Thursday, May 05, 2005
Election day. posted by Richard Seymour
In my constituency area, given its curious make-up, it will make little difference who I vote for, so I'm voting Green. I'm meeting you half-way, you fucking hippies.Spent yesterday canvassing and leafleting in Bethnal Green & Bow constituency, particularly on the southern end of Wapping. It is a curious area, in that shit poverty nestles uncomfortably with idle wealth. Some glorious gated houses (either upgraded Peabody buildings or warehouses much of them) were separated from extremely dilapidated and neglected tower blocks, the aesthetics of which seem to have been drawn from a prison, by no more than 200 yards. Frankly, I'm surprised that property crime is not more ubiquitous. Glittering Audis and Mercs just sit there, unmolested. Remarkable. Anyway, the canvassing went well, and suggests that Respect can win if our vote is sufficiently motivated - unfortunately, canvassing during the day means you miss people who are out at work. Then there's the possibility that fraudulence at the polls that has gone undetected could make the difference. Suffice to say I believe we could just do it. I'm still very nervous, however.
The Financial Times' Matthew Engel reported yesterday that there is "something in the air" around the East End, and Bethnal Green & Bow in particular. Aside from showing his age with the Thunderclap Newman reference, he got it spot on. I've campaigned before, and I have never seen an atmosphere quite like it. Trying to speak to people about the election was sometimes a bit difficult until you mentioned Respect - then it was, "ah, Respect party!" Banners, leaflets, posters and stickers, especially around Whitechapel, Shoreditch and Bethnal Green are ubiquitous. Oona King is barely seen, except in a restaurant owned by Mr Salique on Hanbury Street, where a large glowing picture of Oona sits on the wall. Mr Salique, a well-known local property owner, was featured in yesterday's Guardian article about election fraud, with allegations of 12 'ghost voters' found registered at his place. Some smart-arses were flyposting A4 typed sheets about Galloway's marital difficulties (who, I wonder, would do that?), while some religious group had plastered photocopies of a Respect leaflet supporting gay rights - as if anyone gives the slightest fuck in either case.
The Lib Dems sent out a couple of wealthy-looking ladies in a flash car to campaign in some of the places we were canvassing, and cleverly enough they sent people who knew some of the residents. I know this because having knocked on one door, and just uttered the words "Hi, I'm canvassing for Respect, can you - ?" I saw that a Lib Dem canvasser was in there, laughing and giggling with the resident. God damn those yellow Tories. Not that they were any match for the red 'n' green brigade. The Liberal Democrat candidate is an inept, bumbling fool who apparently shouts out words at random when speechifying, while their leaflets are packed with pseudo-populist bullshit about cracking down on "yob culture" by supplying an extra ten thousand policemen - an odd gesture, really, because that sounds like ten thousand extra yobs to me. The only apparent reason for their candidate choice is that he is a Bangladeshi. In fact, as near as I can tell, the only candidate who doesn't have some ethnic-religious minority status is George Galloway MP - and they accuse us of communalism!
At any rate, it looks very close. Some areas are still solidly Labour, in spite of all. Some areas are now solidly Respect, a remarkable achievement in itself. Much rests on how motivated the two sets of voters are. We've done our campaigning, leafleted everywhere, canvassed, rallied, marched and held street stalls. There is little else to do except try and get the vote out and cross our fingers. If Galloway can win this, if Respect can get close seconds and thirds in other constituencies, the national organisation will expand. Respect will have arrived. More than that, the Left will be fundamentally altered - antiwar and anti-racist campaigns will have a stronger hand, and unions will have a growing, coherent, radical voice within them. No longer will general-secretaries be able to say "Vote Labour, or else..." If not, well - there's always the 2006 council elections. It's exciting, and terrifying.