RESPECT - The Unity Coalition

Leader

Salma Yaqoob

Founded

25 January 2004

Ideology

Socialism

Background

RESPECT - The Unity Coalition was founded in January 2004, claiming to have a broad progressive agenda, although most commentators see them as a single-issue party focusing on opposition to the war in Iraq.

RESPECT stands for Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environmentalism, Community, and Trade unionism. They gained a quarter of a million votes at the London Assembly and European Parliament elections in 2004, although they did not gain any seats.

However, they secured their first MP in the May 2005 elections: George Galloway, who now represents the constituency of Bethnal Green & Bow.