Respect Party
The Respect Party[1] was a left-wing political party in the United Kingdom which campaigned against privatisation, unemployment, Islamophobia and war. Founded in January 2004, it attracted media attention for its anti-war campaign against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and won a seat in the 2005 general election. Its support was strongest in inner-city areas such as London, Birmingham and Bradford, where party representatives served as local councillors or as the local Member of Parliament.
Respect lost its sole parliamentary seat to Labour in the 2010 general election but returned in a March 2012 by-election, taking the Bradford West constituency from Labour. The seat was held by George Galloway until it fell to Labour in the 2015 general election. In May 2016, Galloway secured 1.4% of the vote as the party's candidate for Mayor of London.[2]
The party campaigned to withdraw from the European Union during the 2016 'Brexit' referendum.[3] In August of that year, the organisation deregistered as a political party.[4]
Footnotes
- ↑ Acronym: Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environmentalism, Community and Trade Unionism.
- ↑ BBC News: 'London mayor results'. May 2016.
- ↑ Respect Party: 'Respect to campaign to leave the EU'. 22nd February 2016.
- ↑ Independent': 'George Galloway's Respect Party deregisters, prompting speculation politician may rejoin Labour '. 21st August 2016.