrack, who was nominated for the position of National Organiser.
On 3 November 2007, Galloway's side announced plans to hold a "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. This figure has been disputed. The Respect national conference, which went ahead on the same day was attended by 270 delegates from 49 local branches and 17 student groups, as well as 90 observers.
Linda Smith, Respect's national chair at the time of the split, has claimed: "The sectarianism and ‘control freak’ methods of the SWP have led us to a situation where Respect is irretrievably split." The SWP has attributed the split 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.
refused to take a side in the split and therefore continued to recognise Linda Smith as the Nominating Officer for Respect. This means that her signature is required for candidates wishing to use the electoral label "Respect" (and similar registered names) on ballot papers in UK elections. A letter from the Electoral Commission to Linda Smith on 23 January 2008, set out its position on the split, following confusion on the matter from both sides.
Following the split, the side that included the SWP (but not Galloway or Linda Smith) nominated candidates in two district council by-elections. They could not use the name "Respect" on ballot papers without the signature of the nominating officer. Instead, both had no label on the ballot papers.
This side in the Respect split announced that in the London mayoral elections
planned for 1 May 2008 it would stand Lindsey German
for mayor (Respect's candidate in 2004 and chosen as Respect's candidate in 2007 prior to the schism) and candidates for the London Assembly, elected on the same date. It has announced that its candidates would contest these elections under a new electoral label, the Left List, since Linda Smith had not allowed them to be listed on ballot papers as Respect candidates.
The Left List contested every constituency as well as standing on the London-wide proportional representation list.
At the 1st May 2008 Council Elections, the Left List also contested seats as the Left List or the Left Party, Maxine Bowler in Burngreave, Sheffield. Respect Renewal
stood in the City and East London constituency as well as contesting the London-wide list. George Galloway headed the London-wide party list, and Respect Renewal
candidates stood under the name 'Respect (George Galloway)'.
Both factions of Respect suffered as a result and together failed to reach the previous number of votes.
Revolutionary socialists in the SWP/Left List, see building a working class movement as central to bringing about socialism and call for standing in elections to fight the perceived right wing in the mainstream parties. The SWP argues that there is no parliamentary road to socialism, but argues that standing in elections offers a left alternative for electors.
. In June of that year, the three remaining Left List councillors in Tower Hamlets, including the Chair and Nominating Officer of the Left List, defected to the Labour Party as did one Respect Renewal councillor. Left Alternative subsequently deregistered from the Electoral Commission Register of Political Parties in April 2010.
The organisation's website ceased operation in mid 2009. The party deregistered from the Electoral Commission
Register of Political Parties in April 2010.
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
. It was backed by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). Soon after the split, the electoral label Left List was adopted and this label faced its first major electoral test in the London mayoral elections
London mayoral election, 2008
The London mayoral election, 2008 for the office of Mayor of London was held on 1 May 2008 and was won by Conservative Party candidate Boris Johnson....
and London Assembly elections
London Assembly election, 2008
An election to the Assembly of London took place on 1 May 2008, along with the London mayoral election, 2008. The Conservatives gained 2 seats, Labour gained one seat, the Liberal Democrats lost two seats, and United Kingdom Independence Party or One London as they became were wiped out...
on 1 May 2008. Lindsey German
Lindsey German
Lindsey German is the convenor of the British anti-war organisation Stop the War Coalition and a former member of the central committee of the Socialist Workers Party. She was editor of Socialist Review for twenty years until 2004...
, the Mayoral candidate, came seventh and in both the Mayoral and Assembly elections, Left List received less than 1% of the vote, well down on Respect's performance in 2004. The name Left Alternative was subsequently adopted.
History
Respect was created in January 2004, using the issue of the war in Iraq to mobilise its vote. Beyond this issue, it attempted to have a broad socialistSocialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
agenda. Respect allows its members to hold membership of other political organisations and notably included the SWP. Respect's most high profile figure has been George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
, former Respect Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bethnal Green and Bow
Bethnal Green and Bow
Bethnal Green and Bow is a parliamentary constituency located in Greater London, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The constituency first existed 1974-1983, and was...
, who was previously expelled from the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
for "bringing the party into disrepute".
The crisis in Respect
In 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. The letter also criticised the amount of money spent on the Organising for Fighting Unions conference and on an intervention at the Pride London LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
rights event.
The letter was the opening shot in a dispute in Respect initially between Galloway and his supporters (including founding member Salma Yaqoob
Salma Yaqoob
Salma Yaqoob is the leader, and former vice-chair, of the Respect Party and a former Birmingham City Councillor. She is also the head of the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition and a spokesperson for Birmingham Central Mosque....
) on one side, and supporters of the SWP on the other. However the arguments later began to affect all of the membership including those not in the SWP or close to Galloway or Yaqoob. In particular, Galloway called for the appointment of a National Organiser, who would support the National Secretary, John Rees
John Rees
John Rees may refer to:*John Rees , British political activist *John Rees , American journalist*Conway Rees, John Conway Rees, Welsh rugby union international...
(an SWP member). The SWP perceived this to be an attempt to undermine John Rees who was the dominant voice for the SWP within Respect's leadership. A letter from their Central Committee stated: "The SWP believed that the post was created to undermine Respect National Secretary John Rees."
In the course of the dispute, the SWP expelled three members who sided with Galloway: Kevin Ovenden
Kevin Ovenden
Kevin Ovenden is a British, left-wing, political activist and currently a member of the Respect Party's leadership, and an organiser of Viva Palestina.-Biography:Ovenden was for many years a leading member of the Socialist Workers Party....
and Rob Hoveman, who both worked for George Galloway, and Nick Wrack, who was nominated for the position of National Organiser.
On 3 November 2007, Galloway's side announced plans to hold a "Respect Renewal
Respect Renewal
Respect Renewal was a faction that existed during the 2007-8 split within Respect – The Unity Coalition a UK political party.Respect Renewal was led by Linda Smith, the National Chair, Leader and Nominating Officer of Respect, and was formed in November 2007...
" 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. This figure has been disputed. The Respect national conference, which went ahead on the same day was attended by 270 delegates from 49 local branches and 17 student groups, as well as 90 observers.
Linda Smith, Respect's national chair at the time of the split, has claimed: "The sectarianism and ‘control freak’ methods of the SWP have led us to a situation where Respect is irretrievably split." The SWP has attributed the split 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.
Left List emerges
The Electoral CommissionElectoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
refused to take a side in the split and therefore continued to recognise Linda Smith as the Nominating Officer for Respect. This means that her signature is required for candidates wishing to use the electoral label "Respect" (and similar registered names) on ballot papers in UK elections. A letter from the Electoral Commission to Linda Smith on 23 January 2008, set out its position on the split, following confusion on the matter from both sides.
Following the split, the side that included the SWP (but not Galloway or Linda Smith) nominated candidates in two district council by-elections. They could not use the name "Respect" on ballot papers without the signature of the nominating officer. Instead, both had no label on the ballot papers.
This side in the Respect split announced that in the London mayoral elections
London mayoral election, 2008
The London mayoral election, 2008 for the office of Mayor of London was held on 1 May 2008 and was won by Conservative Party candidate Boris Johnson....
planned for 1 May 2008 it would stand Lindsey German
Lindsey German
Lindsey German is the convenor of the British anti-war organisation Stop the War Coalition and a former member of the central committee of the Socialist Workers Party. She was editor of Socialist Review for twenty years until 2004...
for mayor (Respect's candidate in 2004 and chosen as Respect's candidate in 2007 prior to the schism) and candidates for the London Assembly, elected on the same date. It has announced that its candidates would contest these elections under a new electoral label, the Left List, since Linda Smith had not allowed them to be listed on ballot papers as Respect candidates.
The Left List contested every constituency as well as standing on the London-wide proportional representation list.
At the 1st May 2008 Council Elections, the Left List also contested seats as the Left List or the Left Party, Maxine Bowler in Burngreave, Sheffield. Respect Renewal
Respect Renewal
Respect Renewal was a faction that existed during the 2007-8 split within Respect – The Unity Coalition a UK political party.Respect Renewal was led by Linda Smith, the National Chair, Leader and Nominating Officer of Respect, and was formed in November 2007...
stood in the City and East London constituency as well as contesting the London-wide list. George Galloway headed the London-wide party list, and Respect Renewal
Respect Renewal
Respect Renewal was a faction that existed during the 2007-8 split within Respect – The Unity Coalition a UK political party.Respect Renewal was led by Linda Smith, the National Chair, Leader and Nominating Officer of Respect, and was formed in November 2007...
candidates stood under the name 'Respect (George Galloway)'.
Both factions of Respect suffered as a result and together failed to reach the previous number of votes.
Revolutionary socialists in the SWP/Left List, see building a working class movement as central to bringing about socialism and call for standing in elections to fight the perceived right wing in the mainstream parties. The SWP argues that there is no parliamentary road to socialism, but argues that standing in elections offers a left alternative for electors.
Left Alternative
The organisation's website began to display the title Left Alternative in late June 2008. On 10 September 2008 John Rees and Lindsey German resigned from the Left Alternative National Committee. Most elected councillors who had joined Left List at the time of the split from Respect subsequently defected to other parties, mainly Labour, over the course of 2008. In 2008, one Left List councillor defected to the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. In June of that year, the three remaining Left List councillors in Tower Hamlets, including the Chair and Nominating Officer of the Left List, defected to the Labour Party as did one Respect Renewal councillor. Left Alternative subsequently deregistered from the Electoral Commission Register of Political Parties in April 2010.
The organisation's website ceased operation in mid 2009. The party deregistered from the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
Register of Political Parties in April 2010.
See also
- Stop the War CoalitionStop the War CoalitionThe Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
- Respect Coalition
- Socialist Workers Party (Britain)Socialist Workers Party (Britain)The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities...
- Lindsey GermanLindsey GermanLindsey German is the convenor of the British anti-war organisation Stop the War Coalition and a former member of the central committee of the Socialist Workers Party. She was editor of Socialist Review for twenty years until 2004...
- John Rees (activist)
- International SocialismInternational Socialism (journal)International Socialism is a British-based quarterly magazine of socialist theory published by the Socialist Workers Party. It is currently edited by Alex Callinicos, who took over after the death of Chris Harman in November 2009....