George Galloway, MP, expelled from the Labour Party in 2003, has won Bethnal Green and Bow, an east London constituency, from Labour incumbent Oona King. Galloway was elected for the Respect Party, a party that opposes Britain's involvement in the war in Iraq. Galloway was implicated by documents discovered in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein suggesting that he had been on Saddam's payroll, receiving funds diverted from the corrupt Oil for Food program.
BBC World Service just played a an interview between BBC Newsnight host Jeremy Paxman and Galloway. Here's how Paxman began the interview: "Are you proud of having driven out one of the few black women in Parliament?" Galloway refused to answer such a loaded question, but Paxman persisted, and Galloway terminated the interview after Paxman called him a demagogue.
I'm no fan of Galloway, but I don't blame him for walking off.
UPDATE: The BBC has posted a transcript and video of the bout with comments.
Comments (1)
i watched this interview on the website of bbc and find it most remarkable showing a way how an politician can handle questions of an interviewer. wish john kerry would have had some of this energy. nevertheless galloway seems to be a very problematic personality.
Posted by karl | May 16, 2005 11:15 AM
Posted on May 16, 2005 11:15