George Galloway Britain’s latest MP as soon as pretended to be a cat on Big Brother

George Galloway, certainly one of Britain’s most divisive politicians, is to make a shock return as an MP after profitable the Rochdale by-election.

In a dramatic evening, the chief of the Workers Party of Britain declared “this is for Gaza” in his victory speech, earlier than criticising Keir Starmer and vowing councillors within the Labour-run city corridor “have to go”. The maverick politician’s speech was then interrupted by a heckler who accused him of being a “climate change denier” earlier than she was drowned out by shouts of “Gall-o-way! Gall-o-way” from his supporters.

The controversial determine served as a Labour MP from 1987 to 2003, earlier than being expelled from the celebration after bringing into into disrepute. Labour, who withdrew their candidate in Rochdale’s by-election after an antisemitism row, launched a fierce assertion after Mr Galloway’s victory describing him as “only interested in stoking fear and division”.

After being expelled from Labour in 2003, Mr Galloway served as an unbiased MP, earlier than becoming a member of the now dissolved left-wing Respect Party, for which he served as an MP between 2005-2010, and once more in 2012-2015.

He has loved help from some left-wing teams for his staunch help of Palestinian causes, however his profession has been mired in controversy, with accusations of utilizing sexist, homophobic and antisemitic language by his opponents – which he denies. The Mirror has rounded up a few of his most standout moments.

Praising Saddam Hussein

Mr Galloway has lengthy been vocal on points within the Middle East. While he stated he opposed President of Iraq Saddam Hussein’s regime, he was broadly criticised over a 1994 go to to Iraq when he was filmed apparently praising Saddam Hussein. He stated: “I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability.” Mr Galloway has insisted his feedback have been addressed to the Iraqi folks.

In 2005, following the defeat of Saddam, Mr Galloway was summoned to the US Senate the place he was grilled on claims that Saddam’s authorities had given him the rights to purchase 20 million barrels of oil to promote at a revenue.

Mr Galloway shocked the world as he fiercely defended himself. Catching senators off-guard, he blasted: “I’ve by no means seen a barrel of oil, owned one, purchased one, offered one, and neither has anyone on my behalf. The actual sanctions-busters weren’t me [but] your individual corporations with the connivance of your individual authorities.”

Fall our with Tony Blair

Mr Galloway served as an MP within the lead as much as the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Then-Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair dedicated Britain to the US-led battle coalition. Then-US President George Bush declared the goals of the invasion have been “to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people”

Mr Galloway was staunchly towards the invasion. He claimed the battle was unlawful and urged British troops to not comply with “illegal orders”, and referred to as then Sir Tonyand Mr Bush “wolves”.

He was finally expelled from Labour in 2003 after being discovered responsible of 4 of 5 fees of bringing the celebration into disrepute. Outside a listening to into his behaviour, he stated: “This was a travesty of justice, a politically motivated kangaroo court. The verdict was written in advance.” He stated Sir Tony’s “response to the disaster of the war is to attack those who opposed the war”.

Police investigation over Bradford ‘Israel-free’ zone remark

In 2014, Mr Galloway was investigated by police over feedback he made declaring Bradford an “Israel-free zone”. Mr Galloway, who was then a part of the Respect Party, served as MP for Bradford West between 2012-2015.

A recording of the assembly of celebration activists confirmed Mr Galloway saying: “We have declared Bradford an Israel-free zone. We don’t want any Israeli goods, we don’t want any Israeli services, we don’t want any Israeli academics coming to the university or the college, we don’t even want any Israeli tourists to come to Bradford, even if any of them had thought of doing so.

“We reject this unlawful, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel. And it’s a must to do the identical.” The police received complaints about his comments and investigated him. He was later cleared.

Mr Galloway heavily campaigned in Rochdale on the Palestinian cause and Gaza. During the by-election campaign, he called Israel as an “apartheid” state and chants such as “from the river to the ocean”, which are considered antisemitic, have been allegedly heard at rallies. Mr Galloway denies he is antisemitic but was criticised by Jewish groups during the campaign. Director at Public Affairs for the Board of Deputies of British Jews Daniel Sugarman last month described him as “maybe probably the most hideous particular person in politics”.

Antisemitism row with Tottenham football club

In 2019, Mr Galloway was sacked from talkRADIO after praising Liverpool’s win against Tottenham in the Champions League, earlier than including: “No #Israel flags on the Cup!”

He said he tweeted it after claiming he saw Tottenham fans with flags of Israel. The football club said it was “astounding this present day to learn such blatant anti-Semitism revealed on a social platform by somebody who remains to be afforded air time on a radio station”.

Mr Galloway defended the comment, claiming the flying of the flag of Israel in the crowd by fans showed an affiliation to a “racist state”. But talkRADIO said it had cancelled Mr Galloway’s show, adding: “As a good and balanced information supplier, talkRADIO doesn’t tolerate anti-Semitic views.”

Pretending to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother

Outside of politics, Mr Galloway is recognised by many as having appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 where he role-played being a cat and licked the hand of fellow contestant, actress Rula Lenska.

The impression was as part of a task where he would win treats for the house, but his and Rula’s antics came across as strangely sexual. He asked Rula: “Now, would you want me to be the cat?” He then crawled around on all fours and pretended to purr while Rula stroked his face and said “right here pussycat,” in a soothing voice.

Rula mimed pouring milk right into a saucer and holding it out for George, who buried his face in Rula’s fingers and pretended to lap it up. “Good girl,” stated Rula, wiping his face whereas George licked his lips.

In an interview with the Telegraph in 2022, Rula described the scene because the worst second of her profession. When she was requested for the low level of her profession, she stated: “The photograph of George Galloway in my crotch pretending to be a cat during Celebrity Big Brother. It was completely innocent, but the angle it was shot at made it look salacious. Big Brother wasn’t the most wonderful experience, and seeing the picture on the front of every newspaper including The New York Times was a bit galling.”