Highlights
Galloway to leave house tonight
Galloway wins libel award battle
George loses a debate? Is that alwight?
Short of a miracle George is out Wednesday
Socialist Unity Big Brother Round Up
Can't be bothered to follow the Big Brother debate? Let us do it for you... (you may need to refresh to see the latest)
It's
all over - Galloway evicted
It will come as no surprise that George Galloway is the fourth person to be evicted from the Big Brother house tonight. Greeted to a roar of boos and cheers Galloway came blinking into the lights of the outside world, perhaps unaware of the level of media attention his presence in the house has achieved.
In fact in the circumstances Galloway looked very calm and relaxed, with an easy smile, looking rather pleased to be in the spot light. He was charming with Davina and emphasised the positives of his experience in the house. He described how those he had won over in the house had then chosen to vote against him and how the "electorate have short memories" - which was an interesting, if opaque, observation.
He said that although he was not pleased to lose the vote "there are people to see and things to do in the outside world." Well, quite. He looked genuinely surprised when he saw some of the press headlines from his time in the house and rather endearingly let out an understated "oh dear, oh dear" upon sight of them.
He was also quite open to self criticism saying he had "failed" to do much of what he'd tried to do and listed some of the failings he felt he had discovered about himself - which is hardly the George Galloway portrayed by his critics of a bombastic and self justifying monster.
In all he handled himself well upon eviction which will weight in his favour, although it would be difficult to undo the damage that had been done in his last days in the house, and obviously do nothing to address the recent 'revelations' in the press. He seemed genuinely surprised, for instance, that his impersonation of a cat warranted a mention at all, and may be surprised when he finds out just how widely this small instance of playfulness has been reported.
Finally Galloway said (in reply to Paxman's recorded message) that it had been worth a try to reach out to those the mainstream politicians have abandoned and that whilst touring and speaking to audiences of 500 was good, talking to an audience of 5 million was opportunity difficult to ignore.
It's likely that Galloway will have only just started his post-Big Brother journey and who knows where he will end up - it's probable that those trying to write him out of history are quite mistaken, but those who wish to justify the whole episode without recognising its negative features will be underestimating the damage Big Brother may have done to the potential allies and friends that Respect will dearly need in the future.
Link to GG interview with BBC, (audio)
Professor David Wilson, who walked out as a consultant on Big Brother for ethical reasons, says ... ... "Reality TV is not only reinventing the freak show, it's about bedlam," he says. "It's the TV equivalent of slowing down to get a better look at the accident on the other side of the motorway. It's about getting a view of other people's misery. "Those who take part are considered odd or bizarre for wanting to do so, but they are merely products of a society that now holds fame above anything else. All cultural reference points are now rooted in being a celebrity, and not attached to having an intrinsic skill." He says there should be an independent body to regulate reality TV, and is also critical of the psychologists and other academics who take part in the shows and "endorse the programmes with a fig leaf of credibility".
Galloway to leave House tonight
There's a double eviction tonight and our George is certain to be evicted, probably alongside US sporting legend Dennis Rodman. Of course it's not all bad news, the Respect MP will also discover that he has beaten the Telegraph's appeal against the massive damages awarded to him. This hasn't stopped the bobbies saying Galloway may face criminal prosecution (according to the Guardian today MP may face criminal investigation) which of course is not such great news.
For anyone thinking Mr Galloway might make it they should bear in mind that the bookies, who are rarely wrong, are offering the shortest odds ever on the MP being the first evicted tonight (1 - 20, meaning a 5 pence return on every pound you put on), this is after a string of incidents in the house where Galloway managed to undo all the good work he'd previous done.
But will his Respect comrades be as pleased to see Galloway as Davina? They may want to ask their sole Parliamentary representative some tough and searching questions - like what's Chantelle really like?
Galloway wins libel award battle BBC
The Daily Telegraph has lost its appeal to overturn a £150,000 libel award to the Respect MP George Galloway.
At the Court of Appeal, judges agreed that the £150,000 damages awarded to Mr Galloway by High Court judge Mr Justice Eady in December 2004 should not be reduced.
"Given the seriousness of the key allegation Mr Galloway had taken money from Iraq for personal profit, we can see no basis upon which this court should interfere with the amount of damages."
Big Brother is watching GG
BB is very funny in places and research suggests that laughing is healthy. Remarkably, this is the first time that the broadsheets are covering BB, probably because of George, The Cat, Galloway, absentee MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, hereafter referred to as GG. On the whole GG seems affable, eloquent and a good sport. Any stupidity he presents revolves around tasks and the good of the group. He has an underlying desire to help Michael Barrymore to victory, so creating a wave of support to end Barrymore's exile in New Zealand. Conversely, after seeing GG turn on Jodie Marsh and call her a wicked (evil) person, I wonder how he perceives Saddam Hussein. Exposing all aspects of GG to a generation of young BB viewers might help, given that the representative streetwise non-celeb 22-year-old Chantelle didn't know what a gynaecologist was.
N E GOUGH Eldene, Swindon
How do our MPs find time for extras?
I THINK George Galloway has made a fool of himself on Big Brother. However, there is a lot of hypocrisy from other politicians complaining how Galloway should be spending his time working for his constituents. It seems impossible to turn on the TV without finding Dianne Abbott, or Charles Kennedy or Boris Johnson. Even before Galloway appeared on Big Brother the Cornish MP Julia Goldsworthy (Lib Dem) had signed up for Channel 4's reality show, The Games. But does anyone remember David McKeowen's crime novel Grip, published in 2005. McKeowen is the pen name of Michael Wills MP. How did he find the considerable amount of time required to write a novel, when he should have been devoting his time to his proper job representing the constituents of North Swindon.
A NEWMAN Swindon
The Guardian
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2006/01/galloway_going_going_gone.html
Labour MP Steve Pound gave his verdict on Channel 4's Richard and Judy yesterday: "He's gone from imitating a cat to wearing a catsuit. Next he'll be advertising cat food. I actually feel sorry for him because that's the only future he's got. When he returns to the House of Commons...He'll have a saucer of milk waiting for him and a litter tray." There is also the threat of a Serious Fraud Office investigation and the pictures in today's Sun of Galloway meeting Saddam Hussein's son Uday in 1999. And he's not very popular with his housemates either, with Preston declaring: "He will leave here a villain because he cheated and bullied."
The Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2009259,00.html
SERIOUS Fraud Office investigators are trying to determine whether George Galloway should face charges in connection with the Iraqi Oil-for-Food scandal, it was reported yesterday. A four-strong team is said to have returned from the US having been given access to thousands of documents, including bank records, relating to the affair. Reports published in America have suggested that large payments, laundered through the Oil-for-Food programme, were made by Saddam Hussein to Mr Galloway’s wife and to his political campaign organisation. Mr Galloway, who was shut up in the Big Brother house yesterday and thus unable to comment on the involvement of the Fraud Office, has repeatedly denied accepting such payments and last year travelled to the US Senate to defend himself. He is predicted to be evicted from the house tonight. During his time there Mr Galloway has been ridiculed for pretending to be a cat and for wearing a leotard. His housemates turned on him yesterday after he launched a tirade of insults at fellow contestants. He was seen sitting alone reading the Communist Manifesto.
WaveGuide UK
http://www.waveguide.co.uk/latest/news060125.htm
Fresh controversy surrounds George Galloway today as pictures of the Respect MP apparently laughing and joking with Saddam Hussein's son Uday have emerged. As the MP started packing for possible eviction tonight, a video showing him shaking Uday's hand and vowing to stick with him "until the end" has been passed to the Sun newspaper. Uday is believed to have been responsible for the torture and murder of thousands of Iraqis before he was shot dead by US troops in 2003. Pictures have previously been published of Galloway meeting Saddam Hussein in 1994, when he told the dictator: "Sir, allow me to salute your courage." But the Sun says the new video of Galloway and Uday was made in 1999 during a visit by Galloway to an Iraqi palace. The newspaper reports Galloway spent 20 minutes with Uday at the end of a tour to highlight Galloway's Mariam Appeal, a cause to raise money for an ill Iraqi girl. During the meeting, Galloway reportedly joked with Uday about losing weight and going bald, ordering journalists not to publish parts of their conversation.
The Sun
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006040109,00.html
The Sun’s exclusive new footage reveals he also revelled in meeting crazed torturer and murderer Uday more than once. In the video Galloway. … Big Brother fans will be astonished that Galloway could sink so low. For Uday, dubbed The Wolf by terrified Iraqis, is known to have killed thousands of people.
Galloway
loses a debate? Is that awight?
Astonishingly George Galloway has lost a political debate against that well know political thinker - Michael Barrymore!?!
The housemates were given a task to pair up and discuss different sides to political topics. George and Michael squared up over the great whose better UK or US, George taking the patriotic UK side.
Speaking for the US, Michael got all televangelic and gave a dramatic speech that borrowed from Martin Luther King and "New York, New York". He even got away with calling Traci "the American wet dream".
George had been giving some of the other Housemates
debating tips, but even he was taken aback, saying, "Very good ... Totally
unexpected," to his opponent.
George had to stick up for Blighty, and he spoke with fire and passion -
though he didn't want to seem too down on his American friends, saying, "Some
of my best friends are American." He sang the praises of the NHS, and
concluded that didn't want the American freedom to bear arms.
More
importantly for us here at Socialist Unity the debate on Capitalism versus
Communism the left had the best advocate it could have hoped for - super cool
Preston.
Capitalism was of course represented by the aptly named Maggot (who's actually a nice guy - but for the purposes of the debate - booooo)
In his presentation, Maggot, suggested that capitalism: "Gives you freedom of choice and choice of freedom," and cited his own song 'Your Mother's Got a Penis' as an example of what would be disallowed under a Communist state. And that would be a bad thing?
Preston described, movingly, how poverty was the worst dictator of all and that real communism was based upon equality regardless of sexuality, race or sex. Although whether budding public speakers should take note of his final debating trick by closing with the phrase "so fuck off" is a question that's difficult to answer, but perhaps it will catch on...
Centre Daily (Canada)
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/opinion/13687863.htm
Galloway has been in the thick of things in the Middle East, especially with Iraq and Saddam Hussein, though it’s sometimes tricky following his trajectory with Hussein. Most recently, Galloway appeared before a U.S. Senate subcommittee to deny charges that he had benefited from Iraq’s oil-for-food program. Now widely viewed as a Hussein apologist, Galloway regularly articulates arguments embraced by the anti-war left. And then, apparently, he lost his mind. … The performance in question was via a television game show called “Celebrity Big Brother,” where people you’ve never heard of — or vaguely recall from some long-ago past — enter an isolated house for a lockdown and let the public watch whatever it is they do. … Down on all fours, Galloway — politician, provocateur, polemicist — purred while pretending to slurp imaginary milk from the cupped hands of one Rula Lenska. …. Whatever Galloway may have had in mind, to put it charitably, there may be a lesson somewhere in here for the rest of us, and it has to do with fame, narcissism, self-awareness and that blasted camera. When the red eye of the camera seeks us out, we do lose something of our “selves,” if not our very souls.
Dodgy report sets out to undermine Galloway
A report has recently come out that has reached every paper ( for example
in the Telegraph) that has named George Galloway as one of the most expensive MPs just under the Prime Minister and other leading figures in the government.But what's that phrase? Lies, damn lies and statistics?
What they've chosen to do is divide the total expenses of the MPs by the number of times they've voted in the House of Commons. But who says that the number of times you vote is the real indicator of how good an MP you have? And incidentally it doesn't make you objectively more expensive - it only measures the ratio of votes per pound - how informative!
But of course many papers have jumped on this chance to attack Galloway - who is notorious for the 'limited' amount of time he spends in the house as he devotes most of his time to extra-parliamentary political activity.
Even the Telegraph article admits that "his total expenses bill was around the average for MPs" but then labels the article "Galloway named costliest backbencher" now how does that make sense?
C4's Big Brother Forum
The professor - Posted 24-01-06 14:07
I believe many people disliked him before he even went into the house and have readily latched on to anything he's said or done to confirm their existing beliefs (even though he was proven right in opposing the war) That's a pity because I think he's tried hard to be a sport and join in all the tasks. He really isn't any worse than the others in terms of bitching and I honestly believe C4 are revelling in the press attention they're getting by trying to humiliate him at every opportunity.
Darkhorse - Posted 24-01-06 14:18
But that just shows what a terribly poor judgement GG made by going in there. Everyone is talking about him at the moment purely because he's destroying his own credibility on national tv. When the show finishes people will not be that interested in hearing his political opinions when they have seen him behving the way he has.
Willow the Witch - Posted 24-01-06 14:26
George Galloway is a repulsive egotistical childish bully. But i'm glad he went on the show, because he has shown the whole country what a two faced slimeball he really is. He expects respect but is not prepared to give it. He thinks he's the boss of the house.
Marvo Ging - Posted 24-01-06 14:39
The whole Iraq mess is down to US/Bush - Farenheit 9/11 exposed the whole seedy affair. But I still can't feel sorry for someone who condones Saddam, as GG does.
yyyyyy - Posted 24-01-06 14:54
why feel sorry for him ..he went in there to make politics accessible .. and he has .. he has managed in his time to collect a possible £160 000 for his charity, he has riled the pro war, anti palestinian pro zionist nu labour neo con crowd by just being in the house and not getting voted out the first week despite the media campaigns against him. he is known to more people probably a younger audience, it is after all about recognition and thats half the battle in getting your message across. he will get plenty of telly and radio exposure he has proven himself to have a sense of humour, to be perceptive and to be part of the game. he has not behaved in any way differently than any other h/m .. and despite the way bb have engineered his nomination .. and the most important thing to him was his right to vote , his belief in democracy and he has been angered by the fact that it is so easy to deny justice through what appears to be 'democracy'. in fact the h/m voting him not to have a vote is telling us how democracy can be subverted into something else. would we really call it a democracy if blair now wanted to exclude one part of our society to have full voting rights.. and we voted and agreed with him? rules have to be applied to one and all, you cannot have it for the likes of gg and yet ignore them for maggot,prestons or chantelles of this world .. this is why he is angry. and this is the kind of world we live in ..where anti war personnel are vilified whilst those that start illegal wars killing thousands of people get voted back into power to continue with theoir lies and deceit .. but the uglies continue to vilify the anti war protestors .. how stupid is that?
Galloway
to leave house on Wednesday (short of a miracle)
It's official everyone in the house hates George. After two extremely harsh punishments by Big Brother, deliberately designed to turn housemates against each other (after 'rule' breaking) the inmates responded like Pavlov's dogs and responded according to plan.
It's all part of the game of course, and it's how you choose to respond to these trials and tribulations that sorts the players from the played. Unfortunately George has not taken it at all well. First he turned on Preston accusing him of maliciously dropping him in the shit the day before. Preston, horrified, could not let it lie "You can't mean that" he kept repeating. Later, in an emotional discussion with Big Brother he described how he had begun to "idolise" the firebrand but it seemed "he had me fooled" and has peppered his remarks from that moment on with digs about cheating politicians "who'd have thought it?"
George visibly isolated himself from the group, clearly very angry. He spent much of Monday night sitting in silence grinding his teeth over and over. That's not winning friends George. Today, Tuesday, George has now turned on former close friend Barrymore describing him as the most self obsessed person he had ever met. But surely, agreeing to allow millions to analyse and watch you eat your cornflakes is ... oh never mind.
Even Big Brother is now in on the act awakening its captives this morning with the strains of a Cat Stevens number - CAT Stevens - gettit? The attempt to appeal to young voters was admirable but it certainly has not paid off inside the house. Target demographic Chantelle said this morning of our man "He's a cheating, conniving vile little man," and Preston announced he thought George is "a total k*** head" - this is the same Preston who described George as a positive father figure just a few days ago. "He's just sitting there reading his Communist Manifesto, giving one-syllable answers," continued the pop singer.
Anyway, George is to be evicted on Wednesday night, short of a miracle. There is to be two evictions out of three. The monosyllabic Dennis and the famous for not being famous Chantelle. Now, whilst it's quite possible George may fare better than Dennis it is simply inconceivable that the utterly inoffensive Chantelle is not the winner in that particular run off leaving Dennis and George out on their ears.
This means George fans - if you are sad enough
to vote (and I confess I am not) you should vote Chantelle as
George's only hope.
Text CHANTELLE to 84444 (50p plus your STD network rate) call 09011 32 33 01 (calls cost 50p,
mobile and other network rates may vary) But if George is to help himself he needs to do
more than grind his teeth! Incidently... George Galloway is up for an award - the
Channel Four political awards - if you'd like him to come above Tony
Blair and David Cameron you can vote by phoning George
Galloway 09011 27 27 04
Big Brother web-site
- the nominations
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/news/newsstory.jsp?id=1742
Maggot
… nominated George, saying: "I think it's about time he went back.
I think his constituents deserve to have him back where he belongs.
If he's going to continue breaking the rules, it doesn't help life
in here."
Chantelle
… picked George, saying: "He's shifty and really crafty. I feel like
he's a bit smarmy."
Preston
picked George, blasting: "He completely embarrassed himself. I
thought the world of him. I was completely sucked in. It was all
part of his little plan and I've lost a lot of respect for him."
Traci
opted for George, describing the MP as "extremely two-faced,
offensive and confusing. He feels this way about me, yet doesn't
have the balls to say it to my face,"
You may have read in the papers how a civil
case is to be pursued against Michael Barrymore for the death of a
young man in his swimming pool some years ago - despite the fact
that the police had chosen not to pursue the matter any further.
BBC -
Barrymore facing pool death case The lawyer whose taken up the baton of "truth
and justice" turns out to be a far right wing nut case, with just a
dash of homophobic witch hunting thrown in to boot. As a fully paid up member of Christian Voice he
spends much of his time trying to censor brilliant stage plays and
making pronouncements that are some way from loving his neighbour.
Unless that is if the neighbour in question is his close friend, the
ex-chair of the National Front. Anthony Bennett (pictured) was thrown out of
UKIP for continued far right rants including the one about how "Mohammed
was a Paedophile", apparently. But as if being too insane
for UKIP was not enough he turned his attentions to becoming leader
of Veritas, a position he was unable to hold onto for any length of
time due to ideological, cough, differences. Rumours are about that he is not even a lawyer
- but surely this must be a mistake? See
http://europhobia.blogspot.com for details. It seems Mr Bennett
hopes to become a bit of celebrity himself - let's hope he becomes a
household name really soon shall we?
BIG Brother MP George
Galloway could be hit with a double blow on Wednesday - eviction
from the reality TV house and bankruptcy. The Bethnal Green and Bow
MP yesterday found out he faces a public vote to see if he will be
booted off the show. On the same day, Appeal Court judges will
decide if a newspaper can overturn a judgment Galloway won against
them. The Daily Telegraph was ordered to pay him £150,000 after he
was accused of getting money from Saddam Hussein's regime. A
reversal of that decision could saddle Galloway with a reported
legal bill of £2million and bankruptcy. With Galloway almost certain
to be kicked out of the house it could be a dark day for the
controversial politician. His spokesman Ron McKay said last night:
"The worst case scenario is that he would come out the house, be hit
with a big legal bill and be made bankrupt. The bill would amount to
around £2million and there's no way he could pay that. "If he stays
in he will not find out the appeal result. However, we are confident
he's not going to lose."
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/news/newsstory.jsp?id=1703
Preston
suggested that George was a cheat. Which didn't go down well.
"You're a sneak and a liar," George retorted "and you're exposed to
the world as a sneak and a liar." At this point Dennis added his
two-penny's worth - and soon him and Preston were shouting at each
other too. But George seemed most unhappy with the way things turned
out, saying to Preston, "You float around promiscuously, stroking,
metaphorically or literally, everybody's ass so as to protect your
own. We saw on the screen your real character portrayed for all to
see. And that's my last word."
Mark Steel
from The Independent
via UKWatch
at:
http://www.ukwatch.net/article/1371
And, if it does manage to wreck his fledgling
party, at least he’s done it in an original and fascinating manner.
The history of politics would be so much richer if say, accounts of
the demise of the Whig Party read: “Although there were
disagreements among the leaders with regard to the corn laws, the
major factor precipitating their downfall was the occurrence in 1841
of Viscount Melbourne appearing on a flicker card clambering under a
commode with Jane Austen while pretending to be a mouse on Celebrity
Big Brother.”
There are millions of
people who are not particularly interested in politics. People who
don’t read much other than a daily tabloid. People who have heard
over and over again, year in and year out - and in the vilest
terms - what a nasty piece of work George Galloway is supposed to
be. On the whole these people watch Big Brother - at least the
daily digest, often more. No matter how disinterested they might
be in politics, no one is ever going to be able to persuade them
again that George Galloway is evil. And the next time Galloway
makes an “important political speech” it is likely to be listened
to with more interest and less cynicism than that of perhaps any
other politician. Then Galloway will truly look like the cat that
got the cream. Power to the people!” Socialist Resistance
http://www.socialistresistance.net/Big%20Brother.htm Big Brother - in its 'normal' as well as
'celebrity' version - is part of the cultural apparatus of late
capitalism celebrating 'celebrity' itself. Non-celebrity contestants
have the chance of becoming celebrities, if only - like 'Nasty Nick'
- because they are famous for being regarded as hateful. Celebrity
in this stage of capitalism is a uniquely debased and mystifying
version of the Hollywood-created 'star system', generated in the
1920s and '30s. To be a 'celebrity' is to have charisma thrust upon
you, even if you are the most uncharismatic Channel 4 horse racing
tipster. In addition, Big Brother celebrates one of the
most threatening aspects of modern Britain - surveillence itself.
Britain is the most monitored and watched society in the world, even
if post-Patriot Act America is catching up. CCTV cameras capture
nearly every moment of your journey through major cities,
surveillence of the post, telephones and internet use is extensive,
and the surveillence/security ' indusrty' is burgeoning
http://respectuk.blogspot.com/
My guess is that after he's
evicted, or even wins, he'll have access to places he's never had
before. The OK and Hello magazine types will be new audiences.
Channel 4 may be muzzling him now, but that won't be the case when
microphones are thrust at him from all directions afterwards. …
GALLOWAY - YESTERDAY
reminded everyone BB is just game, which they are all taking far too
seriously. Today ranted: "I don't think I'm ever going to forget
having my rights taken away from me. If I ever have the chance to
repay those that took my rights...". At least he's consistent, eh?
Respect Blog
http://respectuk.blogspot.com/
Was it a mistake to go on
celebrity Big Brother? I for one feel that the risk was worth
attempting bearing in mind that a lot of money for charity will be
raised. Millions of young people watch this TV programme and no one
will ever be able to say George Galloway is a boring politician! The
programme has been biased against George at all times (along with
Big Brother’s Big Mouth) never showing him talking about the issues
that concern him. Had George known the level of censorship I feel
sure he would not have agreed to go on this programme.
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/news/newsstory.jsp?id=1703
Pete brought
up George's ban from nominating, a wound that had been festering for
days. When Preston objected to ancient history being revived, George
went for the jugular. "Pipe down Mr Indignation. We'll see what the
viewers thought of your double standards, your indignation about me
and the aplomb with which you become a lying plutocrat in your
gentleman's club. George this, Traci that, blah blah blah and give
me another cigar!"
Digital Spy
http://bigbrother.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds8851.html
First Dennis and Michael began to row but then
George stepped in to defend Dennis's corner. "I'm intervening," he
began. "You're attacking him, let me attack you. You woke me up and
because I wouldn't hand over one of my cigars - you threw a strop."
He continued: "You never let anybody speak, so now this time you
don't let anybody speak. Nobody gets one sentence into an anecdote
with you. You should address the fact you don't have any loyalty to
anyone... you are the most selfish, self obsessed person I have ever
met in my life. So put that in your pipe and smoke it." Angered and
shocked by George's accusations, Michael launched into an inspired
rant. "Listen to what you're saying... I do all the cooking just for
me, do I? You're worried about what's going to happen to you
outside, how you're perceived. So the biggest thing, the easiest
thing is to go for the easy target. George, you're going to be sorry
for what you started here - what you did to the kids. If you're that
sad George, it's no wonder Blair threw you out." "You never stop
performing 24/7...it's all an act," George shot back. "You don't
know the difference because you're a consummate performer yourself,"
Michael countered. "If you hadn't been nominated this wouldn't have
happened. You're worried about going through that door, don't go
through it, have a protest, sit down, do what you do. That is your
problem, do what you do. I don't care when I go through that door. I
care about me."
Respect Blog
http://respectuk.blogspot.com/
Big Brother
web-site
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/news/newsstory.jsp?id=1704
I cared a lot
about you. You stabbed me in the back," claimed George.
PRESTON -
The Sun
MP George is
prat it again
WHAT a lot of
stuff and bluster from MPs about
George Galloway sporting a quiff and
pretending to be a cat on Big Brother.
Do you know where your MP is right
now? Do you know what questions they
raise in Parliament or indeed if they
never turn up and spend all day at the
bookies? All the demos we saw on TV
from "disgruntled constituents" were
Labour Party activists in Bethnal
Green who are raging because George
ousted their candidate. Whether George
has done the right thing is debatable
- but politicians trying to make
capital out of it is hypocritical.
The Sun:
Galloway in Death Threat
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2006000002-2006030466,00.html
FANATICAL
supporters of Muslim cleric Omar Bakri
have denounced MP George Galloway as
“an animal”.
But
George is not the only political story in the Big Brother House!
Big
Brother web-site
Azania
blog
Respect
Blog
Meanwhile, away from the Parliamentary bubble, it does seem the tide
is turning. An unnamed Labour MSP was cited in the Herald yesterday
reporting that Galloway's CBB appearance was going down very well
with pupils at a secondary school he or she was visiting. They
thought more politicians ought to be doing things like that.
Big
Brother web-site
Never trust Big Brother! Well it’s happened;
Big Brother has made sure George Galloway will not win Celebrity Big
Brother. They claim he was once again discussing nominations, which
is against the rules (funny I have seen other House Mates such as
Pete do this with no punishment). The other House Mates were allowed
to decide if George could nominate this week and agreed he should
not be allowed to nominate. Later the nominations occurred, minus
George, and surprise, surprise George, Dennis and Chantelle (the 14
year old “princess”) were nominated. Of course this was not enough
to make sure George did not stay till the last night of CBB. So Big
Brother decided to have double eviction on Wednesday night! –
goodbye George!
Michael simply promised him: "You're going to be sorry for what you
said to the kids, and you're going to be sorry for what you started
here tonight."
Spiked on-line
http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CAF29.htm
my favourite Galloway moment had to be his declaration in the diary room that the British public had done well to evict a Page 3 tart like Jodie, rather than a leading left-wing anti-war crusader like him. He had the gall to say this with a straight face, while wearing white face paint and a Dracula wig. Come back Jodie, all is forgiven.
Evening Standard
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbiz/celebbb/articles/21474670?source=Evening%20Standard
As if things could not get any worse for George Galloway, he has now discovered the cardinal rule of trash-celebrity-reality television: don't mess with Big Brother.
Digital Spy
http://bigbrother.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds8788.html
George and Rula have sat down and sorted out their problems. During last night's surprise nominations, George accused Rula of having said she wanted to win. Rula decided to set the record straight, telling him: "I honestly never said anything to do anything with that word. The only thing I ever said was in Boxgate." "In that case," replied George, "somebody has misrepresented you. Someone said you had a few drinks - I don't want to say who it was - they said that you said that you had decided you were going to try and win it because you would be the first serious actress to win it." A confused Rula clarified: "No, I said that I was the first serious actress in the show. I said nothing about winning. I had no illusions about that. I saw within two days the immediate, obvious choice. I changed my mind." The pair then moved on to discuss the nominations without thought of whether they were breaking the very rules which landed George a spot nominating last night. "If I had been in with someone else," George confided, "that would not have been the three that I would have nominated, but given that I had to get agreement with the person that it was with, it was impossible to nominate anyone else in my opinion." He added: "You're wrong if you think it was an idee fixe in my mind. I had about five seconds if that to come up with names that the other person could agree with." George further explained that had he been in with another housemate, he would have nominated Preston and Chantelle, which would obviously not have been a possibility last night. "I had one idée fixe," he revealed, "and that was Traci. I would have nominated her under any circumstances. I could hardly nominate Dennis as well as Traci."
Respect Forum
http://www.respectforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54
He needs to be more accountable to Respect because his actions reflect on all of us in Respect. Unfortunately he is so scrutinised by the media he has to be very careful about everything he says and does. On the plus side, I hope the National Executive will reign him in a bit and also push more people forward into the media spotlight so the public don't get the perception that Respect is just George Galloway or that it is GG's party, because it is not. So it was therefore great to see Salma Yaqoob (Respect Vice Chair) on Question Time tonight.
Digital Spy
http://bigbrother.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds8794.html
The Queen could decide to punish George Galloway under an ancient law, according to reports. The 1382 Summons to Parliament Act allows the Queen to "amerce" - arbitrarily punish - the politician if she believes he has not "reasonably and honestly" excused himself from parliament to appear on the show. "Every one to whom it belongeth, shall upon Summons come to the Parliament," the law states. "If any Person of the same Realm ... do absent himself, and come not at the said Summons (except he may reasonably and honestly excuse him to our Lord the King) he shall be amerced, and otherwise punished." Martin Salter, Labour MP for Reading West, was among those urging the Queen to enforce the law. "Should Galloway be prosecuted under this ancient law I trust that the Queen would deliver an appropriate punishment," he said. "In my view Galloway should be sent back to the Big Brother house for the rest of his life with the instruction to perform deeming impressions of every animal that walks the earth."
The Sun
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2006000002-2006030081,00.html
MP George Galloway used a Big Brother task to pontificate about his credentials as a political leader. The housemates were instructed to paint self-portraits and to explain their feelings about their creations. If they completed the task they would win alcohol, cigarettes and cigars. George painted himself speaking at the February 15 2003 anti-Iraq war protest. He told the housemates: "My face is white because it was the coldest day for years. "My eyes are red because they were flushed with anger and passion and I am breathing fire." He told how two million people surrounded him and pointed out that his hands were always open when speaking. "My back is straight and broad because I am a straight-forward person and I have had to have a broad back," George said.
Respect Forum
http://www.respectforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54
Perhaps a small group could have been consulted, like the officers group? I think it's a bad thing that the 'up side' of this adventure is for Galloway's celebrity career, while the 'down side' is for Respect as an organisation. When you say "there will be a better framework for such discussions to take place" in future: I don't think that is guaranteed. If this is accepted as a precedent, if it decellerates Respect becoming a party, then we might not get to where we need to be as quickly as we could!
George
Galloway has faced a grievous punishment from Big Brother
George and Preston, caught up in the great race row earlier today held an 'illegal' conversation about who they had nominated for eviction from the house despite having previously been warned about this banned activity.
After Faria's eviction it was revealed that the two 'law breakers' would be punished, and that this punishment and the aftermath would be shown live later that evening.
What a punishment it was! Preston (the worse for drink) and George were called to the diary room and told they had to nominate three people for the public vote as their punishment. What they did not know was that their conversation was being transmitted to their housemates in the living room - and constituted public humiliation.
They nominated the inoffensive Maggot, quiet Traci and the motherly Rula, leaving un-nominated the most boisterous and fractious members of the house.
Whilst most of the housemates have focused, understandably, on their hurt feelings and recriminations for being nominated by the pair - there has been precious little discussion on how this punishment will have effected the standing of the two wrong doers in the house and could well lead to their vilification and expulsion from the house. Nor it seems is there much understanding that the pair did not choose to have the power to nominate their fellow housemates.
Of course Preston has already been let off the hook because he's young, pretty and isn't George Galloway. George has remained stoic but is visibly shaken by the episode that has palpably distanced him from turned the majority of the house. He'll have to pull a special trick out of the bag to turn this around, but on current form George is unlikely to be able to do this - as he is currently struck mute.
Big Brother could not have thought of anything more effective at destroying George in the house and ruining his previously ultra-close relationship with cat lover Rula. The coming days are likely to be dark ones indeed. But of course, that is the game.
George Galloway has been cleared of any wrong-doing in signing motions put before the Commons during the time he has been on Celebrity Big Brother.
Speaker Michael Martin said it was "clear" the Respect MP had signed the motions before entering the Channel 4 TV show's house earlier this month. Labour's Chris Bryant had asked if it was "entirely in order". But Mr Martin told the Commons - to laughter - that he was "satisfied" Mr Galloway had acted correctly. He said: "It was clear to me that the motions were signed before the honourable member went out of contact." Early Day Motions signed by Mr Galloway ranged from one congratulating Harold Pinter on being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature to another attacking the "obscene level" of city bonuses.
Galloway winning over fellow housemates (if not the press)
At last nominations George found four fellow housemates nominate him for eviction, but public distaste for the world's worst anti-bullying campaigner, Jodie Marsh, saved him from eviction. Now, after two housemates described George as their ideal father George has cut his nominations in half. He received one from Mr Barrymore whose pouting jealousy at George's generous gift of cigar's to Pete led him to nominate our man. Traci, a Baywatch actress, also nominated George because he broke up an argument between herself and another housemate - it takes all sorts!
But who did George nominate himself?
The Big Brother official site reveals "George proved that he's not
one for extremes by nominating Traci for eviction. He believed her
"extreme vegetarianism" was causing problems, that she was withdrawn
from the group, and that she kept provoking Dennis.
His next nominee was one-time soul mate Faria, who he described as being
ill, depressed, not having much to say, and famous for only one thing.
Kick a girl while she's down why don't you? "
Sun Online
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2006000002-2006020650,00.html
A RACE row engulfed the Celebrity Big Brother house today. Black celebs Dennis and Traci Bingham along with Faria Alam were at the centre of the storm which rocked the house for nearly two hours. The row started after Faria said the British public would not vote for a black or Asian housemate to win the reality show. .. ... When Faria joined Traci in the kitchen Rula told her: "I believe your opinion of the British public is wrong." MP George Galloway also jumped in and said: "The idea that people watching this show are bigots are preposterous."
Digital Spy
http://bigbrother.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds8731.html
George and Rula have advised
Chantelle on her next move when leaving the house.
The pair believe the newest entrant to the showbiz world could
have a career as a soap actress - and even a limited spell in the music
biz. "Don't say yes to
everything because if you take one wrong step, you might get offered
nothing else," George warned. "Say for instance you did Page 3, you'd be
finished for other things." ...
"No, she can't sing," said George bluntly, but added: "If it's possible
to release one Kandyfloss single - this one - I think you should do it,
right away. But I don't think you've got a career as a singer because
I've heard you sing." ... ...
"I would just let her be herself," said George, imagining himself as
her agent. "Say for instance in EastEnders, she could be in the counter
behind the caff."
Ireland on-line
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=169347514&p=y69348zzx
Irish Greens urge Galloway to quit Big Brother
Big Brother star George Galloway is squandering his talents by remaining on the Channel 4 freak show and must get out now, Irish Greens claimed today. Greens chairman John Gormley said the Respect MP is demeaning himself by behaving like a cat and arguing about cigars with fellow contestant Michael Barrymore. The Dublin TD said: “Mr Galloway is a brilliant orator and campaigner but these talents are not on display on Big Brother. Galloway should cut his losses immediately and get out of this freak show.” Mr Gormley also accused Mr Galloway of demeaning himself and discrediting the anti-war movement with his on-screen behaviour. “His discussions on the war have been censored and instead he has been shown engaging in petty intrigues with other housemates. “As an experienced politician George should know that recorded shows hand the initiative to the editor.” Mr Galloway has contributed enormously to the anti-war movement with his passion and conviction, Mr Gormley claimed. “I believe he will regret his decision to participate in this awful programme,” he added.
Daily
Mirror
GALLOWAY - The feline fool is now adding bossiness and ' big-headedness to his list of crimes. During the box task said: "If we go through this I will win. No one can defeat me." Thank God he didn't win, he'd have been like the cat that got the...oh.
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
http://smh.com.au/news/world/row-over-mps-favoured-charity/2006/01/15/1137259944358.html
LONDON: A charity that stands to make a six-figure sum from the MP George Galloway's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother is at the centre of a row between Britain, the US and Israel. After days of controversy over Mr Galloway's antics in the Big Brother house, it is understood that Israel's ambassador to London will hold urgent talks with a Treasury minister this week to demand action be taken against Interpal, the MP's chosen charity. The US is also putting pressure on ministers to blacklist the charity, which President George Bush has declared a terrorist organisation. Interpal, established in 1994, describes itself as "a non-political, non-profit-making British charity that focuses solely on the provision of relief and development aid to the poor and needy of Palestine". It will benefit from Mr Galloway's appearance fee, expected to be £60,000 ($141,000), and an estimated £100,000 from the show's text-message voting. Interpal has twice been the subject of investigations by the Charity Commission. On each occasion it found no evidence of links to terrorism. Despite this, Mr Bush recently blocked the charity's bank account and declared Interpal a "specially designated global terrorist" organisation. Interpal's website says it operates in Gaza, the West Bank and Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon, and works with about 150 registered charitable organisations in these areas. An investigation by the Charity Commission in 1996 found there was no evidence of any channelling of its funds towards the training of suicide bombers.
Daily
Telegraph
Michael Martin, the Speaker of the House of Commons, is to investigate how George Galloway has managed to sign a series of early day motions while appearing on television show Celebrity Big Brother. The inquiry follows a complaint from Chris Bryant, the Labour MP, that Mr Galloway's name has appeared on 12 early day motions since he entered the Big Brother house. Contestants on the show are not allowed contact with the outside world. "I wonder whether this is entirely in order for an MP who is not present, has no means of being in communication with this House, still to be able to sign early day motions," said Mr Bryant. "I do know that some MPs give authority to another MP to put their name on such a motion," said Mr Martin. "But I can't think of any Member who would do so in this instance. "I will look into the matter. That's the best I can do and I will continue watching Big Brother in my spare time."
Big Brother web-site
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/news/newsstory.jsp?id=1437
It's 1963 all over again. The Mods are squaring up to the Rockers and it's gonna kick off on the dancefloor. Well, that's the idea. Mods Faria, Preston, Maggot, Traci and Chantelle took on Rockers Dennis, Rula, Pete, Michael and George. "We wore knuckledusters," confessed former rocker George round the table as he waited his turn. Perhaps, he was just giving a gentle nudge to his Housemates not to mess with his dinner plans. George, looking like an extra from Grease, unveiled his inner rocker .
The
Guardian
A spokesman for the Bethnal Green and Bow MP dismissed the complaint [about signing early day motions] as a "pathetic new Labour stunt". He added: "All of these early day motions were signed before he went in - as any check will establish. All were signed on the 3rd or 4th. He signed them with his own hand." The MP entered the other house on January 5.
Cambridge Evening News
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/region_wide/2006/01/16/3c579687-d57e-42b0-82b5-fd6ab469038c.lpf
Tom Woodcock, a member of the Cambridge branch of Mr Galloway's party Respect, defended his Big Brother appearance and said it was "nothing short of bizarre" a cat impression had provoked such interest. He said: "A fortnight ago the mainstream media and politicians didn't care about the constituents of Bethnal Green and Bow, or the millions of Britons who are having their council houses, public hospitals and schools lined up to be sold to multinationals while our tax money is spent in Iraq helping George Bush secure contracts for the same profiteers. George Galloway has an excellent record of campaigning in his constituency, as well as nationally and internationally, against New Labour wars, cuts and sell-offs. His decision to go on Big Brother has again frightened the pro-private politicians and the corporate media into telling mistruths in an attempt to wash over the political issues that Respect stands for."
Big Brother web-site
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/news/newsstory.jsp?id=1441
During a civilised
chat over a beer, George took an interest in Goldie Looking Chain
and asked Maggot about the long-term potential of the band. "Does it
depend on that style of music staying in vogue?" he enquired. …
Steering the conversation away from the music itself, George adopted
a fatherly approach:
"Well look after your money when it comes," he advised. "it's very
easy to live the high life. Big mistake. Don't p*** it against the
wall, spending it on things where you've got nothing to show for it.
"You're not going to be jumping around like that when you're 50" he
cautioned. Tell that to Mick Jagger, George... … Continuing his
careers advice, he suggested, "The thing is to get into production
and management of other people, get on the other side of the camera
when you're 50."
BBC news
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4616622.stm
George Galloway is facing a House of Commons motion against him for taking part in Celebrity Big Brother. The motion, authored by Labour MP Martin Linton, expresses "dismay" at his decision to "absent" himself from the House to participate in the show. Respect MP Galloway missed a debate on the London Crossrail scheme, said to have "direct consequences" for his Bethnal Green and Bow constituents.
The Scotsman
Galloway aide admits TV fiasco http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=70102006
Yesterday his press adviser, Ron McKay, acknowledged that Mr Galloway's appearance on the Channel 4 TV show had badly backfired. Mr McKay revealed the MP would refund to taxpayers the amount of his parliamentary salary he has drawn during his stay in the house. He said Mr Galloway seemed unhappy in the house and was "withdrawing into himself". Contestants were joined over the weekend by Sir Jimmy Savile on a mission to make some of their dreams come true. Mr Galloway asked to go to the Oscars. Mr McKay said: "I knew the worst-case scenario would turn out to be something like this." He added: "George takes advice, but he is not a man that you can tell what to do."
The normally polite George Galloway
was so moved by Pete Burns (formerly of Dead or Alive) that he
exclaimed "You're a fucking star!" as he attempted to persuade
the fellow showman to remain in the house. Whether this sailor's
talk will have done the trick... it's too early to tell. Later
to Faira he came out with this intriguing gem; "There are lots
of things I do that I wouldn't want to see in the papers."
Frustratingly Faria did not press George on what these might be,
but he did add "But should they appear in the press, I'll have
done nothing I'm ashamed of." That's the spirit George.
What did George ask for Jim to fix it for him?
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/news/newsstory.jsp?id=1385
Jimmy may have been a wit and a raconteur,
entrancing the Housemates with his poptastic tales of yore, but
he had ulterior motives for visiting the House. In the spirit of
his classic TV show, Jim'll Fix It, he asked each of the
Housemates to write him a letter with a special wish they wanted
fixed...
George [wanted] a trip out west to Hollywood's annual celebrity pile-up at the Oscars, although he was careful to specify that he walked down the red carpet with the love of his life on his arm.
Respect Forum
http://www.respectforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27
If he
comes across badly, it will be us members on the ground who have
to answer for him. This was from an earlier post and I
totally agree with this. It is the activists in all areas who
are struggling to help build the coalition without resources or
help from the national office, as made clear at the conference,
who will have to answer for George's actions at stalls, when
leafletting at meetings etc.
I don't want to spend my time defending George Galloway he isn't
all that Respect is about. I think going on BB was an error of
judgement. I am not a follower of the programme and find the
whole idea of it disturbing. I have watched a couple to see how
George is coming across and nothing I have seen changes my mind
that it is an error of judgement. I have heard him complaining
that no one wants to engage in serious discussion or is
interested in his experiences but I'm sure any one of us could
have told him this would happen. He has said he wants to reach a
different audience but there are people I have talked to about
Respect who are not normally politically active who were being
swayed by Respect's policies and are now totally put off and see
his actions as a joke. Does he not see the damage it can do?
Jane Clements
With luxury items in short supply in the House, Preston has devised a plan to make his cigarettes last longer. ..
"I've given all my cigarettes to George,"
he revealed to fellow-smoker Michael. "So I have to go and ask
George whenever I want one."
"Oh God," responded Michael, alarmed at the concept. But there
was method in Preston's madness.
"I respect George so I'm not going to ask him for a cigarette
unless I really want one," predicted Preston.
"But you could give them to anybody," argued Michael.
"No, George is different," replied Preston. "I wouldn't ask him
as much as I'd ask you, for instance."
"Like a schoolteacher," suggested Michael.
"Exactly," Preston replied. "It's like giving them to your dad."
The Times Let's cringe together:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,24390-1985592,00.html
Galloway is a buffoon, puffed-up with self-importance and unaware of the hilariously ridiculous figure he cuts.
Respect Forum
http://www.respectforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27
Will this unusual move by George Galloway mean he gets to promote the message about Respect? Or will it undermine everything that has gone on before? In a time where suggestions at the National Conference about message boards, newsletters and time spent in front of computers are condemned as being a waste by National Council members, is spending three weeks locked in a house directly in the public gaze a good idea? Certainly this manoeuvre will raise George's profile, but it is my own opinion that one of Respect's challenges is to prove that there is more to the party (sorry, Coalition) than just George.
Big Brother Official web-site
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/news/newsstory.jsp?id=1333
Count dribbler can barely contain himself
Tonight's fright of the living dead party turned into a real thriller as Rula performed a striptease, raising cheers (and George's eyebrows) in the process. To the tune of 'Oh what a night' courtesy of the other Housemates, Rula decided to ditch the mummy outfit in a daring fashion. While the others applauded and cheered her on, George looked decidedly less undead than he had a few minutes earlier. And while Rula wriggled her way out of her bandages, George stared open-mouthed struggling to contain his delight. "Very nice," he murmured before giggling like a schoolboy. Managing to compose himself George asked Rula if she was performing the dance of the seven bandages.
The Age - Australia
James Sibthorp, 47, who runs an East End cab company, said: "It is an insult to local people that we've got our MP acting like a fool pretending to be a cat." Monir Ali, 50, a tailor, said: "I think a lot of people are regretting voting for him. A man of his importance should not be on a program like that." Mr Galloway's spokesman said he wished the cat episode "had not happened" and claimed the MP had been misled by the program makers and had his views on war and poverty censored. Big Brother producer Peter Bazalgette said the show was simply adhering to the broadcasting rules on political balance.
Rolled Up Trousers - Moslem Affairs Blog</
