George Galloway and Oona King

Oona King's diary in the New Statesman is worth a read. The final words:

On Monday my constituency office formally closed, exactly four months after the election. Bizarrely, thinking of the count always makes me smile. It was a memorable night and I love memorable nights. Even now, constituents still knock on the door and stop me in the street to ask if I'll help with their cases.

"But you've got to help me. You helped me for years."

"I'm not your MP any more. I lost the election."

"What election?"

God bless 'em all. And they can contact Mr Galloway via the House of Commons switchboard.

Whatever you think about her politics, Oona was an excellent constituency MP, doing a huge amount of case work in one of the poorest places in Britain. Whereas George never turns up in Parliament, and turns up in Tower Hamlets even less. In this Parliament, George has managed to attend 13% of votes (he couldn't make the Islamophobia debate, for example) and has asked one written question. He last turned up more than two months ago, asking a question about fire engines.

There is also an interview with Oona in the Guardian a couple of weeks back. Money quote on George:

"It's rational to be incredibly angry about what's going on in Iraq, and there are many principled arguments against it. Having said that, my opponent possibly wouldn't know a principled argument if it hit him over the head."

Links: The truth about George Galloway, Lerterland: Just so we're clear, Lerterland: Hitch/Galloway, the aftermath, The Christopher Hitchens Web (lotsa links on The Grapple), Baggage Reclaim Galloblog, George comes Sarf, Nav Purewal: Chasing George [a democratic left critique, found via Eric the Unread]

Tags: iraq, left, galloway, hitchens, New Labour