What's News Pussycats?
The news that George Galloway has endorsed Nigel Farage and his Brexit Party comes as no surprise because it's an old truth in politics that the far-left and far-right are really just two sides of the same coin.
This is one for the Galloway fans calling for his readmission to the Labour Party 🚮 pic.twitter.com/ocGp31wR6q— Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) April 17, 2019
Now Galloway's blocked me. The truth hurts, eh George? https://t.co/sx7cpRDLGk— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) April 17, 2019
Fishes and Bicycles (21/02/19)
The news that George Galloway is redoubling his efforts to rejoin the Labour Party couldn't have come at a worst time.
But my view is that since Labour is overrun with leftist cranks and political ideologues these days, what possible difference could one more make?
George Galloway just now on Sky News saying claims of Labour antisemitism is a “Goebbelsian lie”. Comparing shocking and very real fears among Jews to Nazi propaganda. Vile vile man pic.twitter.com/w16S7niN3Q— Paul Morgan-Bentley (@pmorganbentley) February 20, 2019
And although Labour needs people like George in the same way that a fish needs a bicycle, there's no doubt he'd be at home with the likes of Len McCluskey and Seamus Milne.
Come Into My Parlour (25 April 2014)
Labour leader Ed Miliband has raised more than a few eyebrows at Westminster and elsewhere - with the news that he held a private, hour long meeting with George Galloway, the Respect MP.
Now why would Ed do such a thing? - since the news of a 'secret' meeting was bound to leak out - sooner or later - and could only work to the Labour leader's disadvantage.
Because it looks distinctly odd it has to be said - as if Ed Miliband is on the back foot - cast in the role of the fly and not the spider.
Some of the newspapers say it was to discuss the recent vote boundary change legislation - which sounds bonkers and completely unconvincing, to me at least.
Now I haven't come across George Galloway in the flesh, so to speak, for a very long time - many years ago in the 1980s we went to a football game in London - to White Hart Lane the home of Tottenham Hotspur, if I remember correctly.
But to me George has evolved into the worst kind of politician - a demagogue and a political carpet-bagger, whose giant ego overwhelms everything else including his undoubted talent as a public speaker.
So, no disrespect - but I wouldn't cross the road to see George these days, never mind invite him into my private office for an hour long chat.
Fishes and Bicycles (6 May 2011)
So George Galloway has failed to win a seat in the Scottish Parliament elections.
Now this comes as no great surprise - here's what I said about the relevance of his campaign for a list seat in the Glasgow region.
Seems like the voters in Glasgow agreed with me - that the former Respect MP had little to offer Holyrood.
Which chimes with my own views - because I didn't vote for him either.
Fishes and Bicycles (2 December 2010)
George Galloway is to politics what Jose Mourinho is to football - though without the evident talent and smouldering good looks.
'Gorgeous' George is a tired old pussycat these days - both vain and vainglorious in equal measure - whose current claim to fame is that he writes a regular column - wait for it - for the Daily Record.
The other day George was rude and condescending about Christopher Hitchens - saying that he would 'pray' for the avowed atheist - who is terminally ill with throat cancer.
George also boasted - as is his wont - about his public debates with Hitchens in 2005 - suggesting that these had been a great success - and that he had come out on top.
So I watched these recordings and other interviews on You Tube and it seemed to me that - as on many other issues - the former MP is simply deluding himself.
The two men clearly detest each other - which makes for great theatre and sparky TV.
Yet for me Hitchens had the measure of his opponent - whom he would probably characterise as a populist demagogue.
Apparently George is interested in standing for the Scottish Parliament in next year's elections - and his penchant for flowery words and phrases would certainly bring some colour to its debates.
But as his political interests have always been dominated by foreign affairs - Holyrood needs George about as much as a fish needs a bicycle.
What's New Pussycat? (30 March 2012)
The news today that George Galloway has won the Bradford West by-election is a devastating blow to the Labour Party.
Bradford West has been a safe Labour seat since 1974 - one where Labour has actively courted the Muslim vote - but the bottom line is that the voters rejected Labour in favour of a political demagogue.
Now as regular readers will know - George Galloway stood in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections - and got absolutely nowhere.
My view is that the voters of Glasgow were too canny and wise - to be taken in with his particular blend of bombast - which is designed to appeal to disaffected Muslim voters these days.
Which is not to say that George does not raise some important issues about wars and military intervention in foreign countries - the present conflict in Afghanistan being a case in point.
Because the original mission was to deny a safe haven for the al-Qaeda terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks on New York - yet what purpose we are serving there now seems a mystery to many people - including me.
But George Galloway was against the original military mission - which was fully backed by the United Nations (UN) - it has to be said.
Just as he was against the decision to intervene in the civil war in Yugoslavia - of course - which ended the 'ethnic cleansing' regime of Slobodan Milosevic.
I haven't hear any of George's thoughts about the military intervention in Libya - come to think of it - which finally got rid of Colonel Gaddafi and his murderous crew.
Although I would be surprised if he was anything other than completely opposed to that decision either - which had the support of the UN and Arab League.
To my mind George is against just about everything - except George.
Which is why I think the voters of Glasgow decided he wasn't worthy of a seat in the Scottish Parliament - and sent him packing elsewhere.
As I said at the time Holyrood needed George - in the same way as a fish needs a bicycle.
But I suppose Labour now needs him in Westminster - like the party needs another hole in his head - because how does Ed Miliband explain such a crushing defeat?
George knows - of course.
Apparently God was on his side - which we know because he said so on Twitter - proclaiming his great victory over Labour was 'By the grace of God...'
A dog whistle comment if I ever heard one.
