[A-List] Support George Galloway

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Galloway will be 'dealt with' by Labour after war
CATHERINE MacLEOD
The Herald, 3 April 2003

SENIOR Labour party officials yesterday decided "to deal" with George
Galloway only after the war is over to prevent him achieving martyr status
meantime.

But there was every indication last night that the Glasgow Kelvin MP will be
expelled from the party for his "gratuitously offensive" comments about
British soldiers and his Labour party colleagues.

Party sources in Scotland and London disclosed that they had received
hundreds of phone and e-mail complaints about Mr Galloway after he
vociferously condemned the prime minister and other Labour colleagues.

A Scottish Labour spokesman revealed that they had received more
communications about Mr Galloway in the last two days than the party had
received in the run-up to and duration of the war.

Although some Labour MPs would like Mr Galloway to be dealt with sooner
rather than later, they have accepted it will not happen until after the
war.

A Scottish Labour insider said: "The truth is that there is a decision that
he has gone too far, but timing is the issue now. Galloway might want to be
a Fedayeen martyr, but it shouldn't happen during the war."

John Reid, Labour party chairman, said last night: "I utterly deplore and
disassociate the Labour party from the reported remarks George Galloway has
made about the war in Iraq, British troops, the British government, and the
personal attacks he has made on his own colleagues in the parliamentary
Labour party.

"I am sure that the many members who have contacted the party on this matter
will understand that we are focusing on bigger issues at the moment.
However, they can rest assured that we are fully aware of their concerns,
which will be dealt with by the appropriate authorities in the party in due
course."

Hilary Armstrong, the chief whip, has received official complaints about Mr
Galloway and is now obliged to take the complaint to the parliamentary
committee, which will probably decide that it should proceed to the
parliamentary Labour party, where the final decision will be made.

Labour MPs believe he should automatically have the whip withdrawn. His
membership of the party will be decided by the party's national executive
committee, which will consider whether he should be expelled on grounds of
bringing the party into disrepute.

Scottish Labour sources believe Mr Galloway is positioning himself to stand
as an independent if he fails to be selected for a redrawn Glasgow
constituency.

Mr Galloway believes he has strong support in the wider Labour and Muslim
communities, and any move to expel him would lose the party votes.