http://www.therespectparty.net/rss.php The latest news and information from the Respect website en-gb http://www.therespectparty.net/images/banner_144.jpg http://www.therespectparty.net/rss.php 144 25 Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:54:38 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=899 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:23:56 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=899 In the next few weeks, all the major parties of Tower Hamlets will select and announce their candidate for the Borough's first directly elected mayor. For those of us in Respect, it's a proud moment. We obviously didn't perform as well as we'd have liked in the May elections, but we were overjoyed that the referendum to change the way the council worked and introduce an accountable mayor won the backing of more than 60% of voters. We had played a central and active role in the campaign to secure a 'yes vote'. Whilst the three other parties made excuses for why they could not support the proposal, we showed we had our ear to the ground and understood the widespread desire amongst Tower Hamlets residents for a change at the very top. A new way of doing things. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=898 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:43:53 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=898 Mohammed Amin Khawaja is about to be forcibly deported on 24 August from the detention centre in Dungavel, Lanarkshire through Edinburgh Airport. Why should we care? Mohammed Amin Khawaja is 18 years old and was seized by UK Border Agency officials immediately after his birthday. He spent over a year trying to reach Britain from his home in Ishkamish in the Takhar province in North Eastern Afghanistan. He was trained from the age of 11 by the Taliban for whom his father and uncle were commanders. His father and sister were killed by NATO forces and he was betrayed by his uncle, who seeks his inheritance. At 15, Khawaja was arrested by Afghan police and NATO forces and tortured, suffering loss of vision, hearing, seizures, psychiatric distress and loss of mobility. He was to be sent to Bagram air base, the notorious prison complex near Kabul. Khawaja escaped and discovered that the Taliban had placed a price on his head while in a refugee camp in Pakistan. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=897 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:34:56 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=897 Could an ordinary member win the election for General Secretary of the Country's biggest union? Unite, Britain's largest and most influential Trade Union, gears up for the election of its General Secretary. This election comes at a time when the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition is about to announce its plans for massive cuts to be set out in their Autumn Budget in October. All eyes will be on where any possible fightback may emanate. Given the size and make up of Unite, which represents over 1.5 million members in all sectors of the economy, this makes the election for the union's General Secretary the most significant union election for decades. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=896 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:04:45 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=896 Last night (16 August) the BBC broadcast a Panorama programme entitled 'Death on the Med'. It claimed to reveal 'what really happened' when Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010. The programme was extremely biased, portraying the activists on board as violent terrorists who set out to kill Israeli soldiers. Please write to the BBC asking the following questions: http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=895 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:48:53 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=895 Across the world, several teams are preparing to set off on a 4,000km drive to the besieged region of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. From New Zealand to Canada, and from Ireland to South Africa, volunteers are collecting medical aid and fundraising for vehicles. They will set off from their respective homelands in mid September and travel to London. There, they will meet up with the "Viva Palestina, Global Lifeline For Gaza Convoy". Over 250 people in 100 vehicles will set off and undertake a journey that will see them drive through France and Italy. Teams from across Europe will join en route, swelling the numbers of vehicles and volunteers. By ferry they will cross to Greece and then overland to Turkey. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=894 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:59:07 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=894 The Viva Palestina Lifeline 5 aid convoy to Gaza will leave London on Saturday 18th September. This is the fifth aid convoy involving Viva Palestina. This one will have three separate convoys leaving from London, Casablanca and Doha and all of them joining together in El Arich in Egypt. The London convoy will travel across Europe, down through Turkey and Syria where they will then be joined by the convoy from Doha and be shipped from Latakia to El Arish. At El Arish they will be joined by the convoy from Casablanca. They will then enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing, http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=893 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:24:25 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=893 "All changed, changed utterly." So wrote the great poet William Butler Yeats in the wake of the execution by Britain of Irish freedom fighters following the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. Those words resonate today following the massacre aboard the Mavi Marmara on bloody Monday - 31 May 2010. And we may add that "a new phase of struggle is born" in the movement to bring justice and freedom in Palestine. But it has come at a terrible price. Nine volunteers aboard the aid ship shot dead by Israeli Special Forces, dozens more wounded. The desperate attempts by the Israeli government and its supporters to blame the victims of terror for what is an act of state terrorism are sickening and depraved. But they show little sign of success. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=892 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:36:12 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=892 Andrew Lansley, the Conservative Health Minister, has blown the trumpet call for the privatization of the National Health Service. Using the fear that has been well-stoked by the ConDem government, a major attack on the principles of free health care in the UK has been announced. Without an ounce of shame, Lansley declared a complete dismissal of the promises made by both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats during the general election campaign. In other words, no-one voted for this but the government wishes to do it anyway. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=891 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:51:43 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=891 Gideon Osborne, our aristocratic Tory Chancellor, insists that the level of 'public debt' means we all have to tighten our belts and make hard choices. He fails to mention that a very small group of British society created this huge debt with banking speculation. He also ignores the twenty year period of continuous tax cuts and evasion for the richest that explains so much of the debt. While the majority has faced wage freezes and job losses since 2008, there is one group of wage militants who have seen their income rise dramatically. UK top executives receive an average of £3.1 million per year as a salary, according to figures released today. This represents a 5% wage rise since 2008. This seems obscene enough in a period of mass unemployment created by the very executives paying themselves such huge amounts. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=890 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:31:30 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=890 3rd July: Saturday 3rd July 1- 4 pm Bennetts Bar Bennetts Hill Birmingham City Centre Respect members and supporters who are members of the National Union of Teachers are invited to attend a meeting in Birmingham on Saturday 3rd July to discuss a range of issues. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=889 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:40:26 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=889 The government's description of the budget as 'progressive' is an example of doublespeak that is truly Orwellian. Yesterday's edition of the Sun, that renowned flag bearer for progressive causes, trumpeted what they saw as its high points. These included freezing child benefits for the next three years, ending the Health in Pregnancy benefit given to all mums-to-be at 25 weeks pregnant, restricting housing benefit and introducing a new medical test for those claiming disability living allowance. In total the welfare benefit bill is to be slashed by £11bn over the next four years. And that is just for starters. While government ministers were saying that subsidies for bus travel, winter fuel and television licences for older people were going to be protected their minions were briefing the press that such cuts were inevitable. Throw into the mix VAT increasing to 20% plus freezing public sector pay, and plans to increase the retirement age to 70 and the regressive nature of the budget is clear. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=888 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:54:43 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=888 The ConDem government claims to be 'progressive'. It is nothing of the kind. Led by no less than three public school boys in Cameron, Clegg and Osborne, this is rule by bankers and the rich in the interests of bankers and the rich. Gideon Osborne, the 18th baronet of Ballentaylor (old Anglo-Irish aristocracy), has unveiled an 'emergency budget' that strangles the poor while delivering handouts to the rich. Sympathetic This budget is sprinkled with minor measures that seem to help the poorest. State pensions are to be linked to earnings or rise by 2.5%. This is welcome but goes nowhere near addressing the poverty that pensioners are in after more than 20 years of pensions getting smaller. Those earning under £7,475 per year will now be exempt from income tax. The only way that these can be considered 'progressive' is by reference to the appalling record of New Labour in tackling poverty while in government. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=887 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:14:21 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=887 Over a hundred people from all sections of the community packed out the theatre at Oxford House yesterday afternoon to hear Salma Yaqoob, George Galloway, Abjol Miah and others leading a discussion on the way forward for Respect. Respect Party leader Salma Yaqoob declared the meeting "a terrific success". Abjol Miah, Councillor Harun Miah and Sabby Dhalu, joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism, led discussion about the threat from the English Defence League, the council leadership's disastrous attempts to undermine the march and the role of the media in stimulating ignorance, prejudice and bigotry against the Muslim community. The importance of the march today was emphasised by all. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=886 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:47:36 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=886 Salma Yaqoob and George Galloway will address Respect public meeting this Saturday Salma Yaqoob, the leader of the Respect Party, is coming to Tower Hamlets on Saturday 19th June to speak alongside former MP George Galloway. The occasion is a public meeting of Tower Hamlets Respect entitled "The Way Forward for Respect". The meeting is open to all members and supporters of Respect - and not just from Tower Hamlets. Members and supporters from London and across the Home Counties are invited and encouraged to attend. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=885 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:43:48 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=885 Up to 20 EDL thugs came to Whitechapel this afternoon and attacked a Pakistani stallholder. They yelled racist insults and threatened to attack the East London Mosque. Eye witness Dilwara Ali was getting off a bus to do some shopping in the Whitechapel market when she saw a group of white men shouting insults about "Pakis" and "We are the EDL". Then she saw them attack the stallholder before being chased back into Whitechapel station. A number of police vans arrived and police drew batons, allowing the EDL thugs to proceed through the station and back on to a tube train. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=884 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:18:42 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=884 The new Office for Budget Responsibility presented its growth forecasts today. You don't need to be an economist to understand the bottom line; the economy is in a worse position than the previous Labour chancellor expected it to be, and future growth will be slower and weaker. We already know what the Tory-Lib Dem response to this will be. The figures will be used to justify even deeper cuts in public spending. But even without the madness of more cuts, critical sectors of the economy are facing disaster. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=883 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:00:30 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=883 Britain's largest and most influential Trade Union gears up for the election of its General Secretary. Given the size and make up of Unite, which represents over 1.5 million members in all sectors of the economy, it makes the election for the union's General Secretary the most significant union election for decades. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=882 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:22:45 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=882 Respect in Tower Hamlets have written to the local MPs about a proposed demonstration by the English Defence League: Dear Mr Fitzpatrick and Ms Ali, We now understand that the English Defence League plan to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets on Sunday 20th June. We note the report in the Guardian on 28th May and the subsequent article in the Guardian by former senior police officer Robert Lambert. The proposals for a demonstration by the English Defence League in Tower Hamlets has provoked widespread fear and anger, especially amongst the minority communities in Tower Hamlets. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=881 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 09:49:09 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=881 Speaking at a demonstration in London which organisers estimated to be more than 20,000 strong, George Galloway announced new land and sea convoys to break the siege of Gaza. "After extensive discussion in Istanbul," said Galloway, "I can announce that a land convoy will leave Britain shortly after the end of Ramadan in September and travel through Europe, down through Turkey and Syria into Jordan. We will ask the Egyptian government then to ensure passage from the port of Aqaba to Rafah and into Gaza. http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=880 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:06:07 GMT http://www.therespectparty.net/breakingnews.php?id=880 The Israeli massacre of unarmed campaigners aboard a ship carrying aid to Gaza is the "Sharpeville and Soweto of the Movement for Palestinian Solidarity," one of those who survived the bloodthirsty assault has said. Speaking to the Star from Istanbul shortly after his release from an Israeli jail British campaigner Kevin Ovenden, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara - the boat that bore the brunt of a terrifying raid by gun-toting Israeli commandos - described the attack as a "murderous assault" and "an act of political terrorism."