George Galloway

[spring-peeper]

I was wondering if you could tell me why George Galloway lost his seat in parliment.

He is suing the Canadain government, claiming it was their fault because they branded him a terrorist. Surely the UK voters don't care what Canada thinks, but I thought I'd ask.

Outspoken former British MP George Galloway has made good on his threat to sue Canada's immigration minister.

A statement of claim served on Jason Kenney and his assistant Alykhan Velshi alleges they abused their official powers by banning Galloway from Canada in 2009.

The document, which asks for $1.5 million in damages, also claims that Kenney and Velshi defamed Galloway in British newspapers.

Galloway, an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian people, had been planning to stage a cross-country speaking tour about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kenney barred him from the country for his alleged financial support to the Palestinian group Hamas, which Ottawa considers a terrorist organization.

A lawyer representing Galloway says the former MP will argue that the allegations of terrorism lost him his long-held seat in the British House of Commons.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/04/13/galloway-sues-government.html

 

[kabbes]

Hooray. Hooray. It's Gallow-Galloway.
Lots of fun for everyone, it's Gallow-Galloway.

Yeah, go get those Canuck bastards!

 

[kained&able]

no one cares about what canada thinks about anything, ever.

 

[kabbes]

Who's Canada?

 

[Santino]

I think he invented the flexible throtting spungle.

 

[MellySingsDoom]

Pfft. Galloway is talking a load of auld shite again - in 2007, his then party (Respect) nominated another candidate to stand for them in his constituency (which they did in the 2010 General Election). Why? Because he stated it was his intention to be the MP for Bethnall Green and Bow for one parliamentary term. His "long held seat" was Glasgow Kelvin, which he stood down from voluntarily.

 

[butchersapron]

I wouldn't take that article as accurately reporting GG's claim - they even say his seat was long held. It'll be the claims about his links to terrorism that will be the substantive issue.

 

[DexterTCN]

Indeed. surely that's going to be some kind of libel?

 

[kittyP]

"it's not even a real country any way"....

.... sorry SP I have no idea about the OP

 

[London_Calling]

Be interested to see something a little more substantial on the case. The above is close to nonsense.

 

[danny la rouge]

I was wondering if you could tell me why George Galloway lost his seat in parliment.

He was MP for Bethnal Green for 5 years (on a very slim majority), from 2005 to 2010, but in 2010, he didn't stand in the same constituency, but in the new constituency of Poplar and Limehouse. He didn't win. I doubt very much whether the voters there had Galloway's ban from Canada at the front of their minds when casting their votes. I doubt too whether Galloway is claiming they did.

Here's the story on his ban from Canada as it ran in the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7954923.stm

 

[scifisam]

Well, it doesn't mean that what they said was/wasn't libel, but it's highly unlikely he lost his seat for that reason. He was my MP and he hardly ever bothered to turn up to parliament, even for important votes affecting his constituency. He also went on Big Brother - intentionally isolating himself from the world while supposedly working as an MP - and dressed up in a leotard pretending to be a cat.

I'd say exhibit A had a bigger effect on him losing his seat:

 

[two sheds]

I doubt very much whether the voters there had Galloway's ban from Canada at the front of their minds when casting their votes. I doubt too whether Galloway is claiming they did.

Well I would have voted for him if it hadn't been for that Canadian story scaring me off. I've spoken personally to thousands who agree so I think he's in for a healthy bit of compensation.

 

[danny la rouge]

Well, it doesn't mean that what they said was/wasn't libel, but it's highly unlikely he lost his seat for that reason.

Banning him from entering Canada was stupid, antidemocratic, and yes, probably libellous. However, he is a twat.

 

[butchersapron]

Well, it doesn't mean that what they said was/wasn't libel, but it's highly unlikely he lost his seat for that reason. He was my MP and he hardly ever bothered to turn up to parliament, even for important votes affecting his constituency. He also went on Big Brother - intentionally isolating himself from the world while supposedly working as an MP - and dressed up in a leotard pretending to be a cat.

I'd say exhibit A had a bigger effect on him losing his seat:

He didn't lose his seat full stop.

 

[Deareg]

Is johnnycanuck3 still around? maybe we could take him hostage.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Has Galloway ever lost one of his defamation claims?

Defaming him is demonstrably a very silly thing to do, yet people keep on doing it. He must have made some firm of lawyers very happy over the years.

 

[CyberRose]

no one cares about what canada thinks about anything, ever.

No one cares abut what George Galloway thinks about anything!

 

[audiotech]

He's still a crowd puller, whatever you might say to your audience of one.

 

[Fedayn]

Galloway is a self puller frankly.

 

[spring-peeper]

Thanks guys - it's just what I thought...he lost an election and is blaming everyone but himself.

*sigh* what a twit

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Thanks guys - it's just what I thought...he lost an election and is blaming everyone but himself.

*sigh* what a twit

Nah, the Canadian government apparently said some naughty things about him. He has a long record of successfully suing people who defame him.

 

[scifisam]

He didn't lose his seat full stop.

True, but he failed to get the seat he was aiming for. Damn, that sounds especially wrong with that picture above it.

 

[danny la rouge]

Thanks guys - it's just what I thought...he lost an election and is blaming everyone but himself.

*sigh* what a twit

I don't like Galloway, but I'd be surprised if he's claiming "that the allegations of terrorism lost him his long-held seat in the British House of Commons".

 

[Proper Tidy]

Galloway may be a knob but the Canadian govt slurring him as a terrorist was both reckless and nasty.

 

[JHE]

The GG is not a terrorist. He is a keen Islamophile and fan of terrorists.

GG: "I glorify the Hizbollah national resistance movement, and I glorify the leader of Hizbollah, Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah."

(Of course, he denies that Hezbollocks are terrorists.)

 

[DexterTCN]

Well, it doesn't mean that what they said was/wasn't libel, but it's highly unlikely he lost his seat for that reason. He was my MP and he hardly ever bothered to turn up to parliament, even for important votes affecting his constituency. He also went on Big Brother - intentionally isolating himself from the world while supposedly working as an MP - and dressed up in a leotard pretending to be a cat.

I'd say exhibit A had a bigger effect on him losing his seat:

That would be when he raised £160,000 for the Palestinians. How much did you raise, if it's worthy of ridicule?

As to voting in the Commons, not much point was there if you know the whip system?

 

[scifisam]

That would be when he raised £160,000 for the Palestinians. How much did you raise, if it's worthy of ridicule?

As to voting in the Commons, not much point was there if you know the whip system?

If you think it's OK for an MP to not bother voting, and I mean rarely voting at all, then we have no starting ground for discussion. I think he should do his bloody job. At least the Sinn Fein members refuse to take their seats out of a principled stance and their constituents know this from the start.

And actually I'm not personally bothered about him dressing up as a cat and meowing on a crappy TV show, but I'm sure plenty of other voters were.

 

[audiotech]

If voting changed anything blah, blah, blah.....

 

[dylans]

The GG is not a terrorist. He is a keen Islamophile and fan of terrorists.

GG: "I glorify the Hizbollah national resistance movement, and I glorify the leader of Hizbollah, Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah."

(Of course, he denies that Hezbollocks are terrorists.)

Of course they are not "terrorists." They are a legitimate self defence force fighting repeated invasion from a foreign power. You may disagree with their politics (I do) but to deny their legitimate right to defend Lebanon from Israeli aggression is just bizarre. History judges the actions of partisan resistance fighters who resisted German occupation to be legitimate and moral. Do we decide they were legitimate based on our liking their politics? No, for the most part history has little interest in the politics of European resistance movements. We support them against occupation unconditionally because of a simple basic principle. That it is legitimate and right to defend your country against foreign occupation. If that was true of European partisans then it is true for the Hezbollah. (who also incidentally are a democratically elected party)

The terrorists are the IDF who bombed and invaded Lebanon 3 times at the cost of thousands of lives. I salute Hezbollah too. They are the only military force to give Israel a bloody nose and I support them without condition or hesitation. Without the heroic resistance of the Hezbollah,Israel would still be occupying Lebanon. They are heroes and if Israel invade again I hope they send the IDF home in body bags