Disillusioned with politics? Vote Redgrave! Tania Branigan Wednesday November 17 2004 The Guardian
He is treading the boards in Newcastle as a critically lauded King Lear. She is filming a Merchant Ivory costume drama in Shanghai. But next week Corin and Vanessa Redgrave, the siblings as well known for their leftwing activism as their stage credits, will step into a new role - as founders of Britain's newest political party. Peace and Progress, to be launched in London on November 27, aims to put human rights at the heart of next year's election agenda. The Redgraves admit it will stand in no more than three constituencies - and will not win a single seat. It will even campaign for rival parties. They will back Conservative candidates willing to protect the basic liberties they believe are increasingly under threat. "There's a space which needs to be filled by a political party which will agitate for the work human rights groups are doing," Mr Redgrave said. "We will say 'Perhaps these are people you should vote for - and these are people you shouldn't'." The opening conference of the Peace and Progress party will feature speakers ranging from Anna Politkovskaya, the award-winning Russian journalist, to American human rights lawyers, to Azmat Begg, whose son Moazzam is held at Guantanamo Bay. Its manifesto calls for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq; the cancellation of third world debt; the return of Britons held at Guantanamo Bay and the release of all foreign nationals held without trial in the UK. Mr Redgrave believes he was excluded from work for many years because of his politics, but has enjoyed a theatrical renaissance since communism fell and "people discovered that Marxism was no longer frightening". Their father Sir Michael was blacklisted by the BBC for communist affiliations. "Human rights encompasses every part of our lives," argued Ms Redgrave, in a telephone interview from China. "We are talking about social, economic, political and civil rights for all people. Pensions and children's benefits are human rights questions; I'm horrified by the way old people are treated in this country. "The new phenomena is that now [human rights abuses] are happening in Britain and the US with the concurrence of our government. I feel particularly strongly because I'm of the generation of children whose relatives fought in the war and it was on that basis that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the conventions which followed it were created." The pair are not expecting to stand themselves, although they have not ruled it out. Cynics might argue that voters will always be more concerned about tax cuts than civil liberties. Mr Redgrave prefers to be optimistic. "I think there is a fundamental response of decency and concern from people. How that compares to concern on other issues will have to be tested, and that's what we're doing," he said. -------------------------------------------------------------- Please Note: Due to Florida's very broad public records law, most written communications to or from College employees regarding College business are public records, available to the public and media upon request. Therefore, this e-mail communication may be subject to public disclosure.
