Too reactionary, even for the SWP

Ex-'Respect' member Andy Newman brings news that the SWP have expelled Ger Francis, once their Birmingham organiser. Mr Francis is, I can safely state, the most backward and obnoxious asshole I have ever met on the 'left'. The fact that, at one time, this loathsome character was considered fit to be the SWP's Birmingham organiser speaks volumes about the calibre of that degenerate organisation. Still, credit where it's due: having sacked him as their Birmingham organiser a couple of years ago (though he hung around to undermine his successors), they have now expelled him altogether from the Party. According to Newman, the reason was his support for an all-male, all-Muslim slate of 'Respect' candidates for the May local elections in Birmingham.

Back in December, I wrote a piece on this blog suggesting that some very dodgy deals seemed to have been going on over the selection of 'Respect' candidates in Birmingham, and that it was strange that a well-known and quite successful female candidate, Salma Iqbal, had been dropped in the Springfield ward. I may have got some of the details wrong, but it seems I was on the right track. I like to think that I may have contributed to the downfall of Mr Francis.

Meanwhile, those with an unhealthy interest in the strange, reactionary phenomenon that is 'Respect', are recommended to visit Dave Osler's blog (see the sidebar on the right), where SWP'er 'Snowball' vainly attempts to defend this fast-collapsing organisation. The 'comments' are particularly good, as Andy Newman and other ex-'Respect' members take poor 'Snowball' apart over lack of internal democracy, lack of class orientation and the antics of 'Respect''s Member of Parliament.