Feisty politician in new row
11 January 2006
Maverick British parliamentarian George Galloway, who famously attacked the US-led war in Iraq during a feisty performance in the senate, is at the centre of a new row.
The flamboyant politician is currently taking part in the reality television show "Celebrity Big Brother," for which he is locked in a camera-filled house with, among others, a glamour model, former basketball player Dennis Rodman, and a singer called Maggot.
And some of his London constituents are not happy.
One in particular has set up his own website, called "Why Isn't He At Work?" ( http://beta.cergis.com/george), which he says has received over 25,000 hits since it was set up on Friday.
"I just felt he was supposed to be representing us in the House of Commons and not in the Big Brother house," the site designer, Paul Skinner, 40, told Reuters.
"He's obviously publicising himself, not his constituents and their issues."
In his defence, the cigar-chomping Galloway and his Respect party said his time in the house -- where he cannot speak to anyone outside or hear any external news -- will allow him to get his message across to a huge viewing public.
"I will talk about war and peace, about (George) Bush and (Tony) Blair, about the need for a world based on respect," Galloway said in a statement on his web site (http://www.respectcoalition.org).
"Some of it will get through."
National Secretary for Respect, John Rees, told Reuters the MP's detractors over Big Brother were "probably his political opponents" and did not reflect the feelings of his constituents.
"When you're a single MP in the House of Commons, you have to represent your constituents in a variety of ways, so George has to be our main media spokesman, our national representative, our international representative and a constituency MP."
The flamboyant Scot, 51, was expelled from Prime Minister Blair's Labour party in 2003 over his outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq.
However, standing for Respect, he overturned a Labour majority of more than 10,000 to win the east London parliamentary seat of Bow and Bethnal Green in one of the most bitter campaigns of last May's national election.
Last year, US congressional investigators said they had evidence that Galloway profited from the defunct UN oil-for-food program.
Incensed, Galloway flew to Washington in and, in a memorable performance, harangued a senate committee as he vehemently denied all the claims against him and attacked the US decision to invade Iraq.
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