All i'm asking, is for a little respect: Assessing the performance of Britain's most successful radical left party

This article offers an overview of the genesis, development and decline of the Respect Party, a rare example of a radical left party which has achieved some degree of success in the UK. It analyses the party's electoral fortunes and the reasons for its inability to expand on its early breakthro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parliamentary affairs 2013-04, Vol.66 (2), p.405-424
Main Author: Peace, T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Criticism
Labour Party (Great Britain)
Minorities
Muslims
Political activity
Political campaigns
Political parties
Politics and government
Respect Party-UK
Success
United Kingdom
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Summary:This article offers an overview of the genesis, development and decline of the Respect Party, a rare example of a radical left party which has achieved some degree of success in the UK. It analyses the party's electoral fortunes and the reasons for its inability to expand on its early breakthroughs in East London and Birmingham. Respect received much of its support from Muslim voters, although the mere presence of Muslims in a given area was not enough for Respect candidates to get elected. Indeed, despite criticism of the party for courting only Muslims, it did not aim to draw its support from these voters alone. Moreover, its reliance on young people and investment in local campaigning on specific political issues were often in opposition to the traditional ethnic politics which have characterised the electoral process in some areas.
ISSN:0031-2290
1460-2482
DOI:10.1093/pa/gsr064