Posted on 10/23/2003 8:06:15 AM PDT by areafiftyone
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 had already branded a disciplinary hearing a "show trial".
He said he would "certainly" run as an independent at the next election and that Labour would rue the day it decided to throw him out.
Mr Galloway 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:
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."
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.
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.
'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.
"I felt sadness that the Labour leadership had put up this man to try to make a silk purse out of the ugliest sow's ear I have ever come across in 30 years in politics.
"Every fact that could be twisted, every motive that could be distorted or invented, every twist of words that could be perpetrated for hour after hour was tried by the Labour Party deputy general secretary.
"This show trial is about my views, honestly held and honestly expressed, which were as it happens the views of millions. "
Mr Galloway gave his evidence to the party disciplinary hearing on Thursday morning.
Ahead of the hearing, a Labour spokesman said: "George will be treated exactly like any other party member.
"George's appearance before the committee is not in any way linked to his views on Iraq."
Because no one is sure that they really hurt the image of a bunch of sorry democrats.
Said McAuliffe, "George Galloway embodies the ideals of the Democratic Party better than any current candidate. Since we are unable to generate sufficient support for permitting Bill Clinton to serve a third term, this is our last best hope to field a candidate willing and capable to stand against the wishes and interests of the American people."
When asked about potential problems with the constitutionality of such a measure, McAuliffe said, "Look, this is nothing new. We've been passing unconstitutional legislation for decades, and it's never stopped us before. This is hardly the time or the place to start carping about such quaint, outmoded and obsolete notions as 'constitutionality'. We need to move forward, and George Galloway is the right person for the job. The Democratic Party has the money and the attorneys necessary to do this, and I warn the Bush administration and the American people that it will be in their best interests not to oppose us on this."
Yep. Exhorting enemy troops to kill British ones and then found taking money from their dictator - just one big fuzzy cuddly puppy, Mr. Galloway.
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