Left-wingers fight to reinstate Galloway (they'll want to reinstate Saddam next)

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 5 June 2003 | Toby Helm

[Stultis]

Left-wingers fight to reinstate Galloway
By Toby Helm
(Filed: 05/06/2003)

Tony Blair's problems with his own party over Iraq deepened last night when it emerged that Labour Left-wingers plan to lodge a formal demand that George Galloway be reinstated by the party.

Left-wingers on the National Executive (NEC) are to push for the rebel MP's suspension to be overturned without delay at a meeting of the committee next Tuesday.

Mr Galloway was suspended last month for accusing Mr Blair and President George W Bush of attacking Iraq "like wolves" and other critical comments about the war. Party officials said he "seemingly invited other Arab nations to fight against the British Army".

Mark Seddon, an NEC member, said last night he expected that the demands to have Mr Galloway reinstated would be tabled by NEC members representing trade unions. He said he would support the move because he felt it was wrong to suspend somebody from the Labour Party for expressing an opinion. "I believe this is an issue of freedom of speech," he said. NEC members representing constituency Labour parties are also expected to back the move.

Support for Mr Galloway has come from Tony Woodley, the new Left-wing General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union. After his election on Saturday he said Mr Galloway should be allowed back into the party.

"There is no doubt in my mind that we should have a Labour Party that is tolerant, that allows people to express their views and ideas, without witch-hunts and without being victimised," said Mr Woodley.

Labour Party officials said that any vote to reinstate Mr Galloway would be defeated by a clear majority of NEC members.

[Stultis]

Where you been, Guy? We almost missed this one!

[Stultis]

Can you ping some'a the, uh, Mock Squad?

[Stultis]

Ping!

[MEG33]

Tolerant?? What about his ties to Saddam's money?

[Bonaparte]

A very strange article. Implies Galloway was canned for speaking his mind. No mention at all of the dirty money and his Saddam connection.

[Stultis]

No mention at all of the dirty money and his Saddam connection.

I think the British readers are probably well aware of those aspects. But then Labour never really did hold him to account for all that, did they? Didn't they just expel him over his (admittedly incredibly over-the-top) remarks?

[lainie]

ping

[McGavin999]

Good Lord, what is going on? It seems like the left is in major morality meltdown all over the world.

BTW, where is MadIvan?

[JoeSixPack1]

"The relevant part of the Act is Section 1, which reads: "If any person maliciously and advisedly endeavours to seduce any member of His Majesty's forces from his duty or allegiance to His Majesty, he shall be guilty of an offence." In the terms of the Act, the word "maliciously" means wilfully and intentionally." <--excerpted from the above link

OK, reinstate him then arrest him. In the good old USA it's called treason.

In GB it looks to me as if it's described as "..........a breach of the Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934, for which the maximum penalty is two years' imprisonment."

Both quotes are from the same Telegraph.co.uk article

[backhoe]

-MP George Galloway- voice cries "peace," hand in Saddam's till...--

[DPB101]

Rats. You just can't get rid of them. They keep coming back. They never apologize and they are always the victim.

[hellinahandcart]

He said he would support the move because he felt it was wrong to suspend somebody from the Labour Party for expressing an opinion. "I believe this is an issue of freedom of speech," he said.

Speechless "what about the money" bump...

[hellinahandcart]

I think I heard that MadIvan has a new job that's keeping him busy.

[knighthawk]

Yeah, I was missing him too.

[gcruse]

Blair's worst enemy is his own party.

[knighthawk]

They remain liberals/socialists after all