Why did Hudson stand down, and not Galloway?

Kate Hudson, candidate for George Galloway's Respect party in the upcoming Manchester Central by-election, has withdrawn.

"I cannot in all conscience, stand as candidate for a party whose only MP has made unacceptable and un-retracted statements about the nature of rape. To continue as Respect Party candidate in this situation, no matter how much I object to and oppose his statements personally, would be in effect to condone what he has said".

She was responding to Galloway's comment on the charges brought by two women in Sweden against Julian Assange, that "even taken at its worst, if the allegations made by these two women were true, 100 per cent true... they don’t constitute rape... not everybody needs to be asked prior to each insertion".

But why is Hudson withdrawing rather than asking for Respect to repudiate Galloway?

Hudson quotes Salma Yaqoob, who holds the position of Respect "party leader", as concurring with her rather than Galloway: "Let me be clear, as a politician and as a woman. Rape occurs when a woman has not consented to sex. George Galloway’s comments on what constitutes rape are deeply disappointing and wrong".

Isn't Galloway the one who should be pushed into a political climbdown?

The question, however, is rhetorical. Everyone knows that Respect is "Respect (George Galloway)".

So the real question is: why do activists like Hudson and Yaqoob, self-respecting and independent-minded, serve such a party?

Comments

Socialist Appeal and Assange

More wordy and circumlocutory than Galloway, but on the same lines, has been Alan Woods of Socialist Appeal. He has dismissed the charges made by women in Sweden. He knows that they are a concoction of US imperialism. How? From Ibsen's plays, apparently! Read on.

http://www.socialistappeal.org/analysis/international/828-the-assange-case--what-it-means-for-socialists-

The first to jump to do Washington’s bidding was Sweden - that celebrated bastion of “democracy” and “human rights”, whom the U.S. Ambassador to Stockholm describes as a “pragmatic”, “strong”, and “reliable” partner in the leaked cables. As a result of allegations of “sex crimes” in Sweden the founder of WikiLeaks was dragged before a British court. The Swedish director of public prosecutions, Marianne Ny, has naturally dismissed suggestions of a political motive for the rape allegations. The Swedish Tartuffes try to mask their treachery with a “progressive” colouring. Their persecution of Assange, you see, has nothing to do with his anti-American activities. Oh no! It is to do with the defence of “women’s rights”.

Of course! I mean, what other interest could these good, honest, upright, liberal, neutral, pacifistic, feministic, moralistic Swedish politicians have? For years the Swedish bourgeoisie has cultivated an image of “Mr. Nice Guy”. But the stinking hypocrisy of the Scandinavian middle class was long ago exposed in the plays of Ibsen. The case of Assange brings to mind forcefully his masterpiece: An Enemy of the People.

The “nice” ladies and gentlemen in Stockholm are just as implicated in the criminal activities of the CIA as are their counterparts in Germany and Britain. The right wing government in Stockholm is anxious to be in America’s good books...

Yaqoob and Hudson showed they were politically independent and thoughtful enough to come out against Galloway. Will anyone in Socialist Appeal come out against Woods?

Yaqoob quits Respect

The latest is that Salma Yaqoob has not just stepped down as Respect party leader, but quit Respect altogether.

"It is with deep regret that I have decided to resign from Respect. The last few weeks have been extremely difficult for everyone in the party. I feel necessary relations of trust and collaborative working have unfortunately broken down. I have no wish to prolong those difficulties, and indeed hope that they may now be drawn to a close.

"I remain committed to the principles and values that led me to help found Respect. The policies we have fought for need to be voiced as loud as ever in opposition to a political establishment that remains out of touch with working people.

"I would like to thank everyone in the party for their support over the years; I wish everyone the very best for the future and in those common struggles for peace, justice and equality that I am sure we will all continue to be involved in".

She doesn't explicitly mention Galloway's comment on the rape charges against Assange, but that must be the issue.

That, and the evident fact that Respect as a political grouping could have no control over Galloway, but was allowed to operate only as a support network for his self-promotion.