Our vision for London

RESPECT'S VISION FOR LONDON

Extremes of wealth and poverty

Britain is a country of huge wealth, yet this remains in the hands of a tiny elite. Within a mile of the City of London lies some of the worst poverty in the country. Under New Labour the gap between the rich and the poor has widened. Millions of Londoners struggle to get by on poverty wages, and to pay increasing bills, especially for energy.

We call for a major increase in the state pension and the restoration of the link with earnings. We will support all trade union action to improve wages.

Affordable and sustainable public transport

New Labour has failed to solve London's transport problems. Public transport is expensive, overcrowded and unreliable. It has been starved of investment for decades. Public transport should serve the people of London, not make profits for big corporations.

We argue for a fully publicly owned transport system for London. It must be integrated, affordable and environmentally sustainable. We support massive new investment in, and extensions to, the public transport system, such as the West London tram and the extension of services into South London.

The environment and energy

Climate change, resulting from global warming, is spiralling out of control. A disastrous rise in sea levels is under way as the ice caps melt. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more severe; a sustainable energy policy must be framed in this context.

Environmental sustainability must be it built into every policy. With aviation the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases we oppose the expansion of both Heathrow and Stanstead. We support punitive charges for the use of SUVs and other high pollution vehicles in London.

The war, human rights, and Islamophobia

We call for the immediate end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the continued assault on the Palestinians. We condemn the July 7 terrorist attack on London, which killed 54 innocent people, but this was itself a product of the war drive. The way to make Londoners safe on the streets is to bring the troops home now.

We oppose all Islamophobia and the demonization of the Muslim community. We will oppose the shoot to kill policy, which resulted in the death of Jean Charles de Menezes. We will oppose all attacks on civil liberties such as the reintroduction of the 'sus' laws.

Trade unions

New Labour has retained the Tory anti-union laws. We will support the unions fighting to get these laws lifted, and in all their efforts to improve wages and conditions. The move to the right by New Labour has created a situation where working class people have no one to represent them. We will work with all who want to work for a new pluralist party to the left of Labour.

We call upon the unions to step up campaigns to defend the public sector against privatisation and deregulation. We will support all workers who take industrial action to defend their wages and conditions. We would not use Tory laws against them.

Housing

Decent, affordable, council housing should be available for everyone. This involves building new council homes and improving existing stock. New Labour has failed to invest in council housing so that Londoners live in poor and overcrowded conditions.

Council house tenants should not be blackmailed by telling them that their homes will not be improved or maintained unless they agree to some form of privatisation. It is becoming almost impossible for first-time buyers to afford a home as they have been forced out of the market by landlords and second homeowners.

We call for a massive programme of publicly-funded housing. We oppose the transfer of housing stock to ALMOs. We will restrict the growth of buy-to-let landlords. London's many empty properties should be used to house people.

Education

A good Education is a basic right that should be available to all. New Labour has continued the Tories' attacks on comprehensive education. The result is a two-tier education system segregating young people into 'academic' and 'vocational' pathways, benefiting the well-off but condemning countless others to the low-wage economy.

We call for a fully funded comprehensive education system. We oppose the creation of Academies owned and run by big business. We are opposed to all forms of selection.

Public services

Londoners need good quality public services but New Labour has pushed privatisation into all our public services. It is a disgrace that whilst services are cut, City bosses pay less tax than their cleaners. The City's massive profits and bonuses should be taxed to provide services for all Londoners.

We will support all campaigns against privatisation and against the closure of NHS hospitals, health centres, schools, libraries, post offices and other public amenities. We demand better facilities for young people including job training and sports facilities.

Migration and Multiculturalism

We are proud of the multiracial character of London. The mixing of people over the decades has enriched the lives of everyone. Yet some politicians and sections of the media seek to scapegoat newcomers and those who have already settled here. New Labour has continued the worst aspects of Tory policy such as the denial of the right-to-work and has greatly increased deportations.

We defend multiculturalism. We reject the notion that migrants and asylum seekers are a burden on society, or that Britain cannot take any more people. We say that they are welcome here. We defend the right of asylum seekers and refugees to work.

Equality for all

Respect opposes all forms of discrimination. Women make up 50 percent of the British workforce, but still on average only earn 82 percent of a male wage. The high cost of nursery provision means that many women can only work part-time. We welcome the advances made on lesbian and gay rights in recent years, but note that prejudice and discrimination still need to be fought.

We will act against discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, disability, age or sexual orientation. We defend inclusion in all public services and the right of people to use their mother tongue. We are for a fully funded system of nursery provision.

The London economy and the Council tax

London is home to some of the wealthiest multinationals in the world, yet they pay some of the lowest taxes in Europe: they must be made to pay a fairer contribution. The Council Tax is an unfair tax which hits the poor hardest.

We call for the abolition of Council Tax and its replacement by a local income tax, equalised across London to ensure that the richest boroughs subsidise the poorest. The control of local government finances should be taken out of the hands of central government.

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games are looming like a corporate monster about to descend on East London. They show all that is wrong with a London dominated by big business. We are not against the Olympics, only this kind of event, which will make huge profits for big business but do nothing for the people of East London.

The Olympic developments should be for the long term use of local people and include new social housing. We would favour a People's Games with the big corporations kept out and with proper government funding linked to local communities. Funding for community sports provision and the arts should not be cut to pay for elite sports.

Democracy in London

We will campaign to strengthen and extend the powers of the London Assembly. Central government controls too many public services in London. All key public services in London, including the education and the NHS, should be brought under the control of the London Assembly. The Assembly must have the power to really improve the lives of ordinary people.