London Indymedia

George Galloway wins in Bethnal Green.

Guido | 07.05.2005 12:14 | Analysis | London

Whatever you think of Galloway and his politics (most people seem to have an opinion) this much is true:

He could have quite easily led a comfortable retirement with the 1/4 million he has been awarded in compensation for the media hate campaign run against him during the war. His integrity would have stayed intact.

Instead he has spent his time and libel damages on giving Tony Blair the kick in the ballots he so richly deserves. It's true that just one MP will not change much but there is now a voice in parliament that will not be silenced by party whips. A voice that supports the Palestinians, the Iraqi resistance and condemns the 'War on Terror' and the erosion of our civil liberties. That will really, really piss off New Labour.

It also has to be said that Oona King was one of the more repulsive characters served up by Blair and his mates so good riddance to her.

Launch rally Liverpool st.
Launch rally Liverpool st.

On the campaign trail, Columbia road.
On the campaign trail, Columbia road.

Cable Street veterans add their support.
Cable Street veterans add their support.

The Respect army arrive for the final weekend of canvassing.
The Respect army arrive for the final weekend of canvassing.

The word on the street.
The word on the street.

News reaches Bethnal Green that Oona has demanded a recount.
News reaches Bethnal Green that Oona has demanded a recount.

The final result is announced.
The final result is announced.

George returns to Brick lane to thank his supporters.
George returns to Brick lane to thank his supporters.


Exactly how significant this result is remains to be seen. Aside from Bethnal Green Respect got very high votes in Newham where both candidates came 2nd to Labour with 20%. In Birmingham Salma Yaqoob came second with 28%. Even some of the more low key campaigns managed to tap into working class anger. One such example was Tottenham north London where Janet Alder (whose brother Christopher was killed in Police custody) polled over 2,000 votes mostly from the Broadwater farm area.

Of course with enough work all these results can be translated into council seats. However if Respect are going to gain meaningful credibility they will have to concentrate on a lot more than just elections. One thing that was comforting is that their average vote was much higher than that of the BNP and the various leftist electoral failures that have plagued England and Wales over the last few years. For an organisation thats less than 1 year old thats not a bad start. What happens now the election is out of the way will probably define how much they really have to offer.

Guido
- e-mail: guidoreports@riseup.net

Comments

Display the following 25 comments

  1. Great! — @
  2. let's put electioneering vs. grass roots politics in perspective? — Work your acitvist arse off to support george's lifestyle!
  3. Well Done George! — The Ghost of Phil Piratin.
  4. This calls for a song — Memory-Hole-Catchers-Mitt
  5. Brilliant! — matt
  6. ... — Hermes
  7. Galloway's opportunism really needs questioning — Galloway doesn't give a toss about palestinian solidarity
  8. oi, munter above....chill out!! — no body in particular
  9. ............................ — Guido
  10. Two Posts above... — Wake up to the new political reality saddo!
  11. Re: Galloway doesn't give a toss about Palestinian Solidarity — bloke
  12. RESPECT — Him
  13. Galloway says... — not george
  14. one for george, nill for blair — Hmmm
  15. Can't believe the whiners! — Respectful
  16. The Final Word on Racism... — Your Class, Right or Wrong.
  17. Getting it in perspective — J2K
  18. Fantastic news — Me
  19. RESPECT must break into the white area — respectable
  20. Well done contributors — Mark Harvey
  21. RESPECT called for a vote for Labour! — Anon...
  22. SWP pamphlet — J2K
  23. Get a life! (it costs nothing) — Anarchist who wished he lived somewhere else.
  24. Oh my..... — Anon...
  25. Good Riddance Oona King stickers on sale at all good Halal outlets — Ali

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