'Gang of Four' has to build political bridges

01 November 2007

From the left... Cllr Ahmed Hussain, Cllr Lutfa Begum, Kumar Murshid, Cllr Oli Rahman

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Ted Jeory puts our politicians in the dock

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I WONDER if the new group of four Respect Independent breakaway Tower Hamlets councillors genuinely realise what they have let themselves in for.

Without the structures of party organisation, including funding and publicity, it's highly likely they have embarked on a pretty tortuous journey.

Take the group's first press conference on Monday (Oct-29)... it was full of symbolism.

Firstly, it was held outside Tower Hamlets boundary, at the Bishopsgate Institute, opposite Liverpool Street station. Okay, just outside the borough, but still an unnecessary gaffe.

Secondly, I asked them who had hired the room. They looked at each other and eventually settled for "it was out of our own pockets."

Thirdly, the press conference was chaired by Kumar Murshid, who only joined Respect a few months ago with the hope of becoming a Parliamentary candidate.

Fourthly, the whole event was overseen by John Rees, the main man in the Socialist Workers Party and still currently the national secretary of Respect.

Fifthly, sat there taking notes was Tower Hamlets Lib Dem leader Stephanie Eaton.

The dilemma the four independents face is that while they need the experience, intellectual rigour and organisational ability of people like Mr Rees and his SWP cohorts, that organisation's name is mud among the supporters they need to attract.

To survive, they are going to need other allies.

Eventually, their group could grow to five with the addition of Fozol Miah or Shahed Ali... perhaps both, even.

They've also had talks with Stephanie Eaton's six Lib Dem councillors about a possible coalition. Such a coalition would become the official Opposition... and with it, more money and even a publicly-funded political adviser at the Town Hall.

Cllr Eaton would be boss and Oli Rahman her deputy.

It's an attractive combination, but there is one sticking point... the name.

For the moment, the 'Gang of Four' do not want to give up the name Respect, something the Lib Dems will just not accept in the coalition title because of its association with MP George Galloway.

However, I would not be surprised to see pragmatism rule and some sort of solution to be thrashed out.

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...AND WHO GETS THE NAME?

AS TO who owns the name Respect, it emerges that a 12-year-old girl from Birkenhead could be the impending divorce's power-broker.

As it's fairly certain the SWP and George Galloway's allies will go their separate ways, one of the biggest issues for negotiation is which rump takes the name 'Respect.'

Galloway is undoubtedly the man who largely built the brand, as it's officially registered to one of his mates, Linda Smith, it would seem the Scot will retain control.

But when I asked the SWP's heavyweight John Rees about this, he chuckled that according to Galloway's autobiography, the name 'Respect' was coined by schoolgirl Hope Nolan.

Apparently, at the outset of the project Hope's mum was involved in discussions about what to call the party.

Hope suggested "Give All The Sweets To Hope Party".

That was obviously far too grown up for her elders, so she came up with a second idea, "Respect."

Why 'Respect'? she was asked. "Because mum says I should always give adults respect," she replied.

Find Hope and get her to knock some sense into these squabblers, I say....

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TED JEORY, Chief Reporter