George Galloway expelled from Commons after clash with Speaker

[T_i_B]

Source: UK Independent

George Galloway, the firebrand left-wing MP, was suspended from the Commons for 18 days last night after a stormy debate that saw him thrown out of the House amid angry clashes with the Speaker, Michael Martin.

Mr Martin took the highly unusual step of "naming" Mr Galloway and ordering him to leave the Commons chamber amid stormy scenes during a debate on the Respect MP's conduct. Mr Galloway spoke for more than an hour as he tried defend himself against a move to suspend him for failing to disclose his links to Saddam Hussein's regime. But MPs agreed to suspend him for 18 sitting days without a vote. The suspension will start on 8 October.

Mr Galloway accused the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee of acting "unjustly" as he was repeatedly admonished by Mr Martin for attacking the "good character" of its members. Mr Galloway declared: "Being lectured by the current House of Commons on the question of the funding of political campaigns is like being accused of having bad taste by Donald Trump, like being accused of slouching by the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The committee said he should be punished for concealing funding from Saddam Hussein's former regime and for unjustified attacks on the inquiry itself. The committee found "strong circumstantial evidence" that the UN oil-for-food programme was used by the Iraqi government, with Mr Galloway's connivance, to fund the Mariam Appeal.

Read more: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2795660.ece

[David__77]

1. Best MP in the London.

If he were prime minister, Britain might have a small chance to redeem itself.

[PurityOfEssence]

5. Yeah, and they could outlaw abortions, too

Just because he's against the war doesn't mean he's not a wacko. Why so many lefties are enamored of him makes as much sense as the fact that so many swoon over Ron Paul.

[pschoeb]

21. Your comment is pretty ironic, as the Labour Speaker Mr Martin is against abortion and

lowering age of consent for gays. Comparing Galloway to Ron Paul is very laughable, I don't think that many "lefties", whatever that is, are enamored with Galloway, they just think this strange hatred of the man is over the top, and certainly aren't swooning over Ron Paul. Most of the supporters of Ron Paul I've met would be classified as Independents with right moderate views. Considering Mr Martin, the Speaker of the Commons who threw him out, is a complete ass, it seems strange that everyone is venting at Galloway. I remember when Martin threw out Tom Dalyell, Father of the House, during an attempt to bring up emergency debate on aspects of gross deception in the Downing Street Memo in early 2003.

I think Galloway has stated he supports the right to choose, but his personal choice would not be for abortion. I don't think someone is a "wacko" even if they think abortion is immoral. I don't see any evidence that if Galloway was Prime Minister, abortions would be outlawed, such a statement seems like wacko hyperbole to me, especially since his only chance at being a Prime Minister would be if Britain headed more to the left, his coalition would hardly allow it.

[Common Sense Party]

2. Did he DENY links to Saddam?

Or did he merely say, "Well, YOU'RE a poopyhead, too!" Shifting blame isn't the same as proclaiming innocence (and actually being innocent).

[Kagemusha]

4. So he didn't prove himself innocent.

Cute system.

[The Stranger]

16. Who is "Saddam" and what constitute "links"?

[Mnpaul]

3. "strong circumstantial evidence"

which was nothing more than a transcript which the deemed "authentic"

*yawn*

[Henny Penny]

6. Haven't the police, tax men and Telegraph all tried to make

this stick but to no avail. When the proof can't be got, sometimes it just isn't there.

I can totally understand his outrage.

Britons have been trained to accept the idea that George is nuts... and its probably why George is still with us.

[T_i_B]

7. "Britons have been trained to accept the idea that George is nuts"

Yes, we were all tied up and forced to watch George Galloway dressing up in a red leotard and George Galloway pretending to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother against our will. :sarcasm:

[Henny Penny]

12. Having poor judgement and a bit of a temper doesn't

make you nuts.

A lot of what George says is correct, but is routinely dismissed in a baby and bathwater kind of way.

Many other individuals have made fools of themselves, no doubt with some assistance from the BB editors, on that show, and yet it isn't used in quite the same way to vilify the person in question. But then they probably don't share George's anti-establishment views, or at least don't articulate them as effectively.

I wonder what's happening in the new term that they want him out of the way for...?

[Nihil]

8. Yep.

They keep trying but simply can't find any facts to support their hatred ...
so they try again ... wasting more money & more time ...

:shrug:

Mind you, this quote is a keeper:

> Mr Galloway declared: "Being lectured by the current House of Commons on
> the question of the funding of political campaigns is like being accused
> of having bad taste by Donald Trump, like being accused of slouching by
> the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

:rofl:

[LeftishBrit]

9. Galloway is neither a hero nor a villain...

he is a showhorse, definitely not a workhorse, who is right on the subject of the war. On many other issues, he either has rather silly views, or more usually we just don't know what they are.

There are quite a few left-wing politicians who don't get as much publicity, but are far more serious and hard-working than Galloway. I have a great deal more respect for Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone, Frank Dobson, Glenda Jackson, John McDonnell, and many others (though all have their failings of course) than I do for Galloway.

[Henny Penny]

14. I agree. He is neither a villain or a hero. But I think he was right

to stand up to the govt on the Iraq war, when so few MPs had the courage to do so, and he is paying a price for that.

[robcon]

10. Galloway is a villain.

He has worked for, and been paid handsomely by, the Saddam regime.

[Henny Penny]

13. Wow... you must be on the Commons select committee...

to be so sure with so little of that old fashioned little thing called evidence!

[The Stranger]

17. How does that make him a "villain"?

The "Saddam Regime" worked for and was paid handsomely by the United States of America -- for fucking decades.

Come on. You better have more than that.

[Nihil]

18. Robcon is a villain.

He has worked for, and been paid handsomely by, the neocon gutter press.

:P

[Mnpaul]

22. How about the Villains

Like the Australian Wheat Board who was the largest beneficiary of the corrupt funds? How about those American companies who were involved? I know they deleted their names off the list but not until after the full list got out. How about Bayoil and that corrupt money that made it's way into republican hands?????

[rocktivity]

11. If there's that evidence against him

PUT HIM ON TRIAL.

:headbang:
rocknation

[redqueen]

15. They are... trial by media. n/t

[T_i_B]

19. Actually, the media is almost totally preoccupied with the floods

And I'm sure that you'll agree that Tewksbury becoming an island is kinda more important for the media to cover.

No, this is the British Parliament investigating Galloway.

[Wink]

20. Galloway already proved his innocence in court

He has already won a civil suit against at least one British paper, maybe two of them, for this slander. He also went before our Senate hearings where he tore Norm Coleman (and Carl Levin) a new one. It was absolutely the best CSPAN episode ever. Galloway, as far as I can see, is innocent. Otherwise our gov't would have nailed him on perjury. He's been an outspoken critic of Hussein since before we gave Iraq all that gas Saddam used on "his own citizens".