George Galloway

crikey

Junior Members
Messages
137
Reaction score
0
I am a resident of the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency. My local MP is currently indulging his famed narcissism by appearing in celebrity big brother. This despite the fact that an important bill on the proposed cross rail scheme is due to be debated in the House of Commons this week. Bethnal Green and Bow is one of the poorest areas of the country. I suggest that Galloway's appearance on the program is disgraceful negelect of his parliamentary duties and an indefensible snub to me and my fellow constituent members. I recall that Mr Galloway was very popular on this message board previously - has anyone changed their minds yet?
 
Well I had intended to watch some of the new BB just to see if Galloway would rant for a bit, as it is though I've not managed to turn the TV on since it started. I'm undecided as to my real feelings about Galloway, but I do like the fact that he can be a very articulate thorn in the side of governments/businesses at times.

If you've got an objection to his behaviour, let him know about it.
 
But the point is that he was elected to do a job for which he is handsomely paid. Local government politics may not be the most glamourous thing in the world (perhaps this is why Galloway has such obvious disdain for it) but it is important, especially in a poor area with serious issues invlolving housing, crime etc. An immediate local election should be called so that Bethnal Green and Bow can get an MP who will actually do his/her job.

Incidently, Mistz - do you actually know who your local MP is? Many of them do a great job. Incidently, any Medway-ites around should know that their local MP puts alot of his personal energy into campaigning for what he believes is right, and he is a New Labour MP.
 
crikey said:
But the point is that he was elected to do a job for which he is handsomely paid. Local government politics may not be the most glamourous thing in the world (perhaps this is why Galloway has such obvious disdain for it) but it is important, especially in a poor area with serious issues invlolving housing, crime etc. An immediate local election should be called so that Bethnal Green and Bow can get an MP who will actually do his/her job.

Incidently, Mistz - do you actually know who your local MP is? Many of them do a great job. Incidently, any Medway-ites around should know that their local MP puts alot of his personal energy into campaigning for what he believes is right, and he is a New Labour MP.

I think he was elected as a protest against the Iraq war... many "one issue" MPs have poor voting records (incidently he's voted in the house more often than Tony Blair - although Mr. Blair usually has a better excuse ...). As an MP from a party with no power at all in the house - what would his vote achieve anyway ?

BTW: The hardest working MP in the house is Mark Oaten who's up for the LibDem leadership...
 
crikey said:
Incidently, any Medway-ites around should know that their local MP puts alot of his personal energy into campaigning for what he believes is right, and he is a New Labour MP.

Is this what it's really about Crikey? The fact that he's not New Labour and you've got a chance to make him out to be a bad MP. Is it really the case that Galloway doesn't put personal energy into campaigning for what he believes is right? If he didn't I doubt that we'd hear about him so much on the news all the time.
 
martin_e said:
I think he was elected as a protest against the Iraq war... many "one issue" MPs have poor voting records (incidently he's voted in the house more often than Tony Blair - although Mr. Blair usually has a better excuse ...). As an MP from a party with no power at all in the house - what would his vote achieve anyway ?

BTW: The hardest working MP in the house is Mark Oaten who's up for the LibDem leadership...

Yes but as a local MP his job is to do more than just vote in the House of Commons. He is supposed to be actively involved in the local area. He should be available in a weekly surgery for local residents to meet with him to discuss their needs. He should be working tirelessly for this area, not wallowing in celebrity on a TV program. Local MP's can achieve a lot in their area. Unfortunately it is not work that is usely recognised or appreciated (especially by some of the poster around here it seems).
 
grokit23 said:
Is this what it's really about Crikey? The fact that he's not New Labour and you've got a chance to make him out to be a bad MP. Is it really the case that Galloway doesn't put personal energy into campaigning for what he believes is right? If he didn't I doubt that we'd hear about him so much on the news all the time.

Okay, you obviously don't know who the Medway MP is then. Bob Marshall-Andrews - the most vociferous critic of Blair and New Labour that you are likely to find. Go check out his voting record. We hear so much about Galloway on the news all the time because he chooses to pursue his glamorous celebrity status much more than the unseen work of local government,
 
crikey said:
Yes but as a local MP his job is to do more than just vote in the House of Commons. He is supposed to be actively involved in the local area. He should be available in a weekly surgery for local residents to meet with him to discuss their needs. He should be working tirelessly for this area, not wallowing in celebrity on a TV program. Local MP's can achieve a lot in their area. Unfortunately it is not work that is usely recognised or appreciated (especially by some of the poster around here it seems).

Um... from the Parliamentary Factsheet "You and Your MP"
There is no statutory job description for MPs.

You are assuming he has to do these things - actually, he doesn't!

BTW: Sorry, it's Paul Burstow (LibDem) who's the hardest working MP. My mistake.
 
martin_e said:
Um... from the Parliamentary Factsheet "You and Your MP"


You are assuming he has to do these things - actually, he doesn't!

BTW: Sorry, it's Paul Burstow (LibDem) who's the hardest working MP. My mistake.

I'm not assuming he has to do these things - clearly he doesn't as he's not doing them. I'm saying that he SHOULD be doing these things as a local MP - especially as an independent.
 
crikey said:
I'm not assuming he has to do these things - clearly he doesn't as he's not doing them. I'm saying that he SHOULD be doing these things as a local MP - especially as an independent.
But as an independant there's far less reason for him to do it. Say the cross-rail committee decides that they want to bulldoze his entire constituancy and burn his constituants in oil for a laugh. What, precisely, do you think he would be able to do about that ? In any local or national Government decision his independant view that the wrong decision has been made will instantly be outvoted by any others toeing a party line...
 
martin_e said:
But as an independant there's far less reason for him to do it. Say the cross-rail committee decides that they want to bulldoze his entire constituancy and burn his constituants in oil for a laugh. What, precisely, do you think he would be able to do about that ? In any local or national Government decision his independant view that the wrong decision has been made will instantly be outvoted by any others toeing a party line...

No, as an independent there is more reason to expect him to devote himself to local politics. Politics is not just voting in the House of Commons - local government achieves a lot regardless of the macro policy decisions of the government. As Galloway cannot influence central government in any meaningful way due to his independent status, he should devote his time to local governemnt politics where he can make a huge difference as he is THE local MP. Unfortunately that's just not glamorous enough for this particular charlatan.
 
crikey said:
Okay, you obviously don't know who the Medway MP is then. Bob Marshall-Andrews - the most vociferous critic of Blair and New Labour that you are likely to find. Go check out his voting record. We hear so much about Galloway on the news all the time because he chooses to pursue his glamorous celebrity status much more than the unseen work of local government,

You're right I had no idea who the MP for Medway is, but then I live nowhere near there and somehow I doubt that you know who mine is either. That he's a critic of New Labour doesn't surprise me, there's a lot to criticise, that he's New Labour himself probably isn't the greatest of help in that case. As to him being the biggest or most vociferous critic of New Labour, how can you measure that? Surely that honour would go to some of the opposition or to the ex-members of New Labour?

Still, if you've a problem with Galloway being your MP and not fulfilling the role you think he should play, then complain to him or run against him yourself next time or something.
 
martin_e said:
Yeah, he's THE local RESPECT MP in a council of NEW LABOUR politicians. He has an impressive title but no power at the local level either ...

Although obvously not holding unlimited power to change the East End, Galloway does certainly have real influence as the local MP to push forward his agenda for improving the local area. To say that he has no power at the local level is simply incorrect, and certainly no excuse for him to abandon his post!
 
grokit23 said:
Still, if you've a problem with Galloway being your MP and not fulfilling the role you think he should play, then complain to him or run against him yourself next time or something.

Er thanks for that penetrating advice. I will be complaining to the man himself - there is currently a protest group camped outside his office demanding his resignation. In the mean time I thought I'd discuss the issue on a politics discussion board. What is your opinion of Galloway and his decision to appear on Big Brother? What is your opinion of big brother and the celebrity obsessed consumer society that in my opinion it reflects?
 
crikey said:
What is your opinion of Galloway and his decision to appear on Big Brother? What is your opinion of big brother and the celebrity obsessed consumer society that in my opinion it reflects?

See my first post in this thread for some of the answers to that.

Most people could probably guess my thoughts about BB and celebrity obsessed consumer society from the fact that I mentioned I haven't managed to bring myself to turn my TV on.

Zoe's article in the Guardian (Martin put up a link to it earlier) seems quite balanced and fair and tbh I don't think he's doing anything too wrong really.

A more relevant question may be, is Galloway obsessed with celebrity itself or with the media spotlight which allows him to put his views across?
 
Back
Top