Respect targets Labour voters
Labour will never again be able to take for granted the traditional support of the Muslim community and low-paid workers, Respect MP George Galloway vowed last night.
Speaking at the Respect Party’s national campaign launch, the former Labour MP claimed his new party had “scuppered” the strategy of triangulation favoured by Tony Blair that saw Labour moving ever closer to the centre but able to retain its core supporters because they had no left-wing alternative to vote for.
“They will never again be able to take the traditional core of Labour voters for granted,” Mr Galloway said.
“We [will] stand for the working people, the people who have nothing to sell except their work.”
He added: “What’s Labour about these people [the Labour Party]? There’s nothing Labour about these people. That is why they are so scared of Respect – we’re the ghost of Labour past.”
Mr Galloway said it was unjust to accuse Respect of targeting the Muslim vote, when Labour had never faced those allegations in all the years it “creamed off” 80 per cent of the ethnic minority vote without giving them anything in return.
However, Muslims were more likely to vote for his party because they recognised it was the only one that was really standing up for their rights. In contrast, Labour was “giving succour” to racists in the press, the public and Parliament who wanted to marginalise and “witch-hunt” Muslims, he added.
Claiming to be the descendant of immigrants who worked in Scottish mills, Mr Galloway said immigration must be defended because it “renewed and rejuvenated” the country.
He added: ‘If immigration was a bad thing, America would be the poorest country in the world – and Bangladesh would be the richest.
On Iraq, he insisted: “This is likely to cause more trouble than it will solve. This is likely to make the world a more dangerous place – rather than a safer one.”
