the RESPECT party

The battle for our public services has begun. The new ConDem government has pledged to impose devastating cuts on public spending. The plans to reduce the deficit will be accelerated, with the burden falling on public spending rather than increased taxes for the better off.

Already, more than £6 billion of cuts have been announced with more to follow in the next four months as the coalition government builds its confidence. The economic crisis in the Eurozone and its effect on the British banking system is fuelling the increased pace of public service cutbacks.

The programme of the new government amounts to one of the most severe attacks in British history on public services, jobs and the living standards of working people and the poor. To minimise resistance and to strengthen itself, the government plans to rewrite the rules to force further coalition government in the event of failure rather than calling a new general election (the 55% rule). Cameron aims to reduce the number of MPs in a move that is widely believed will cost Labour up to 40 seats. The coalition has also pledged to ‘pursue a detailed agreement on limiting donations and reforming party funding in order to remove big money from politics’.

Firstly, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked so hard in the election campaign across the country. We could not have asked for greater effort or dedication from candidates, members and supporters. Our supporters certainly cannot be criticised for a lack of effort or commitment.

But there is no hiding from reality. The 2010 General Election was not a good day for Respect. We had hoped to add to our single MP, two more in Abjol Miah and Salma Yaqoob. Instead we are reduced to none. Electoral politics is a brutal game - and where you can win elections you can just as easily lose them.

Candidate	Party	Votes cast	Elected
Alldrick, Charles John	Green Party	349	No
Azim, Mohammed	Labour Party	3,878	No
Kadir, Abdul	Conservative Party	1,027	No
Qureshi, Naeem Rabbani	Liberal Democrats	973	No
Yaqoob, Salma	Respect	5,119	YES

Council	Candidates	Wards	Total Votes	Avge Vote
Tower Hamlets	50	17	16,236	15.0%
Newham	12	4	3,448	12.1%
Manchester	6	6	1,664	4.9%
Birmingham	4	4	10,646	21.8%
Oldham	4	4	387	2.0%
Redbridge	3	1	437	7.4%
Bradford	3	3	772	3.7%
Rochdale	2	2	1,152	11.9%
Salford	1	1	97	2.2%
Total	85	42	34,839	12.5%

Council	Ward	Vote		%		Position	Cand idates	Seats Won
Tower Hamlets	Bethnal Green North	795	*	12.2%	~	3rd	3
Tower Hamlets	Bethnal Green South	1,166	*	23.8%	~	2nd	3
Tower Hamlets	Blackwall & Cubitt Town	799	*	11.3%	~	4th	3
Tower Hamlets	Bow East	506	*	6.5%	~	5th	3
Tower Hamlets	Bow West	574	*	9.2%	~	5th	2
Tower Hamlets	Bromley-by-Bow	1,100	*	16.5%	~	2nd	3
Tower Hamlets	East India & Lansbury	835	*	13.8%	~	3rd	3
Tower Hamlets	Limehouse	1,500	*	23.7%	~	3rd	3
Tower Hamlets	Mile End & Globetown	558	*	9.4%	~	4th	3
Tower Hamlets	Mile End East	967	*	18.2%	~	3rd	3
Tower Hamlets	Millwall	668	*	7.2%	~	4th	3
Tower Hamlets	Shadwell	1,628	*	26.4%	~	2nd	3	1
Tower Hamlets	Spitalfields & Banglatown	1,068	*	16.4%	~	2nd	3
Tower Hamlets	St Dunstan’s & Stepney Green	1,458	*	20.3%	~	2nd	3
Tower Hamlets	St Katharine’s & Wapping	491	*	10.7%	~	4th	3
Tower Hamlets	Weavers	1,009	*	17.3%	~	3rd	3
Tower Hamlets	Whitechapel	1,114	*	18.2%	~	3rd	3
Newham	Green Street East	728	*	12.7%	~	2nd	3
Newham	Green Street West	1,362	*	24.4%	~	2nd	3
Newham	Little Ilford	785	*	6.7%	~	3rd	3
Newham	Plaistow North	573	*	10.5%	~	3rd	3
Redbridge	Mayfield	437	*	7.4%	~	4th	3
Birmingham	Hall Green	1,136		8.9%		4th	1
Birmingham	Moseley & Kings Heath	1,420		11.3%		4th	1
Birmingham	Sparkbrook	5,119		45.1%		1st	1	1
Birmingham	Springfield	2,971		24.6%		3rd	1
Manchester	Cheetham	607		9.5%		4th	1
Manchester	Crumpsall	321		5.9%		5th	1
Manchester	Gorton South	270		4.5%		4th	1
Manchester	Higher Blackley	111		2.1%		5th	1
Manchester	Longsight	282		5.2%		4th	1
Manchester	Rusholme	73		1.4%		6th	1
Salford	Kersal	97		2.2%		6th	1
Oldham	Chadderton Central	66		1.4%		4th	1
Oldham	Chadderton North	166		3.2%		4th	1
Oldham	Medlock Vale	94		2.1%		4th	1
Oldham	Royton South	61		1.2%		4th	1
Bradford	City	211		3.5%		4th	1
Bradford	Heaton	302		4.3%		5th	1
Bradford	Toller	259		3.4%		4th	1
Rochdale	Milnrow & Newhey	153		3.1%		4th	1
Rochdale	Milkstone & Deeplish	999		20.9%		3rd	1
	TOTAL	34,839		12.5%			85	2

Council	Ward	Vote	%
Birmingham	Sparkbrook	5,119	45.1%
Tower Hamlets	Shadwell	1,628	26.4%
Birmingham	Springfield	2,971	24.6%
Newham	Green Street West	1,362	24.4%
Tower Hamlets	Bethnal Green South	1,166	23.8%
Tower Hamlets	Limehouse	1,500	23.7%
Rochdale	Milkstone & Deeplish	999	20.9%
Tower Hamlets	St Dunstan’s & Stepney Green	1,458	20.3%
Tower Hamlets	Mile End East	967	18.2%
Tower Hamlets	Whitechapel	1,114	18.2%
Tower Hamlets	Weavers	1,009	17.3%
Tower Hamlets	Bromley-by-Bow	1,100	16.5%
Tower Hamlets	Spitalfields & Banglatown	1,068	16.4%
Tower Hamlets	East India & Lansbury	835	13.8%
Newham	Green Street East	728	12.7%
Tower Hamlets	Bethnal Green North	795	12.2%
Tower Hamlets	Blackwall & Cubitt Town	799	11.3%
Birmingham	Moseley & Kings Heath	1,420	11.3%
Tower Hamlets	St Katharine’s & Wapping	491	10.7%
Newham	Plaistow North	573	10.5%

"Thanks to everybody who supported my campaign. Despite being written off by the media I came second, polling over 12,000 votes. It is a fantastic achievement and testimony to a desire for a political alternative to the parties of bombing and big business. It is clear that many people’s fear of a Tory government boosted the Labour vote, puncturing the Lib Dem bubble but also squeezing my vote as well.

"I am really proud of the campaign that I ran. And as I said in my speech at the count, I will be campaigning for peace, justice and equality with the same passion tomorrow and in the months to come.

"Now, after almost 24 hours without sleep, a more considered analysis will have to wait a little longer!"
Salma Yaqoob

RESULTS
Roger Godsiff Labour 16,039 32.9%
Salma Yaqoob Respect-Unity Coalition 12,240 25.1%
Jerry Evans Liberal Democrat 11,988 24.6%
Jo Barker Conservative 7,320 15.0%
Alan Blumenthal UK Independence Party 950 1.9%
Andrew Gardner Independent 190 0.4%
Majority 3,799
Turnout 48,727 63.6%

Jim Fitzpatrick Labour 18,679 40%
Tim Archer Conservative 12,649 27.1%
George Galloway Respect-Unity Coalition 8,160 17.5%
Jonathan Fryer Liberal Democrat 5,209 11.2%
Wayne Lochner UK Independence Party 565 1.2%
Andrew Osborne English Democrats 470 1%
Chris Smith Green 449 1%
Kabir Mahmud Independent 293 0.6%
Mohammed Hoque Independent 167 0.4%
Jim Thornton Independent 59 0.1%
Majority 6,030
Turnout 46,700 62.3

Rushanara Ali Labour 21,784 42.9%
Ajmal Masroor Liberal Democrat 10,210 20.1%
Abjol Miah Respect-Unity Coalition 8,532 16.8%
Zakir Khan Conservative 7,071 13.9%
Jeffrey Marshall British National Party 1,405 2.8%
Farid Bakht Green 856 1.7%
Patrick Brooks Independent 277 0.5%
Alexander van Terheyden Pirate Party UK 213 0.4%
Hasib Hikmat United Voice 209 0.4%
Haji Choudhury Independent 100 0.2%
Ahmed Malik Independent 71 0.1%

Majority 11,574
Turnout 50,728 62.4%

Sarah Teather Liberal Democrat 20,026 44.2%
Dawn Butler Labour 18,681 41.2%
Sachin Rajput Conservative 5,068 11.2%
Shahar Ali Green 668 1.5%
Errol Williams Christian Party 488 1.1%
Abdi Duale Respect-Unity Coalition 230 0.5%
Dean McCastree Independent 163 0.4%
Majority 1,345
Turnout 45,324 61.2%

Gerald Kaufman Labour 19,211 50.1%
Qassim Afzal Liberal Democrat 12,508 32.6%
Caroline Healy Conservative 4,224 11.0%
Justine Hall Green 1,048 2.7%
Mohammed Zulfikar Respect-Unity Coalition 507 1.3 %
Karen Reissman Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 337 0.9%
Peter Harrison Christian Party 254 0.7%
Tim Dobson Pirate Party UK 236 0.6%
Majority 6,703
Turnout 38,325 52.8%

Maria Eagle Labour 25,493 59.5%
Paula Keaveney Liberal Democrat 8,616 20.1%
Richard Downey Conservative 6,908 16.1%
Tony Hammond UK Independence Party 1,540 3.6%
Diana Raby Respect-Unity Coalition 268 0.6%
Majority 16,877
Turnout 42,825 60.1%

Malcolm Wicks Labour 28,949 56.0%
Jason Hadden Conservative 12,466 24.1%
Gerry Jerome Liberal Democrat 7,226 14.0%
Shasha Khan Green 1,017 2.0%
Jonathan Serter UK Independence Party 891 1.7%
Novlette Williams Christian Party 586 1.1%
Mohommad Shaikh Respect-Unity Coalition 272 0.5%
Ben Stevenson Communist Party of Britain 160 0.3%
Mohamed Seyed Independent 111 0.2%
Majority 16,483 31.9
Turnout 51,678 60.6 +8.0

Michael Meacher Labour 19,503 45.5%
Kamran Ghafoor Conservative 10,151 23.7%
Mark Alcock Liberal Democrat 8,193 19.1%
David Joines British National Party 3,049 7.1%
Helen Roberts UK Independence Party 1,387 3.2%
Shahid Miah Respect-Unity Coalition 627 1.5%
Majority 9,352 21.8
Turnout 42,910 59.1 +5.1

Marsha Singh Labour 18,401 45.3%
Zahid Iqbal Conservative 12,638 31.1%
David Hall-Matthews Liberal Democrat 4,732 11.7%
Jenny Sampson British National Party 1,370 3.4%
Arshad Ali Respect-Unity Coalition 1,245 3.1% 
David Ford Green 940 2.3%
Jason Smith UK Independence Party 812 2.0%
Neil Craig Democratic Nationalists 438 1.1%
Majority 5,763
Turnout 40,576 64.9

Graham Stringer Labour 18,563 54.3%
James Edsberg Conservative 6,260 18.3%
William Hobhouse Liberal Democrat 4,861 14.2%
Derek Adams British National Party 2,469 7.2%
Kay Phillips Respect-Unity Coalition 996 2.9%
Bob Willescroft UK Independence Party 894 2.6%
Shafiq-Uz Zaman Christian Party 161 0.5%
Majority 12,303 36.0
Turnout 34,204 49.7 +3.8

David Burrowes Conservative 21,928 49.4%
Bambos Charalambous Labour 14,302 32.2%
Johar Khan Liberal Democrat 6,124 13.8%
Peter Krakowiak Green 632 1.4%
Bob Brock UK Independence Party 505 1.1%
Asit Mukhopadhyay Independent 391 0.9%
Samad Billoo Respect-Unity Coalition 174 0.4%
Ben Weald English Democrats 173 0.4%
Mal Malakounides Independent 88 0.2%
Jeremy Sturgess Better Britain Party, The 35 0.1%
Majority 7,626 17.2
Turnout 44,352 69.2 5.7

The polls have now closed and we await the results. Respect would like to say a big thank you to all our members and supporters who have worked so hard over the last few weeks to give people a real choice at the election.

We will publish the results as soon as we are able. You can get results of left candidates as they come in at Liam Mac Uaid's blog here.

Help elect Salma Yaqoob - contact Salma's campaign team for voting day activities on 07812 172 885

"I declined and then the first punch came – landing straight on my nose, sending blood and tears streaming down my face. Then another. Then another."

Prospective Respect MP for Poplar and Limehouse George Galloway will today name the candidates and their supporters in the local and national elections in Tower Hamlets who have been guilty of voter fraud. He will be joined by Bethnal Green and Bow candidate Abjol Miah.

"Today's Guardian reports that a cross-party review 'plans to raise university tuition fees by as much as £1,000 each year until they are almost five times higher that they are now for some courses'. Some science degrees, it is reported, could be £14,000 per year.

"Both Labour and the Tories have colluded to keep fees off the election agenda because of an agreement that their support for higher fees would be very unpopular.

Despite them refusing to say where the axe will fall, all the three old parties still insist we've got to cut, cut and cut some more to reduce the national debt. Yet take a look at the graph. It show the proportion of national debt to gross domestic product (GDP: the value of all the goods, services and raw materials produced in Britain each year).

Around one thousand people turned out in Bethnal Green and Bow to give support to Abjol Miah's campaign to replace George Galloway as the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow. George is fighting the neighbouring seat of Poplar and Limehouse.

Abjol Miah writes on the battle for the future of Bethnal Green and Bow