I wish some of those MPs who voted for the murder of 100,00 Iraqis didn’t turn up.

But I guess they are safe from criticism from you.

He's a cheap populist. He serves only his own interests! Probably signing books right now or something.

Galloway tends to defend his poor voting record on the basis of the fact that he does loads of speaking around the country (which he does) and that his constituents and his own personal beliefs are better served doing more work outside of parliament than inside it. Personally I sympathise with this point of view (although there may be questions as to the extent to which some of Galloway's speaking has been about self-publicity).

However, if I were going to vote I'd ask myself serious questions as to whether I could vote for a party that encourages everyone to put pressure on MPs to vote against a vital bill and then ends up in the embarrassing situation where its only MP doesn't turn up for the vote himself. Particularly when the reason he doesn't turn up is because he is doing a one man show in Cork!!! ( http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,15935,1614944,00.html)

Let's face it, if any senior politician from any other party had missed a vital vote because they were on a publicity tour Galloway would rip into them and quite rightly.

The thinking of some progressive(??) people amazes me. Do you see the fight to change our capitalist society confined to parliament, like the "New Labour" left or with the people on the streets and in the work places and prgressive campaigns?

George Galloway works day in day out to support many progressive causes up and down the UK as well as serving the people of Bethnal Green and Bow.There is not a busyier MP in parliament - but George like many of us would see the struggle to change society as more important in the work place and in communities than in parliament.

This s swhat George Galloway was doing this week:

Up to 1000 Anti-fascists, anti-racists, socialists and trade unionists gathered from 9 am outside Leeds Crown Court this morning to vehemently express our collective opposition to the BNP, who had mobilised nationally in support their leader Nick Griffin. In the end around 100 fascists turned up, vastly outnumbered and outvoiced by the diverse and determined counter demonstration organised by Yorks and the Humber TUC and Unite Against Fascism.

The judge decided that Griffin does indeed have a case to answer and he will be standing trial for incitement to racial hatred on January 16th 2006.

At the following rally, speakers from Unite and the trade union movement stressed the need for unity, and to work for an even bigger demonstration on the 16th January. We were all pleased to learn that The BNP would definitely not be marching on the 5th of November anywhere in West Yorkshire as they previously had planned to do.

The following well-received letter of support was read out from George Galloway, setting the tone for many of the subsequent contributions.

"I give my wholehearted support to the demonstration today called by Yorks and Humber TUC and Unite Against Fascism, supported by trade unionists, anti-racists and anti-fascists from across the country.

"Racism must play no part in our society and no-one should be allowed to incite racial hatred. Incitement to racial hatred has only one purpose, to encourage violence of one against another purely because of the colour of their skin or the religion they choose to worship.

"We must unite to stop racism and fascism. If we are to stop this scourge we must make sure we have the strongest possible united movement to oppose the fascists and racists.

"But I also believe we have to go one step further. There is only one fundamental division in our society. It is between the haves and the have nots, between those whose voices we hear too much and the voiceless. We have to fight to ensure those who are poor and vulnerable, who are old and disabled, who do the work in our society rather than live off the work of others, have a movement that will represent them and give voice to their needs.

"If we do that, then we will see the racists and fascists pushed back into the gutters from which they crawled."


George Galloway MP
(From the Respect Web site)

Those who go out of there way to knock George Galloway for no god reason at this time are lining up with Bush/Blair/ CIA/ MI6 etc to discredit not just George but the whole world wide anti-war movement. Know who your friends are and know your enemy!!!

Neil Williams
 http://respectuk.blogspot.com/

"a vital vote"

Straight from the Norm Coleman school of falsification.

It was a vote on a minor technicality of the terror laws.

Everyone knows the bill has no chance in passing when it is eventually voted on.

Wake up.

so, you ask what Galloway does?? Where you been for the past couple of years? And, what do you do?? Write on indymedia?? It seems obvious that only a left electoral party is going to push the left forward, Respect is not perfect, but half a cake is better than no cake. Realistically, there is not going to be a workers revolution in the near future (sorry swp) nor has anarchism, whatever merits it does have, any chance of success or changing peoples lives for the better (sorry anarchists), and we all really know this if we stop deluding ourselves with pie in the sky fantasies. Viva Galloway!!

Not a very good example of how busy he is, having a letter by him read out at a demo.

While it's true that there's valuable work to be done outside parliament, occasionally what happens inside it does matter: didn't the ID bill pass by a single vote the other day? I'd be hoping all opponents, including Mr Galloway, were present to vote on that one, as well as all the crackpot anti-terror legislation that's being cooked up.

Yeah, you're right that criticising Galloway for trying to make change outside of parliament is not a defensible position. However, if you do think that Parliament is legitimate and change can be effected through it (as is obviously the viewpoint of Galloway and Respect) managing to miss casting what would be a vote where the government came very close to defeat (and one on a subject your own party is pushing) because you're chatting away in Cork does make you look an idiot.

Anyway, I'm not an expert on Parliamentary procedure, but I've some vague memory of a pairing system where if you're going to be absent you can pair up with someone else who would also be absent but is on the opposing side (thereby your absence doesn't affect the difference)?

PS I'm sure that there must be a better example of what Galloway ("not a busyier MP in parliament") has been up to this week than his writing a letter of support to an anti-fascist rally in Leeds. I'm not knocking him writing the letter at all, just that there must be a better sign of an active political schedule than this.

PPS As to whether the vote was vital or not. Are you really trying to tell me that a vote, any vote, that could see the government defeated is not crucial in the eyes of Respect? Especially when it is connected with the anti-terror laws which Respect have (quite rightly) been campaigning about? If the government had been defeated, would Respect have been making the most of it? Of course they would have. Perhaps we just disagree on this one though...

The title for this article in full reads:
“Not the faults of others, nor what others have done or left undone, but one's own deeds, done and left undone, should one consider.”: 50th Stanza from the Dhammapada (The Path of Wisdom)

Fom a recent Information Clearinh House Newletter.

A number of points.

1. Nobody knew the vote was going to be so close and a large number of MP's missed the vote. This is an early stage of the voting process, so why pick on Goerge?

2. The motion will go to the House of Lords and back to the Commons when the final vote will take place and George has stated in the papers today that he will be there to caste his vote agianst the bill on the day it matters.

3. Work inside parliament is important but only if linked to work outside parliament and building a Socialist alternative to "New Labour" however imperfect at this stage.This is a lesson the old left in Labour and most of the current left in the "new Labour" Party forgot so they as always marginalsied by the party as (loonies, far left, unrepresentative etc etc).

4. No one with ears and eyes could not be aware of the work Goerge has done on many issues and this is why he is an easy target for the establishment and some on the left (they fear what he represents!).

5. Given time I will let you know his work over the last few weeks and next week - subject to further post. Try watcing the TV and reading the papers - how many other MP's have such a high profile?

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.... : Albert Einstein

At least George Galloway it trying to do something!!!! Support him!


Neil Williams
 http://respectuk.blogspot.com/

Galloway's just another self serving arsehole who is only interested in himself. All he wants to do is use populist rhetoric to ensure his place on the Westminster gravy train. He's the same as any other politician, not giving a shit about anyone but himself.

George G. has faith in solving all our problems in parlaiment, that´s probably why he isn´t there much. George is taking on the rulling class, and having some success. I wish we could say that about other activists who consider themselves part of the Global Justice and Anti-capitalism Movement.

George is a signed up member, I have heard declar this on a few ocasions; the last time was at a rally after the march to the Gleneagles summit, at the G( meeting in Scotland this year. God´s given the lad wings, and he´s using them to great effect lets hope he doesn´t fly too near the sun. Geroge is serving us all not just himself and his own beliefs.

we all need to work together to oppose capitalism and It´s desperate latest turn, neoliberalism, which is destroying everthing except the wealth of the ruling class. But it looks like it may begin to do that too - capitalism appears to be eating eatself.

And come on, it’s a matter of record that the SWP trend in Respect has never been deluded by a parliamentary road.

Don’t you realise that you are just doing the work of the ruling class and the state if now formly controls. Of course one or two of you will, that´s normal, but Indymedia UK appear to have an anti socialist editorial policy.

Socialist forces and policy are the main threat to the power of the ruling class which has been massively boosted by Neoliberalism becasue that was what neoliberaliam was designed for - to put the a ruling class firmly back into power, and to give a failing capitalist system a boost.

The capitalist system is no better off now than it was since the crisis of the 1970´s because neoliberalim has failed on this front, however, it has put a ruling class firmly back in power. This nouveau ruling class has incorporated the capitalist class . You could say neoliberaism has effected a counter revolution of sorts over the last 20 years. They are much wealthier now - and the rest of us are much poorer or dead- and they are apparently back in power. But their position is precarious. United we can blow them away.

So, if you want, carry on trying to disunite the emergence of any serious opposition - just like the daily mail. Help them turn into facists, when they accept neoliberalisn doesn´t work. Os that what IM is for? I really am beginning to wonder.

My advice is to not do the work of the real enemy, the ruling class and their agents, try and unite the opposition.

With unity we can just huff and puff and blow their house down. With new liberalism falling apart by the seams around the world, we need to support the Iraqis against the illegal invasion and support the anti-US neoconservative movement, or more broadly the anti-neoliberal movement and give capitalism a kick in the teeth from which it will never recover.

That’s what George, Respect, and many other groups and movements are doing. Why are many Indymedia posters opposed to these people? Why do they seek to divide movements?

You just fell off the wall Humpty Dumpty because you are a crack head.

Galloway and Coleman. Galloway and Hitchens. These are TV events much like that silly Gladiators program of a few years back. They have there battle and then everybody goes home thinking they've witnesses a significant battle between the Anti-war and pro-war parties.
But these battles just distract from real activism. They are just a big con. Galloway is a super duper hustler. And he has the second worse voting record in Westminster.

Good point Tish - meetings are a load of codswallop.

What´s "real activism" then Tish? I´d really like to be one. I already post comments on IM, and do the ocassional full posting to the Newswire. I have been on demos, pickets, blockades, meetings (dont count), a few actions ... oh and bricked a few coppers who were misbehavin badly ... and torched a few cars (vive les jaunes Francais eh!)

As far as I know George hasn´t torched anything yet, although I have seen at the front of Demos challenging the coppers.

What else should I do to be a real activist?

If he was a real activist he have rotten teeth and would smell.

He brushes his teeth and takes a shower most days when many people around the world dont have any water.