The Sunday Times article (Galloway suspended)

[faceless]

I'm just hearing Galloway discussing an article in tomorrow's Sunday Times which says that he is to be suspended from Parliament...

It sounds like quite some story and I'm hoping it will be on their website in a few hours.

[major.tom]

A quick search brought this story forward. I think it's the one you're referring to (although I haven't listened to today's episode).

[faceless]

that's the one, cheers major.

Pretty snide report if you ask me - more worthy of the NOTW than a 'quality' paper.

[mickyv]

GG seem to believe that his apparently impending suspension was due to "bringing Parliament into disrepute", mainly for calling Blair a War Criminal, but this article makes no mention of this, but states that the reason for the suspension is because GG "failed properly to declare his links to a charitable appeal".

So a different reason entirely; I wonder why GG thought it was about disrepute & calling TB a War Criminal ?

GG has always maintained that the Mariam Appeal was never a Charity, and was only declared as such retroactively after a politically inspired investigation by the then AG Goldsmith. The Mariam Appeal status as a Charity is a very suspect mooted point; so if it wasn't a Charity would it still mean that GG had had to "properly to declare his links " ?

[faceless]

I was wondering about that too micky - I'm sure this week will bring some interesting developments...

here's the official Respect response (according to a blog HERE)

[faceless]

GALLOWAY: ME? PARLIAMENT? DISREPUTE?
Exclusive Galloway blasts his ban from House
By James Lyons
www.dailyrecord.co.uk

RESPECT MP George Galloway yesterday hit back at claims he is to be suspended from parliament. A leaked report said the parliamentary standards watchdog will rule he failed to properly declare his links to a charity appeal partially funded by cash made from Iraqi oil sold under Saddam Hussein's regime.

The ex-Glasgow Hillhead Labour MP is expected to be barred from the Commons for a month - one of the toughest bans on an MP. His Mariam Appeal, which campaigned against sanctions on Iraq, received money from a Jordanian businesman who had made money from Iraqi oil sales. The Respect MP, who had trips funded by the appeal, has always denied any knowledge the donations came from Iraqi oil sales.

Yesterday, he said: "I have been again cleared of the smear that I personally benefitted from Iraqi money, the oil for food programme or by any other means, from the Iraqi regime." He said the implication of the suspension would be that he had damaged Parliament's reputation, something he was scornful of.

Galloway added: "I have however, apparently brought Parliament into disrepute. Me? Parliament? Disrepute? It's like being told off for slouching by the Hunchback of Notre Dame! A Parliament stuffed with millionaire donors, prime ministerial flatmates, whose big parties take donations from thieves and frauds. Oh, and a Parliament who haven't been able to hold a single inquiry into a war which has killed a million people, and who rose in their hundreds to give a standing ovation to the departing Tony Blair just the other week ... Disrepute, moi?"

----------------

[faceless]

Fireworks from Galloway
By Nick Assinder
Political correspondent, BBC News website

Defiant, dismissive and contemptuous - a fired-up George Galloway flamed with all these as he rejected the punishment delivered to him by Parliament's standards watchdog. In characteristic style, the anti-war Respect MP in effect refused to recognise the court of "Sir Humphrey, or Sir Bufton or Sir Tufton or whatever he is called".

Flashing his anger and lack of respect for the individuals who censured him and the institution of which he is a member, he said it was probably no surprise a pro-war parliament had attacked the leader of the anti-war party. Standing on the green opposite the Palace of Westminster, he gestured behind him to thunder: "Those behind me are the last people on earth who have the right to criticise anyone for the way they fund a political campaign."

Donors to parties sitting in Parliament had been shown to be "convicted fraudsters, thieves and a even a convicted rapist". He was, he said, not going to stand there as a punchbag. He would be fighting back. That fight back will come in a Commons debate on the report during which, he warned or promised, depending on your take, he intended to speak "for a long time". And if anyone can do it, George Galloway can. Book your seats now for the statement which he said had no time limit on it.

He would be putting the war on trial and highlighting the irony of the same people who had given a standing ovation to a war criminal (Tony Blair) then censuring him, the man who had always warned against it. They should be giving him a medal for his opposition to the war on Iraq, not attacking him, he declared. It was classic, gripping Galloway and promised a riveting Commons performance to compare with the roasting he gave US politicians when they hauled him before a senate committee two years ago.

If he is nothing else, this controversial, much-criticised MP is a performer who gives great value for money. Needless to say, many will greet his performance with a wry smile and claim that, like others before it, it was just that - theatre designed to obscure fact with rhetoric and declamation.

He has few admirers in the Commons and he will certainly see his suspension confirmed by MPs. He does not care, indeed he is bound to use the ensuing publicity to argue for his cause. He only cares about "the verdict of the people" and they, he suggested, were behind him. He was more in touch with ordinary voters than those sitting in Westminster, and the word on the lips of most of those voters when considering their elected representatives was "contempt".

He may be wrong, and his critics right. But in the current political climate - the one Gordon Brown insists he is determined to change - it is a message many will hear with some sympathy.

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I'm sure that will be a fantastic 'debate'... woohoo.

[Colston]

George is on fire.... watch the video.

[Colston]

Who is the rapist by the way?

[faceless]

[luke]

[Mandy]

I think there was supposed to be a debate this week on the money transfer business which went bankrupt .. and George was going to be strongly involved since many of his constituents lost money. This suspension will hamper that.

ALSO, I just came across this :

"As a result of today's decision to suspend me from parliament, a one-off show has been arranged tomorrow morning on Talksport (1053 - 1089 MW or http://talksport.net) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

I look forward to giving you my views and hearing yours! Call me tomorrow on 08717 223344.

GG"

[nekokate]

[faceless]

here's the full speech from News24 in downloadable form


CLICK

[Colston]