Come and help us win target seats!

The General Election is just a few short months away. After months of limping from one regressive policy to the next, Gordon Brown will call the date for the likely end of his own political career.

In the wake of the spectacular collapse of the neo-liberal economic model in the last 18 months, Labour's refusal to ditch their anti-working class policies will no doubt lose them the election. Savage and damaging cuts are planned to our public services. With the Chilcot inquiry, the spectre of Iraq has come back to haunt this government. Blair and Brown have blood on their hands, and the electorate know it.

Let us be clear: though it might be hard to imagine, any government formed by David Cameron and his Tory chums would be even worse! They would relish attacks on the public services we need and have vowed to be "the most unpopular government ever" within three months of an election victory.

Into this dull establishment slugfest comes Respect. As ever, we will be a breath of fresh air. Putting forward radical policies to support working class people during the recession, champion international peace and justice and fight climate change, our aim is what it has always been: to shake up national politics and put people before profit.

I have recently returned from Gaza, where the Viva Palestina convoy made a historic breakthrough by delivering much needed aid to the besieged people there. If we can achieve all that and more with just one Respect MP, imagine what we can do with three!

To do this we will need your help. Though our challenge is national in scope, we are hoping to make a real breakthrough in three key seats. Our party leader, Salma Yaqoob, will be contesting Birmingham Hall Green.

Myself and Abjol Miah, leader of the Respect group on Tower Hamlets Council, will be standing for election to Parliament in East London. I am standing in Poplar and Limehouse, against tired New Labour hack Jim Fitzpatrick. There we also face a resurgent Tory party determined to prioritise the city slickers in the new apartment blocks on the river.

Abjol Miah takes on Labour's Rushanara Ali in Bethnal Green and Bow, the seat I currently hold. Maintaining this seat is a key priority for us and we are determined that the first ever member of the Bengali community sent to the House of Commons will be a champion for that community and working people, and not New Labour's pro-war pro-privatisation agenda.

The task before us is not an easy one. We are ambitious because of the strength of our conviction in a different kind of Britain - one of genuine social justice, democracy and community empowerment.

We are calling on friends of all parties and none to come stand with us and fight for peace, justice and equality.

Respect's coordinators in each area will be in touch with you soon to discuss practical support you can give to our campaign efforts. In the meantime, I hope you will demonstrate your support for our campaigns.