OK.

First of all, I'm not a member of Respect and I would not vote for them unless my other choices were the three mainstreamers and a bunch of fascists. I have a party of a certain emerald colouration whose title I believe I am not allowed to write here in case it becomes a political advertisement.

And I am no supporter of George Galloway, although I did like his speech when he became MP.

I've been thinking about this one all day. At first the idea seemed to me to be totally wrong. As far as I know Galloway's attendance and voting records in the House of Commons are abysmal. And then I thought: well, FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE it gives him a platform to discuss political matters of an audience magnitude way beyond all the other channels he has ever been allowed into, and also in a space which, despite its ironic titling, is a zone of absolute non-politics. At the same time it is absolutely political: it is inherently politicised space since it is a reflection of a CCTV nation with surveillance at unprecedented levels - but also one where the politics of that CCTV nation are effectively contraband. Up till now it's just 'personalities' (i.e. acts) competing to win money. Nobody discussing what is rotten in the political system of the UK, nobody playing a different kind of game. That of co-operation and collectivism.

He has the opportunity to do something a little situationist here, and subvert the space from within. I'm not sure it'll be the Pistols and Grundy, but for once I will actually be tuning in.

How he uses this space is up to him, and we'll see. But it isn't necessarily such a heinous act as I first sensed.

I personally would still rather see a Bethnal Green MP voting and speaking in the Commons. I am not closed enough to the idea, however, that since TV is so dominant, and since control of its content is so corporatised (and hence politically conservative) it provides us with a space of such conservative political control that we must find our Common gardens elsewhere.

As the front of a new 'mobile CCTV vehicle' in a town I work in said, "SMILE - CAUGHT ON CAMERA!'

He's going for the world record for the longest party political broadcast

Oh, you're just mad because he was courageous enough to shout down the criminal hypocrisies inherent in the policies of the Fascists you support.

"Hi. I'm one of the leaders of the anti-war movement in Britain"

That's what the little shite said to justify his place in the 'C' list house. Pete Burns has done more for the anti-war movement in Britain. Death to Napoleon, death to Hitler, death to every self-proclaimed leader.

If you have ever met George and you never attacked him physically then you should be ashamed.

..

Galloway, along with Kilroy silk

were sent by the Blair junta
to create/usurp small grass roots parties
which will become a laughing stock

enabling the centre parties to continue this dispicable
'managed democracy', which perpetuates a system
that when one party loses the mandate [gets close to being hauled in front
of international warcrimes tribunal

the other can continue ad infinitum

it's a totalitarian collusion based on deception

i think members of the liberal democrats should note this
seeing as the Kennedy charade
comes not so long after
questions were asked to Blair concerning
extraordinary rendition by Kennedy [hic!]
in parliament

Galloway said he will donate the prize money to a Palestinian charity if he wins, so your 'self-promotion' theory falls flat.

"If you have ever met George and you never attacked him physically then you should be ashamed. "

Thanks Danny. A perfect example from a part of humanity which obviously has an unrecognised medical problem. I'm surprised nobody is asking the medical world if it's "normal" to thirst for the blood of innocents, be they Galloway or the 1000s of Iraqi civilians he strove to save.

This guy Galloway is incredible. I've just read his statement on the Respect website (how sad I'm I?), where he gives his reasons for entering big brother. The prize money will go to his latest charity Interpal or Interpol which is based in Palestine. He also wants to reach out to a wider audience.
So the people who voted him into office can twiddle their thumbs if they want any help with housing, schools, equality, or any other bread and butter issue that George can't be bothered with. And they won't get to see any of the prize money.
His friends in Palestine will get some of the prize money, and no doubt his gut will feel the benefit when he converts the prize money into champers and caviar.
This guy should be kicked out of parliament.

Oh, come on, just enjoy the real-life satire that British political life has become. In order to be a successful anti-war candidate in the UK, it now appears that one has to appear on a cheesy, preppy, "reality" show, sitting around a house arguing (usually about nothing) with other celebrities. I've been laughing about this for two days now, and as far as I can tell, it won't be bad for Galloway. It only shows that he's "arrived" on the celebrity scene, and next he'll be posing on Page 3 with Kylie, and hopefully getting reelected in another landslide. Bush, Blair, and Clinton have all proven that the management of one's image is infinitely more important to staying in power than actual policy, and I'm sure that Galloway is just trying to get a piece of it. He realises that being right will never be enough to keep his political career going, as in order to stay in power he has to constantly play games with the bizarre psychology of mass idiocy and celebrity worship. Otherwise, the fact that his policies match almost exactly the beliefs of the typical Brit won't matter at all, because THE SUN, THE TELEGRAPH, and Blair's friends will constantly defame and libel him, and most British people will get uncomfortable with supporting him. "If THE SUN says it, it must be true." :-) Galloway has to show that he's just another shallow idiot like everyone else (at least in image), only more attractive than most other people, which therefore must mean that he always knows best. "If he's on TV, he must be attractive, and therefore, he must be a great leader." :-) Then, hopefully, while the chavs aren't looking, he can actually get some things done...maybe, like assuring that if a local hospital has two MRIs, it can actually afford to use them, or perhaps preventing the rendition and torture of innocent people, etc., etc., etc. :-) He'll have to play the Big Brother thing up very enthusiastically, though, as most people find Big Brother (the show) more interesting than whether they have cancer, or whether the Corporate Insurance Associates are coming for them in the next few minutes. :-) :-) :-)

-B.Z.

Sir Humphrey, in Yes Minister, would term it a 'brave' decision. The decision by this politician to enter the Celebrity Big Brother House, bereft of watch, phone, family and all contact with the outside world was, however, an easy one.

Firstly it was for Palestine. Millions of people vote by premium phone and text lines to choose who should face eviction. A percentage of the proceeds goes to the charity of the participants choice. My choice is Interpal, led by my friends Ibrahim Hewitt and Ismael Patel in Leicester, Anas Al-Takriti in Leeds and Dr Azzam Tammimi in London. Like me Interpal have faced the witchhunters in Washington and the Zionist movement in London. But every smear against them has fallen away and the truth about their humanitarian work amongst some of the most oppressed people on the earth has prevailed. They don't get many opportunities to raise really serious amounts of money. My appearance on Big Brother will give them the chance to move up the Premier League.

Secondly, I'm doing it for the audience. The biggest audience I will ever have. Every night on prime-time television millions of viewers will tune in. Almost everyone in the country will see at least a part of at least one episode. In the slow January news month the newspapers will be chock-full of Big Brother.

I have done almost 2000 public meetings since 9/11, traveled tens of thousands of miles and spoken to thousands of people. These face-to-face meetings are invaluable. But often I’m talking to people who already agree with what I say. I want to attempt to connect with the politically untouched, the millions of people – most of them young people – who are completely turned-off by conventional approaches. It’s the Generation X-Factor. One of the crucial elements in the equation, the success of which will be the removal of this corrupt and discredited government and the replacement with a genuinely socially democratic one. We need to use new and innovative methods to put across our arguments. I’m determined that there are no no-go areas for us and I believe Celebrity Big Brother will be hugely successful for our ideals. If I'm wrong at least many will eat in the Gaza Strip because I tried.

I hope, within the difficulties of C4's editing of 24 hours down to one hour per day (though E4 will have wall to wall coverage), to reach this mass, young, overwhelmingly not yet political audience with our simple case. That war without end, war throughout the world is leading us all to disaster. That exploitation, one of the other, is not the only way to run a railroad. That another world is possible and that it's there to be won.

I will talk about racism, bigotry, poverty, the plight of Tower Hamlets, the poorest place in England sandwiched between the twin towers of wealth and privilege in Canary Wharf and the spires of the City. I will talk about war and peace, about Bush and Blair, about the need for a world based on respect. Some of it will get through.

Sure, there may be an indignity to be suffered along the way. But it will be worth it. If I'm voted out early I'll be back on the road again. If I go a long way I'll have reached a lot of people. If I win it will be my greatest election victory since, well, my last one.

George Galloway MP, House of Commons, London

Maybe George just wants to out Barrymore as an alledged murderer? Blair first, Then Barrymore?

The controverisal Crossrail Bill — which directly affects Galloway's BG&B constituency as the tunnel will run right through the middle of it with the massive access hole being dug just off Brick Lane — is being debated on Thursday. Unless he is voted out of the Big Brother house by then, he will miss the debate and have no chance to speak up on behalf of his constituents — the people who actually voted for him.

Galloway's post-election attendance record at the Commons puts him in 643rd place out of the 645 MPs.

While many people will be delighted that he is spending all his time campainging against this and for that, at the end of the day the people of East London voted for him to represent them, and his shameless self-publicity does nothing to help them. He has simply used them as means to keep his name in the headlines. Pathetic.

Strikes me everyone here is reacting according to whether they already supported or opposed/hated him.. So the only reaction that really matters is whether he can engage BB viewers who aren't interested in 'politics' in any way. We'll see!

Hey, the Stalinists revert to type. Support the dictator or get certified insane. Something wrong with someones brain for sure.

No innocent usurps a non-hierarchical grassroots movement. Anybody who claims to be my leader without my consent is a usurper and can expect a kicking. The fact some people like you desire to be led, are happy when some self-serving salesman schmuck steps up as Furher, and give up their freedom without a fight, thats what I'd call a medical condition. I can't even blame the psychopaths who become politicians for wanting to lead you when you are so easily lead. Try thinking for yourself for once and ignoring the party line.

And as for Galloway striving to save Iraqi lives, yeah I can see the international hero of the people striving admirably on Channel 4, boosting his own inflated public image and lining his own pockets. Just the way he's always done.

Well it's happened. The Sun has demanded it's "readers" vote him out. Wonder what took Rebekkka so long?

Join in the fascinating and enlightening debate about George Galloway, the Respect coalition and the SWP!

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/12/330656.html

Hey,
I bet George is really lonely in that house. Its a shame Saddam cant be there to comfort him. x