Labour 'prospect' defects to Respect

[faceless]

Labour 'MP hopeful' quits race to join Galloway's Respect Party
05 April 2007
By Ted Jeory

A WOMAN in the race to be Labour's next candidate to take on rebel MP George Galloway's Respect Party in London's East End has quit the selection process and changed sides.

Johanna Kaschke has defected to Respect after reading the East London Advertiser's March 28 edition about the Labour Government trying to change the law to defeat a campaigner in the High Court over public housing. She went straight to her computer and fired off a resignation letter to Labour, then joined Galloway's party.

"I find there is a bad atmosphere in the (Labour) party, driving out council tenants and disrespecting leaseholders alike. It is totally disgusting that the Labour Party acts against its own members, dismantles the National Health Service, a tendency to stop free health treatment.

"Our local authority has become an oppressive force, forcing residents out of their dwellings by making it too expensive for leaseholders to afford the upkeep or forcing tenants to be with private housing associations. The Labour Party has become an oppressive organisation, nothing more to do with the democratic people's party it once used to be."

It is a blow to the bitterly-divided local Labour party, whose morale sank in Galloway's Bethnal Green constituency after he ousted their MP Oona King in the 2005 General Election. Joanna told the Advertiser: "Labour has been hijacked by a bunch of ultra-conservatives. It's bad for democracy.

Source
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good for her - and Respect. It will be interesting to see if this is mentioned further in the larger media.

[popinjay]

Ha! Good for her.

[Mandy]

No other mainstream publication has picked up the news :

Google News Search for "Kaschke"

Though it is top story on http://www.spiderednews.com/

[Salim201]

thats wicked! its like transfering from chelsea to charlton for a good cause good for her!

[faceless]

Ex-Plaid man joins George Galloway
10/4/2007

Neil Sinclair, local historian, and author of several books on the Tiger Bay/Docks area of cardiff, and one time Plaid Cymru councillor, has joined George Galloway's Respect Party. Mr says he does not feel any ill will towards Plaid Cymru, but that he views Respect as "part of the resistance" because it was created out of the anti war movement. Mr Sinclair's books include The Tiger Bay Story, The Cardiff Bay Experience and Endangered Tiger. Respect will be putting up candidates in the South Wales Central and South Wales West electoral lists.

Respect candidate Paul Lynch is Chair of Swansea Defend Council Housing which has an important victory in stopping privatisation of the city's council housing stock. He said his involvement with this campaign has inspired him to continue defending public services. “I look forward to campaigning to defend our hospitals, schools and pensions and to working to secure direct investment to improve council housing,” he said. He and Ahmed Al Jeffrey have been selected as Welsh Assembly candidates for Respect in the South Wales West region.

Local trade unionist Karen Tyre has been selected to fight South Wales Central for Respect. She Said, "We stand for welfare not warfare. Despite New Labour's claims to have poured money into the NHS in Wales, creeping privatisation drains money out, and unacceptable waiting lists remain. We are opposed to any closures of A and E in Prince Charles and Royal Glamorgan hospitals. Having lost the royal Infirmary in Cardiff, we know about the detrimental effects of tinkering with emergency services."

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Another defection - nice one...

[Mandy]

Great.

I see 2 mentions on Google News Google News Search


"Ex-Plaid man joins Geroge Galloway
News Wales, UK - 2 hours ago
Neil Sinclair, local historian, and author of several books on the Tiger Bay/Docks area of cardiff, and one time Plaid Cymru councillor, has joined George ...

Socialist Equality Party of Britain on the ballot for May 3 elections
World Socialist Web Site, MI - Apr 4, 2007
George Galloway’s Respect-Unity Coalition, for example, has proudly announced its recruitment of former Plaid Cymru councillor Neil Sinclair. Respect’s ..."