George Gallaway in Blatant Opportunism Shocka

The North has traditionally voted Labour, and I’ve seen plenty of examples of fathers pretty much forcing sons/daughters to vote Labour at polling booths when I worked them due to ‘traditional’ values.

Hahahahaha that is just a ridiculous and stupid caricature of the “northern working classes”, you need to spend a little less time watching soaps and try observing real people, next you will be claiming all women within the m25 are perfect mythical mothers.

an interesting take on things from within the grass roots @ Labout Uncut

Is this the beginning of the end for Ed Miliband?

Is this the beginning of the end for Ed Miliband?

No. The beginning of the end was when he looked as shocked as everyone that he had been elected. This is ‘the end’. Or it bloody well should be!

Dode Galloway is a legend,end of. Long may he continue to upset mainstream parties and congressmen,oh and STW members. He came from a shite background and has hauled himself up by the bootstraps, an example to every schemie. Stood up against the Iraq war knowing what it would do to his chances of remaining in the labour party, which to me suggests that he is maybe not quite as self-serving as some might like to paint him. Long may he continue.

The best thing about George is his ability to throw the failings of others into sharp relief.

Yes, he’s obnoxious – usually only to those who absolutely deserve a take down.

Yes, he’s a mediaphile – I’ll guarantee you that in the big three parties, conversations are going on right now along the lines of ‘how can we be more like him but stay on message? hmm, i think the problem is that he’s right, he knows it and so do they. Hmm yes tricky, has anyone got Rebekah’s number, oh shit i forgot, nevermind’

PMQ’s are going to get a little spicier

The North has traditionally voted Labour, and I’ve seen plenty of examples of flat cap wearers pretty much bribing their whippets with steak and kidney puddings to vote Labour at polling booths when I worked them due to ‘traditional’ values.

* on Corrie.

Yep, but he does frequently actually fight for the right causes.

About as often as he fights for the wrong one. Let’s not forget that he supported Saddam and Bashar al-Assad, despite being quite aware of the atrocities they committed (and the latter continues to commit). It seems that his rationale is no better than “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”.

I predict that the citizens of Bradford will tire of him topping up his perma-tan in Portugal rather than attending parliament, and boot him out next time.

Galloway is a self-promoting egotistical tosspot.

Whatever names you can throw at George, I can’t understand why many people’s reaction is to dismiss him.
George has obviously tapped into something in this particular constituency, just as Peter Griffiths and Nick Griffin did.

Its a by election they are not really indicative of anything tbh other than people get to do a protest vote as it wont alter who governs

If that is true and this is just a “protest vote”, then the seat will simply revert back to Labour in 2015. Only it won’t, in fact I predict that Galloway will remain MP for Bradford West for a great many years.

Furthermore when there is a negative attitude prevalent among the electorate which creates the conditions for a “protest vote”, then it also creates the conditions for a very low turnout. The turnout was much higher that expected as voter apathy was incorrectly predicted.

All the indications are that this was a positive vote for Galloway who was seen as a credible alternative. Labour would have walked it if Galloway hadn’t stood against them.

Do you actually believe that a broadly left-of-centre party would have any chance at all of getting to power in England?

Very much so. Galloway’s election wins proves that voters in England are prepared to vote for a radical alternative to Labour. And don’t forget Galloway didn’t just scrape in, he received 55.9% of the vote and has an over 10,000 majority, very few MPs enjoy that level of support.

Ken Livingstone also proved that an electorate in England (involving millions) is prepared to vote for a radical alternative to Labour, when he stood as an independent. Even though he had been for years personified as the “looney left of Labour” by the Tory press. Firmly nailing the New Labour lie that voters will never vote for a radical left-wing candidate. And in the case of London voters had a clear choice between a radical left-wing candidate and a “moderate” New Labour one. They made it clear which one they preferred.

If that is true and this is just a “protest vote”, then the seat will simply revert back to Labour in 2015. Only it won’t, in fact I predict that Galloway will remain MP for Bradford West for a great many years.

He only lasted one parliament in Bow as he decided to switch seats and failed to be elected in Poplar so I think this is a courageous prediction perhaps made more in hope?

He only lasted one parliament in Bow

That’s probably because he announced 3 years before the 2010 general that he wouldn’t stand again in Bethnal Green & Bow.

In 2010 he went after Jim Fitzpatrick in Poplar and Limehouse.

Jim Fitzpatrick ……. now there’s the archetypical “self-serving twunt”. Careerist, opportunist, party loyalist and totally self-serving. I remember him as a young long-haired tub-thumping revolutionary trot who used the FBU to further his political ambitions. Today he is the picture of respectable suited and groomed right-wing New Labour clone.

“I aspired to be a professional politician in the way that other boys aspired to be professional footballers” – Jim Fitzpatrick

I think this is a courageous prediction perhaps made more in hope?

You think Labour will re-win the seat in 2015 ? Really ? 😕 😀

I don’t know enough about the constituency to be honest, they should be capable of winning it, but they are really struggling with the working class vote and you are right that they are open to an attack from the left. The Lib Dems were effectively doing this in the North but I think they may have upset their chances of repeating this.

Really depends how Galloway behaves, Simon Hughes managed to cement such a swing.

If that is true and this is just a “protest vote”, then the seat will simply revert back to Labour in 2015. Only it won’t, in fact I predict that Galloway will remain MP for Bradford West for a great many years.

I admire your physic abilities ernie –

Following the 2005 election, his participation rate remained low, at the end of the year he had participated in only 15% of Divisions in the House of Commons since the general election, placing him 634th of 645 MPs – of the eleven MPs below him in the rankings, one is the former Prime Minister Tony Blair, five are Sinn Féin members who have an abstentionist policy toward taking their seats, three are the speaker and deputy speakers and therefore ineligible to vote, and two have died since the election. Galloway claims a record of unusual activity at a “grass roots” level. His own estimate is that he has made 1,100 public speeches between September 2001 and May 2005.[39]

In September 2009, he still had one of the lowest voting participation records in parliament at 8.4% as a total of 93 votes out of a possible 1,113 divisions.
I am sure he will continue to deliver for his constituents like he always has
EDIT: FWIW i would have voted for him in an by -election but in a proper one with a chance to get rid of this shower would I be voting for him NO. I would be surprised if he remains in a proper election [ he will not get anything like this as a vote] and would not make a rash prediction either way on what will happen as it is just supposition and therefore pointless

Simon Hughes managed to cement such a swing.

Simon Hughes was probably the LibDems most left-wing MP, I’m sure that fact has helped him to hold onto Bermondsey. However since the formation of the coalition he has imo gone well dodgy, and appears to be playing a complicated balancing act – quite strongly supporting the coalition gov whilst at the same time distancing himself from it. It remains to be seen how well that pays off in 2015. He’ll pay the price, but possibly not enough to lose his seat. I suspect he will be one of the few LibDem MPs who will survive.

EDIT: FWIW i would have voted for him in an by -election but in a proper one with a chance to get rid of this shower would I be voting for him NO

On the basis of that statement, the difference between you and the voters of BW is that they recognise that ‘this shower’ is the same whether they have a blue, red or yellow rosette.

I admire your physic abilities ernie

I don’t what you mean by that. I predict that he will still be MP after 2015. It’s a fair prediction in the same way as predicting that the LibDems will get hammered in 2015 is also a fair prediction. Presumably you don’t agree. We’ll see. Your copied and pasted bit is irrelevant imo.

ernie_lynch – Member
Galloway’s election wins proves that voters in England are prepared to vote for a radical alternative to Labour.

Piffle and balderdash. It merely proves that there were enough folk in that seat that wanted to have George Galloway as an MP. Do you honestly believe that a party of 350 George Galloways (the mind boggles at how much TV time that would consume) would have any chance in a General Election? I believe that there isn’t enough such demand and that is why no such party exists. The election results of the last 30+ years seem to back me up.

That’s probably because he announced 3 years before the 2010 general that he wouldn’t stand again in Bethnal Green & Bow.

In 2010 he went after Jim Fitzpatrick in Poplar and Limehouse.

Jim Fitzpatrick ……. now there’s the archetypical “self-serving twunt”. Careerist, opportunist, party loyalist and totally self-serving. I remember him as a young long-haired tub-thumping revolutionary trot who used the FBU to further his political ambitions. Today he is the picture of respectable suited and groomed right-wing New Labour clone.

Is this another way of saying that actually representing his electorate is low on his list of priorities?

it irrelevant that he does F all 😯
Well to be fair he did more than some dead people and people who cant vote.
Predicting he will remain is nothing like predicting the Lib dems will get hammered
That is like predicting winter will be cold.
Suggesting he will be voted in is a large leap of faith IMHO.
Time will tell it is pointless to argue over a prediction.

On the basis of that statement, the difference between you and the voters of BW is that they recognise that ‘this shower’ is the same whether they have a blue, red or yellow rosette.

I never said they were not a shower but nothing is worse than a Tory a government …check out the tax breaks for the rich, the NHS, double dip recession, high inflation, rising unemployment..labour are not my choice but they are not that bad.
Personally I think all you can ever do in this system [ in a general election] is vote against the Tories.

Dode could stand as an independent in either of the Dundee seats and everybody else would lose their deposit,so he is not going to go away any time soon. Much to the disgust of NL no doubt. I also find it very hard to believe for a second that he is any kind of protest vote in Bradford; or that he will not hold the seat as long as he wants.

I would be surprised if he remains in a proper election [ he will not get anything like this as a vote] and would not make a rash prediction either way on what will happen as it is just supposition and therefore pointless

But you just did.

Edit; And who better to vote for?

it irrelevant that he does F all

On the issue concerning whether he is likely to be re-elected, yes. He is likely to get re-elected for the reasons that he won this time. He past record/behaviour didn’t stop him from winning last night, in fact it undoubtedly enhanced his chances, so it’s unlikely to be a problem in 2015.

Did anyone just see the interview with him on C4 😀

Piffle and balderdash. It merely proves that there were enough folk in that seat that wanted to have George Galloway as an MP. Do you honestly believe that a party of 350 George Galloways (the mind boggles at how much TV time that would consume) would have any chance in a General Election? I believe that there isn’t enough such demand and that is why no such party exists. The election results of the last 30+ years seem to back me up.

I’m not entirely sure what piffle and balderdash is, but I suspect that you don’t entirely agree with me. So with regards to your comment :

The election results of the last 30+ years seem to back me up

Are you suggesting that where the Labour candidate is left-wing and radical, they are at a disadvantage compared to where the Labour candidate is right-wing and “moderate” ? I see no evidence of that. If it was true, then the electorate would have weeded out any left-wing Labour MPs over the last 30 years. And yet some left-wing Labour MPs have very solid majorities, whilst some right-wing MPs have lost their seats. I really can’t be arse to go into it, but you provide me evidence where Labour have done badly purely because their candidate was too left-wing, if you fancy.

how can Anyone call George after the last 30yrs of Lying slimey country ruining (and selling up the river) self serving (and bank/big business serving) scumbags!!! George is a thorn in their side Because he tells “Less lies” than the rest of Em.
Go George 8)

Stood up against the Iraq war knowing what it would do to his chances of remaining in the labour party, which to me suggests that he is maybe not quite as self-serving as some might like to paint him.

Rubbish. The overwhelming sentiment prior to the vote was hostility to the proposed war among Labour MPs; 68 other MPs voted against the war (including CHris Smith, representing South Islington, and a disproportionate number of Scottish MPs, including all the Glasgow ones); and Galloway’s problems with the Labour party were not ideological ones, nor were they with central Labour party and they well predated the Iraq War; and voting against the war may have had a minute negative affect on his relationship with the leadership (which could hardly have been any worse, and there were bigger fish to fry than Galloway) but it was good for him individually.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2240420.stm
http://www.naba.org.uk/CONTENT/TheAssociation/Parliament/MPs_Vote_War_on_Iraq.pdf

“If a backside could have three cheeks then they [the main parties] are the three cheeks of the same backside. They support the same things, the same wars, the same neoliberal policies to make the poor poorer for the crimes of the rich people. And they are not believable. Nobody believes what they say. Whether people agree with me or not, I have all of my life said the same things. I mean what I say and I say what I mean. I think people are looking for political leaders like that.”

George Galloway very early this morning

🙂

Rubbish. The overwhelming sentiment prior to the vote was hostility to the proposed war among Labour MPs; 68 other MPs voted against the war (including CHris Smith, representing South Islington, and a disproportionate number of Scottish MPs, including all the Glasgow ones); and Galloway’s problems with the Labour party were not ideological ones, nor were they with central Labour party and they well predated the Iraq War; and voting against the war may have had a minute negative affect on his relationship with the leadership (which could hardly have been any worse, and there were bigger fish to fry than Galloway) but it was good for him individually.

Well since we’re hurling allegations of “rubbish” at other punters opinions, I can reassure you I think your comment is total rubbish.

Galloway was kicked out of the Labour Party because of his outspoken criticisms of the Iraq War upset the dictatorial sensitivities of that lying arch-stalinist, Tony Blair. Had he kept his mouth shut he would not have been expelled.

Yes there were other Labour MPs who were opposed to the Iraq War – well done you for knowing that. But none were quite as outspoken or as effective in their rhetoric as Galloway.

Galloway was a thorn in the side of Tony Blair, and for that reason he had to be booted out of the Labour Party. Had he been more compliant then his employment prospects would have been somewhat more secure.

Galloway: I’ll fight expulsion

I have say konabunny, it comes as absolutely no surprise to me that someone who is normally as progressive and as rational as you, should feel such intense hostility towards Galloway – considering his impeccable history in supporting the tragic cause of the Palestinian people. Yet again your strong pro-Zionist feelings have let you down bruv.

Thanks Ernie 🙂 However, how many of the other MP’s who openly opposed the war, a) described Blair as a ” f**king murdering liar.” or b) said he was a war criminal and you would understand if he was targeted in a revenge attack. Go and do some reading, then PLEASE tell me…What were the real reasons for his expulsion?

And you don’t think that Blair is a f**king murdering liar and war criminal duckman ? I certainly do. And there are few things I would like more than to one day see Blair stand trial.

You obviously think that the Labour Party was the personal property of Tony Blair, and fully back the expulsion of anyone who upset the dictatorial sensitivities of that lying arch-stalinist. I don’t.