[Red Moon]

Galloway lends support to Esther in the jungle

GEORGE Galloway MP, who was ridiculed for wearing a skin-tight bodysuit and pretending to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother, has given his support to Hampstead's Esther Rantzen's celebrity jungle stint on the eve of a talk he is giving on her doorstep.

The Respect MP, who was criticised for his time on reality TV, says Ms Rantzen will have no reason to regret her time yet and should prove her status as a much-loved national star.

The former That's Life presenter is sharing her jungle space with celebrities including Robert Kilroy-Silk and Martina Navratilova in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here and is already proving popular as the peacemaker of the group.

"My advice to her would be just to try and stay sane," said Mr Galloway. "It's not easy when some of those around you are insane. But she's doing very well. She's a national treasure and I think she'll go a long way in the programme."

The MP is appearing at Hampstead Town Hall at 7pm on Sunday (November 30) as part of his national tour.

The lectures taking place across the country see him responding to any questions or topics put forward by the audience - including reality television.

However, the representative for Bethnal Green and Bow, will be hoping to focus on serious political issues in the news such as the BNP list, the American election or the credit crunch.

"I believe BNP members who work for the police should be sacked," he said. "I don't think it's compatible to be in authority over other people while carrying the card of a party which is far-right and motivated by racial prejudice and led by those who are convicted racists."

Mr Galloway has also claimed early support for Barack Obama, but refused to pledge allegiance to the president if he takes a different policy approach to the one he campaigned on.

"I supported him from the very beginning of my radio shows," he said. "I argued for him when people couldn't spell his name. I marched with him on the anti-war march four years ago. We may divert in the future, but I have high hopes for him."

Besides this he is not shirking from criticising the government's attempts to deal with the credit crunch, which are too little and too late, he says.

This is the first time the MP has brought The Mother Of All One Man Talk Shows to Hampstead, and he is looking forward to the challenge.

"I take all questions at these shows from anyone who's there - I don't know who will be there or what they're going to ask," he said.

"There aren't many politicians who would be prepared to do that, but then there aren't many people who would pay to listen to most politicians. I'm not an ordinary politician."

Tickets to see Mr Galloway cost £15 with £10 for concessions.

Source: Ham and High 24