| suva chintak |
Posted
on 23-Oct-03 09:49 AM
Is this how the hallowed British democracy deals with political dissent? How is this different from more authoritarian/dictatotial practices?
Read the interesting news from the BBC:
Galloway expelled by Labour
George Galloway has been expelled from the Labour Party in the wake of his outspoken comments on the Iraq war.
The MP for Glasgow Kelvin immediately denounced the decision as "politically motivated" and he pledged Labour would rue the day it decided to throw him out.
But Labour chairman Ian McCartney insisted that party had been right to expel a man who "incited foreign forces to rise up against British troops".
"He was the only Labour MP to do this and he has never taken back or apologised for these comments," he said.
Mr Galloway said he would "certainly" run as an independent at the next election and might quit to run against Labour in a by-election.
He faced five charges relating to a television interview during the war in which he accused Mr Blair and George Bush of acting "like wolves" in invading Iraq.
The charges faced by Mr Galloway were understood to be that:
he incited Arabs to fight British troops
he incited British troops to defy orders
he incited Plymouth voters to reject Labour MPs
he threatened to stand against Labour
he backed an anti-war candidate in Preston
He was found guilty of all but the third charge.
The accusations were judged to break a rule which bans "bringing the Labour Party into disrepute by behaviour that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the party".
There is no right of appeal against the ruling, although it is possible that it could be challenged in the courts.
Mr Galloway said: "This was a politically motivated kangaroo court whose verdict had been written in advance in the best tradition of political show trials."
I intend to make sure that Tony Blair regrets this day
George Galloway
George Galloway profile
He went on to warn that Labour might well act against other MPs opposed to the Iraq war such as Glenda Jackson and Bob Marshall-Andrews.
And he added that the anti-war movement "is not going away".
"Labour will rue the day that they took this decision," said Mr Galloway.
He said that he had been a member of the party for 36 years having joined when he was just 13-years-old.
"I was prominent in the Labour Party when Tony Blair was just an ugly rumour," he said in a jibe about the prime minister's student band.
Health jibe
In a reference to the prime minister's weekend health scare, Mr Galloway continued: "I am still under 50-years-old, I have a strong heart."
He said he would stick around to "fight with every bone in my body to bring a lying, deceiving prime minister to account".
HAVE YOUR SAY
George was simply reinforcing the view of the British public on the Iraq war
Andy, Leeds, UK
Send us your comments
He added that he was determined to stay in public life.
"I intend to make sure that Tony Blair regrets this day," he said.
Three members of Labour's 11-man National Constitutional Committee heard evidence both from Mr Galloway and from deputy general secretary Chris Lennie.
Character witnesses for the MP included former Labour cabinet minister Tony Benn.
He was quick to attack the decision to expel Mr Galloway.
"The message that is sent out is: if you are in favour of the UN charter and peace, then don't be a member of the Labour Party because if you do, you might be expelled," Mr Benn told BBC News 24.
'Demeaning'
The disciplinary committee was made up of Labour "rank-and-file" members Noel Jenkins, Rose Burley and Lee Vasey.
On Wednesday, Mr Galloway said: "While I have no complaint about the conduct of the tribunal itself, the evidence of the Labour Party's only witness, it's own deputy general secretary, was a sad, degrading and demeaning affair."
Rose Burley, chair of the National Constitutional Committee panel, said in a statement: "Following the case brought by the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party to the National Constitutional Committee and after a two day hearing the unanimous decision of the panel of the National Constitutional Committee found four of the five charges brought against Mr Galloway proven and the decision of the panel was that Mr Galloway be expelled from membership of the Labour Party forthwith."
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