Greater Manchester Respect

A leading activist in Rochdale Labour Party has resigned and joined the Respect Party. Mohammed Doulot Miah, 36, joined the Labour Party in 1995 but decided to leave after witnessing involvement in the selection of local election candidates by Labour’s Simon Danczuk, MP. This occurred in the Kingsway ward where Mr Danczuk’s partner, Karen Burke was selected.

Mr Miah described his activism for Labour in an email outlining his resignation sent to Colin Lambert on 3 April 2011: ‘I… have campaigned in Wardleworth and Smallbridge ward (Central Rochdale) to regain the lost Labour councillors. As a young Bangladeshi I have been very active in voluntary and community work where I grew up. Currently I live in the Milkstone and Deeplish Ward. Again, I have helped in the Labour campaign. I contributed to gain a Labour MP too. I did also stand as a candidate in 2004 in the Healey Ward.’

Mr Miah has joined the Respect Party and will contest the Kingsway ward for the party on 5 May 2011 on a platform of opposition to the public service cuts and the rundown of Rochdale Infirmary. He is proud to stand for a party that expresses values he feels the Labour Party has ditched locally and nationally. He joins Javed Iqbal, standing in Milkstone and Deeplish ward, who led a mass resignation from the Liberal Democrats in 2008.

Chris Chilvers, Respect Party National Treasurer, explained Mr Miah’s experience was not unique. ‘There have been mass resignations from Labour and Liberal Democrat parties in Rochdale in recent years. Even councillors have resigned from the Liberal Democrats. Why? There is a growing distance between the three main parties and their supporters. The people of Rochdale want regeneration and investment not cuts and job losses. To keep their candidates ‘on message’, the big parties increasingly reject basic democratic procedures and values. Respect is about defending our communities from cuts, job losses and division. We want community leaders like Mohammed Miah to open up an alternative politics based upon keeping promises and dignity not abandoned when power beckons.’