Labour suspends Galloway
(Filed: 06/05/2003)
I am sure this surprises no one here.
George Galloway has been suspended from the Labour Party, its general secretary David Triesman has announced.
Mr Triesman said the suspension, effective immediately, would remain in place "pending internal party investigations".
Mr Galloway immediately hit back at the suspension, saying it was prejudicial to his libel action against the Daily Telegraph over allegations that he took money from Saddam Hussein's regime. "It is completely unjust," he said.
Mr Galloway, who has been the MP for Glasgow Kelvin since 1987, learnt of his suspension in a letter from Mr Triesman today.
The letter told him he was "suspended from holding office or representing the Party pending the outcome of internal party investigations. This suspension is effective forthwith".
However, the Labour Party made it clear that Mr Galloway had not been suspended over the Telegraph's allegations but because of comments he made during the Iraq war.
A spokesman said complaints had been received about an interview Mr Galloway gave to Abu Dhabi television on Mar 28 in which he "seemingly invited other Arab nations to fight against the British Army".
In the same interview, Mr Galloway described Tony Blair and George Bush as "wolves", although it is understood that this remark is not at the centre of the complaints.
There were further complaints about similar remarks in an interview Mr Galloway gave to the ITV News Channel on April 1.
The spokesman said the comments had broken the party's rule 2a.8 by "bringing the Labour Party into disrepute by behaviour that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the party".
He said the inquiry would be led by Chris Lennie, Labour's deputy general secretary, and that the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards would also to launch an investigation into Mr Galloway.
He added that the Charity Commission may make further inquiries into the MP's dealings following its announcement two weeks ago that it would investigate the Mariam Appeal set up by Mr Galloway in 1998 to provide medical care for an Iraqi girl suffering from leukaemia.
According to documents found by The Daily Telegraph in the Iraqi foreign ministry in Baghdad, Mr Galloway benefited from oil and food contracts worth up to £375,000 a year. He has denied the allegations and has said he will sue the newspaper.
Mr Galloway said his suspension by Labour and the investigations by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner and Charity Commission were "extraordinarily carefully co-ordinated moves".
He said the investigations threatened to stop him using "the proper legal channels" to clear his name by suing the Daily Telegraph and other newspapers.
Mr Galloway said: "I have embarked upon a considerable legal undertaking to prove in court the falseness of the allegations against me. But this case will now run in parallel with a kind of kangaroo court."
He added: "The suspension from the Labour Party after 35 years of membership is particularly hard to bear. It is tantamount to political exile."
Earlier today, police announced that a man who threw two eggs at Mr Galloway during a May Day rally in Wallasey, Merseyside, would not face any charges.
David Anson, 41, hurled the eggs at Mr Galloway during the rally yesterday. As he threw them, he shouted crude slogans about the MP's relationship with Saddam Hussein
telegraph.co.uk |
