nice one, George

This is the website of the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork. As of November 2, this venue was graced by the presence of George Galloway MP, wowing the punters with the latest of his one man shows. At least it was according to the timetable here. (via)

Now, there have been some rather priggish complaints that Old Gorgeous wasn’t doing his job as an MP in the sense that he wasn’t acting as a kind of social worker in general practice for his constituents. He was never really elected for that. He was returned to Westminster as a walking, talking, litigating fuck you to the Prime Minister, his allies and his foreign policy, a job in which he has so far delivered full value for money and then some.

However, he does have the full rights of an MP. He can walk into Parliament any time he chooses, wander right into the chamber, speak on the issues. He can even vote on any issue that appears to him to affect the interests of his constituents. Chris Applegate takes up the story:

Yesterday's rebel amendment to the Terrorism Bill would have compelled those prosecuting the dubious crime of indirectly inciting terorrism to prove that the alleged inciter intended his or her words to cause an act of terror. It added a touch of sanity to an otherwise dangerously ambiguous law. It failed by one vote.

Curiously, scanning through the list of MPs who voted on the amendment, one name is absent. Given that many of the British Muslims who may well be affected by draconian anti-terror laws are resident within the area of Bethnal Green & Bow, it seems curious that the local MP (a certain Mr. Galloway) has not taken a particular interest in the debate.

And no, the pairing excuse won’t do. He should have voted against this. Now with Blunkett’s resignation and a single vote majority on the terrorism bill, Blair’s weakness has become the major British political story. Aside from the fact that he let a wretched piece of legislation through because he was off scmoozing in the Irish republic, think how much more Blair might have been weakened if the government had lost the vote. Nice going George. You fuckwit.

Comments

[dsquared]

Quite apart from this very valid point, I would have guessed that the Member for BG&B is at least as likely to get his collar felt himself under the new laws as many of his constituents, probably on one of his speaking tours. Talk about penny wise and pound foolish.

[Meaders]

Wouldn't have altered the outcome: in the event of a tie, the Speaker gets a casting vote. *However* he should have fucking turned up.