What do we all think about Galloway?

[Taxloss]

I can't remember coming across a Respect voter, and I must admit that I've always considered the party a left-wing Veritas - a vanity project, born out of spite. But since it won BG&B, and after Galloway's testimony in the senate, I feel myself warming towards the man. Nevertheless, I fear his idolisation on this site may be ill-judged. What do you feel?

[lapfog_1]

1. My one hope is that he is as clean in the Iraq/Oil

thing as he claims...

And if there is no smoking gun, then I hope he rejoins Labour
in time to help oust Tony Blair.

[Taxloss]

4. Yes, I hope he's innocent too.

So many people have sold and bought the tickets to the dance on his grave, and he's kept it postponed, and I hope he keeps it postponed. But the guy sails very close to the wind.

[Jack Rabbit]

2. Galloway is a showman

Sometimes he puts on a good show and sometimes not so good.

Today he kept his bombast under control and his righteous anger was well placed.

This was his day. To paraphrase another British statesman known for bombastic rhetoric, this was his finest hour.

[Taxloss]

3. Yes, he did well today.

Other times, he's a real embarrassment to the anti-war cause, but I feel wary of saying that in GD or the Lounge!

[readmylips]

5. Galloway reminded me of 007...

guns a blazzing. I loved it when he talked down to that idiot Coleman and even corrected Levine. What a bunch of spineless Senators. Good grief...let Galloway have a showdown with little bush or that lier condisleeza.

[Taxloss]

6. My respect for the US Senate has plunged

after a parliamentarian made such mincemeat of them.

[bennywhale]

10. It was the lack of deference and awe he showed to the senate

that did it. US politicians always behave as if they are in some holy place. A foreigner didn't have this which shocked them and was hilarious. Perhaps this will show the way for American politicians

[Jack Rabbit]

11. I hope you are right, Mr. Whale

People who deliberately lie to justify a war deserve no respect; they deserve fifty years at hard labor.

They should be treated as the criminals they are.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

12. That was a sight to behold

I laughed my head off watching Galloway stick it to those Senators. I don't think many Senators (Republican or Democratic) could last long in a debate in the House of Commons.

[Vladimir]

7. I think his idolisation on this site is as mis-judged as the

idolisation of any politician. Gorgeous has his faults, just like the rest of us, and he certainly isn't the messiah that will deliver the left from electoral wilderness. Only our own hard work can ever do that. But the fact remains that on the issues, Galloway has it right far more often than he has it wrong - as does RESPECT btw. (and if you want to meet some RESPECT members and voters, I invite you to Oxford where I am sure you can come along to a branch meeting and see that we are no vanity project) - and on the most important issue of the last decade, he has been nothing but spot-on. And that's enough, surely?

[Taxloss]

8. I grew up in Oxford.

It's split between the Lib Dems in the West and Andrew Smith in the East - hardly an edifying picture of Socialist resurgence. (I grew up in the East, on the Iffley Road, and loathe Andrew Smith. But that's one of the Greenest local authority areas in the country.)

As for Respect, how does its internal democracy work? Is Galloway the permanent leader? How are candidates selected? I'm genuinely curious.

[Vladimir]

9. I didn't say we were gonna take Oxford over mate

but yes there is a thriving branch and we are doing our best to get involved, individually and collectively in the campaigns and issues that matter to the locals right now (for example, the new housing benefit scheme laid out today will hit a lot of the poorest Oxford tenants hard). For internal democracy, I can only speak of my branch as I have not been to any national events - in any case you can check our website, and google for some critiques of it. It has been said that RESPECT is a front for the SWP, but while its undeniable that the SWP makes up a lot of RESPECT (thanks largely to the fact that they were one of the first groups to realise the need for such a party), I think our results in the general electon (especially the 3 second and 1 third place finish) show that we are far more than a front. Within the branch we have round table discussions of the issues, decisions are reached by consensus or majority vote (whichever is the more appropriate) including things like candidate selection (though we didn't put up a candidate in Oxford at the general). So its fairly standard stuff.

As for Galloway, he is on the NEC, but the National Secretary is John Rees. As Galloway has already announced he is standing down from his seat in BG&B at the next election, he is certainly not going to be the permanent leader of the parliamentary party (yes, I know its himself at the moment. I enjoy being able to refer to us as England's 4th party :) ) much less the whole thing. There is no question that Gorgeous is our leader with regard to the media but otherwise he is one of the leadership. Certainly the party does not share his views on abortion, to give but one example where he will be representing socialism and not himself in Parliament. Again, don't get me wrong, I admire Galloway greatly, but he isn't the be all and end all for RESPECT or the left in Britain. He has opened a door that has been shut to radical voices for a very long time, but as to whether RESPECT walks through it will have a lot more to do with our ability to campaign effectively on the issues that affect people in their daily lives, and show the public that we are neither a single issue party nor another electoral machine that exists for the sole purpose of collecting votes, than with this kind of publicity. Although it never hurts... ;)

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. What are his reasons for standing down?

I've found a BBC piece which rather implies he only ever intended to serve for one parliament in Bethnal Green, but it doesn't say why. I've also found a Scottish article from last December saying he was thinking of standing for the Scottish Parliament in 2007. Is that still his plan, do you know?

[Vladimir]

17. As far as I understand it

he will stand down because he feels that long term the constituency should be represented by someone who comes from within BG&B, but that is only my understanding and I could be wrong. As for later plans, in 2007 he will still be the MP for BG&B because I don't think the election will be called until 2009, but after that its anyone's guess really. A lot depends, in my own opinion, on where RESPECT and George feel his energies could most usefully be spent - something there is no point speculation on now.

[SweetLeftFoot]

25. It's a shame

that he chose one of the more deprived contituencies in Britain to continue his career as an international grandstander.

While I admire many of his stand, I also take the view that the people of that area need a real hands-on MP, not a wannabe statesman.

[Vladimir]

26. Don't you think that's a little patronising?

the people chose him, after all. I think they are quite capable of making up their own minds as to what they need...

on edit: Also, give the guy a chance before slamming him for not doing work in the constituency. He's only just become their MP...

[SweetLeftFoot]

27. Patronising?

I can see why you would say that - if the people of Bethnal Green want to provide him a leg up on his international career, well, fair play to them. They should just accept the cost too.

[Vladimir]

28. And I think you are prejudging the cost

but hey, time will tell, right?

[SweetLeftFoot]

31. Indeed it will

[Taxloss]

20. It's great to have a socialist voice in parliament

and I think a lot of suspicion I have of Galloway comes from the old partisan infighting at university when I knocked heads with the SWP and CASI more than once. I'm pleased Respect has a life beyond Galloway; I would like to see it thrive. I read your manifesto and liked what I saw. And its pleasing that of England's four main parties, three could be described as progressive to varying degrees, with only the blue buggers letting the side down. But I think I'll stay a non-aligned curmudgeon for the time being.

Incidentally, I'm pleased your campaigning on HB; it's a personal feeling, but I feel housing is the issue that can let socialism win in the South-east. It's a real problem for working people.

[Vladimir]

21. Yes it certainly is

and that's the point really, socialism and a revival of the left as a genuine force in British politics.

I must also say, some of the threads on this topic in GD and LBN have been... well for want of a better phrase its been like watching DU parody itself. But OK, people are excited over the testimony and all. Hell I've watched it 3 times now, its on my hard drive for when I need cheering up in the future! :) Still I do feel that the idolisation of any politician can be a dangerous thing when taken too far. If nothing else it trivialises the profoundly difficult decisions that had to be made. For example, do you launch the Miriam Appeal if it means taking money from the crown prince of Saudi Arabia (something that rarely gets mentioned but is more contentious IMO than taking money from Iraqi businessmen)? That is not an easy call to make, and its foolish to pretend otherwise. As it happens I think Galloway got it right, but that's not to say I can't see the arguments against it. Far better that people look at Galloway's record, warts and all, and still admire him because on balance he has done the right thing most of the time.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

13. He has his faults

but he has convinced me his heart is in the right place.

[mr blur]

14. Well, I now see that he no longer belonged in the Labour Party

for the same reasons that I realised I no longer belonged there. Unlike him, I wasn't forced out, of course. Whatever I may feel about him and Respect I have to admire what he did yesterday after all the endless British sucking up to Bush and complicity in the lies about the war. He stands today in sharp contrast to President Bliar, who appears to be showing Thatcher-like signs of living in his own version of reality and expecting the rest of us to shut up and move in there with him.

[RogueTrooper]

15. George Spanks Yanks

From the Daily Record

Galloway is certainly one of the finest parliamentary rehtorticians of the modern era. I am glad he gave Paul Welstone's replacement a mouthfull. That f**ker deserved it.

[T_i_B]

18. RESPECT is only a vainity project in part

It is essentially a rebranded Socialist Alliance with Galloway at the helm. It includes the old Socialist Workers Party and if you come across a Socialist Worker, then the chances are they are a supporter of RESPECT.

I've come across RESPECT supporters before, essentially just the old far left really.

[newfaceinhell]

19. I generally have mixed feelings about him, but at the moment

I have nothing but praise- it was a terrific performance. Galloway is basically enormously self-confident and, some would say, self-righteous. Sometimes this can be a problem for him, but yesterday it was exactly what was required. He just wasn't cowed one bit by his surroundings; he came out all guns blazing and said a lot of stuff that SHOULD have been said in the senate a long time ago, if only more of its own members had enough respect for the institution to speak the plain truth within it. Coleman clearly had no idea in the world what he was letting himself in for when he foolishly tried to make a name for himself by picking this fight.

Any idolisation of him is ill-judged- as another poster pointed out, idolising any politician is probably ill-judged. But it's understandable- I think people are just relieved that finally some one has had to guts to say what he did, where he did.

[tenshi816]

22. Usually I see him as an anti-abortion, anti-American, self-serving

blowhard.

But right now I'm kind of loving him. It won't last, it never does.

I've ventured out into GD with some comments and links to articles that delve into George's strong anti-abortion stance (check out the Right to Life UK website for his record on "life issues": http://www.righttolife.org.uk/Parliamentary%20Website/politics/Constituencies/f_g/glas_kel.htm) but I don't think that's what people want to hear at the moment in their rush to lionise him. I'm now awaiting the flames. It can be brutal in GD.

His testimony was a breath of fresh air and I hope it showed some Democratic politicians what it's like to have a backbone, but all the Gorgeous George idolisation that's going on at DU now has made me very uneasy. One gutsy performance does not a hero make.

[Vladimir]

23. He has aready said he will be voting with the party line on

abortion, which is no restriction to a woman's right to choose, in the commons. Beyond that, why does it matter? He is a Catholic after all, and entitled to his personal opinion on the matter.

[T_i_B]

24. He is quite pro-life yes.

He is unashamedly opposed to abortion and euthanasia. However, that tends to get ignored with Galloway.

What does get noticed around here is the close links between RESPECT and Muslim groups, forged during the anti-war campaign. Many on here are not happy about that at all but I will post an old Guardian article here that was written to defend laws to outlaw religious hatred but also explains why the likes of RESPECT are happy to forge links with Islamic groups.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1374670,00.html

But for showing solidarity and working with Muslim organisations - whether in the anti-war movement or in campaigns against Islamophobia - leftwing groups and politicians such as the London mayor, Ken Livingstone, are now routinely damned by liberal secularists (many of whom have been keen supporters of the war in Iraq) for "betraying the enlightenment" and making common cause with "Islamofascists", homophobes and misogynists. The pitch of these denunciations has been heightened further by the government's plan to introduce a new criminal offence of incitement to religious hatred. This measure would extend to the most vulnerable community in the country the very modest protection already offered by race hate legislation to black people, Jews, Sikhs and all religious communities in Northern Ireland. It is not a new blasphemy law; it would not lead to a ban on Monty Python's Life of Brian film; or rule out jokes about Ayatollah Khomeini's contact lenses; or cover ridicule or attacks on any religion (unlike the broader Australian legislation) - but would only outlaw incitement of hatred against people because of their faith.

Many arguments now deployed against this proposal by an unholy alliance of evangelical Christians, xenophobes, the British National Party, secular literalists and libertarians were also used against anti-racist legislation in the 60s and 70s. And none of the public opposition seems to have included the consequent logical demand that protection for Jews, Sikhs and religious people in Northern Ireland be repealed, which only underlines the noxious nature of debate about Islam in Britain.

By the same token, for the secular left - which is about social justice and solidarity if it is about anything - not to have stood with British Muslims over Islamophobia or the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq would have been the real betrayal. It is not, and has not been, in any way necessary to compromise with social conservatism over women's or gay rights, say, to have such an engagement; on the contrary, dialogue can change both sides in positive ways. But it is a chronic flaw of liberalism to fail to recognise power inequalities in social relations - and the attitude of some liberals to contemporary Islam reflects that blindness in spades.

[Briar]

29. Given his effectiveness as a debater and spokesman

for uncomfortable causes, one can see why the establishment would want to portray him as a self-serving blowhard.

It's up to the rest of us to be more objective. There aren't many people about prepared to say the sorts of things which ruin careers and make a person a hate figure in the rightwing press.

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. One surprising thing about him is writing for the Mail on Sunday

I've never read his column there (I certainly wouldn't want to give any money to that ratbag newspaper), and I wouldn't think Galloway would change his arguments just for them - that's not his style. But it is strange to find him co-operating with probably the worst example of right wing xenophobic journalism in the country. I suppose he would say that his message still needs to be heard by those who are bombarded with right wing crap normally - and he takes a tidy sum of money off them for it.

And a pat on the back to Taxloss and Vladimir for trying to calm things down in the GD discussion of Galloway - though it looks like a Sisyphean task to me.

[Taxloss]

32. I've given up.

Let the hero worship roll on. I've said all I felt like saying, and there's no point in perpetuating a flamewar.

[RogueTrooper]

33. George Galloway is not that left wing

in all honesty. He never was that left wing. I think people think he is left wing because a) It is said a lot about him ( rather like Ken Livingstone ) and b) he oppossed the Iraq War ( another fallacy ).

Some of his recently aquired social opionions would certainly make him suitable for writing in the Mail On Sunday ( if it shares it's sister papers virulent anti-choice positions ).

[Vladimir]

35. He's been against abortion all his life

if people choose to ignore it, that is their choice. RESPECT is pro-choice, he will be voting according the party line on the issue, the rest doesn't matter.

[RogueTrooper]

36. no he has not

I remember a choice supporting George. In fact his support for choice was something some of the haterz used to use against him.

[Vladimir]

37. Well look at his voting record as early as 1990

http://www.righttolife.org.uk/Parliamentary%20Website/politics/Constituencies/f_g/glas_kel.htm

[RogueTrooper]

38. fair enough

I guess I was misinformed.

There is a reason that Blair made sure the Scottish Parliament could not legsislate on abortion. Scottish Labour is very anti-choice. I guess I picked up rehtoric from the haterz.

[Vladimir]

34. Thank you for the pat on the back

but I fear it was a futile task. It is peculiar that on DU public figures are so often regarded as either saints of demons, with no appreciation of the shades of gray in which most of humanity spends its existance.

[T_i_B]

39. Galloway lied over Iraqi oil payments, says Congress report

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article322108.ece

George Galloway, the British MP, was last night accused of lying by a US Congressional committee when he testified earlier this year that he had not received any United Nation food-for-oil allocations from the deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

In a report issued here, Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman and his colleagues on the Senate Subcommittee for Investigations claim to have evidence showing that Mr Galloway's political organisation and his wife received vouchers worth almost $600,000 (£338,000) from the then Iraqi government.

"We have what we call the smoking gun," said Mr Coleman, who will send the report to the US Department of Justice and the British authorities. The MP could face charges of perjury, making false statements and obstructing a Congressional investigation. Each charge carries a possible jail term of five years and a fine of $250,000.

Mr Coleman maintains that his evidence is based on bank records, as well as interviews with Tariq Aziz, the former foreign minister and deputy prime minister under Saddam, and with the former vice-president Taha Yasin Ramadan.

[non sociopath skin]

40. I guess we could have no more reliable witnesses ...

... than Saddam Hussein's ex-deputy PM and ex-VP.:banghead:

I am not a Galloway fan but I trust him more than I trust the Neo-cons.

BTW Whatever happened to Vladimir?

The Skin

[Taxloss]

41. Vladimir had a thesis to finish and took a break.

He told me he would be back. He just couldn't afford the distraction afforded by DU.

[non sociopath skin]

42. I know the problem!

:dilemma:

The Skin

[fedsron2us]

44. The rich irony of Galloway being condemned

by those paragons of political virtue in the US Congress. I wonder whats hiding in their bank accounts.

[Greeby]

43. He does not impress me

As someone who wants to see this war end, I think he's nothing but a time-waster.

As it currently stands, Galloway has only voted on 16% of votes since he came back to Parliament. I saw the debate on Claire Short's war powers bill, didn't see him in the debate or the vote. Not seen him challenge the Prime Minister at question time. Not heard of him introducing any bills to the House.

If he wants to just go on book tours and do speeches, and debate useless drunkards like Hitchens, then fine. Then he should resign as an MP and stop wasting his constituents' time, his party's time, and his country's time

Just my 2p

[julianer]

45. Galloway's poor voting record is neither here or there

There is more than one way of giving a political lead and Galloway seems to be pretty tireless in his political efforts outside parliament.

You may prefer that he wastes his time voting in parliament but not me. I'd rather have people like Diane Abbot join him in giving a better lead outside parliament.

Is it worse not to vote than to vote without even thinking about the issue like the average Blairite backbencher?

[T_i_B]

46. Well if he's been elected to represent Bethnal Green & Bow

Then I have a lot of sympathy with those who think that he should be doing more to represent Bethnal Green & Bow, especially since it's such a deprived area. Even if I don't like the way my MP votes I do at least expect him to vote in parliament as that's what they are elected to do, to represent their constituents in Westminster.

P.S. The latest Galloway accusations can be found here.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article322855.ece

[LeftishBrit]

47. Agree with Thankfully-in-Britain

If you can't do a job properly, in his case being an MP for his constituency, then you shouldn't take it on.

I agree with Galloway's views on the war, and cheered him on when he denounced the Republicans, but I don't care much for him as an individual - too flamboyant, too much of a show-off, and not sufficiently reliable. I wish Respect had a more 'serious' leader. However, I'm sceptical about the allegations, which seem to come from quite a dodgy bunch of people.

[julianer]

48. As I'm sure you know

MP's do not have a job description. It is for them to represent the interests of their constituents as they see fit.

How is it better to troop through voting lobbies as part of a tiny minority, than to campaign on the ground on the issues your constituents elected you on?

As for your link, the latest allegations against Galloway are the same old allegations re-packaged, re-delivered and probably fake.

See here for Tariq Aziz denial of the 'evidence' accorded to him:

http://www.respectcoalition.org/?ite=909

and here:

http://www.respectcoalition.org/?ite=908

It is really tiresome that we constantly attack our own, not because they have done anything wrong but because our enemies smears are very effective.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

49. And again ...

http://www.blairwatch.co.uk/node/505?PHPSESSID=4a9b6bee252c9be91608b98639b5fd9a

[Truebrit71sbruv]

50. ~shakes head~

not good... not good at all

[Taxloss]

51. That. Is. Fucking. Disgraceful.

The posturing, lying, hypocritical bastard. What a preening, low-life, self-serving piece of shit. The one fucking bill he could have made a difference to. And where the fuck is he? Nurturing his already-swollen ego on Irish TV. C**t.