John Carlos speaks - highlights of the Bradford meeting

Scotland, occupations and Olympic icons - George writes in the Daily Record

For the best part of twenty years I sat in parliament with Dennis Canavan, the then bearded Leviathan on the left-wing Labour benches. The same religion, the same politics, the same football team. I co-founded Scotland United with him, to campaign for a powerful parliament for Scotland, upon which we were both denounced by Donald Dewar as "collaborators" (with the SNP). When New Labour treated him shamefully describing him as "just not good enough" to be in the Scottish parliament I stood by him, backing his election as an Independent MSP.

Last week on Scottish TV he described me as his "erstwhile comrade" because he has thrown in his lot with the SNP. It was the shape of things to come and a measure of the divisiveness of nationalism in this small country. Brother will be turned against brother, families will be seperated, motives will be questioned, and scars will be left which will never heal. It is the wrong course for our country as each passing day makes more clear.

Westfield hole occupied

Concerned residents of Bradford have started an occupation of the Westfield Hole in Bradford city centre this afternoon. It seems that a number of residents have decided to say enough is enough. Occupy Westfield are, we understand, determined to occupy the Westfield hole until Westfield go ahead with the centre they promised to build more than eight years ago, or the council takes the site back and does something constructive with it.

George Galloway was alerted to the occupation during the John Carlos meeting in Bradford and then went to the site to visit the Occupation and to hear the demands in person.

Race to the Line

With John Carlos, one of the Mexico ‘68 podium protesters, on a speaking tour of Britain, author of a forthcoming book on the Olympics MARK PERRYMAN describes the continuing clash of race and the Games

United on the Mexico podium by their fierce opposition to racism Tommie Smith, Peter Norman and John Carlos used the medal ceremony for what has become an iconic moment of public protest. Its durability as an image of anti-racism in sport and beyond is testament to the global platform the Olympics provided. Even before satellite TV and digital media, the dignified audacity of the three medal-winners became an overnight world-wide news story.

1968 Olympics protestor John Carlos speaks in Bradford

John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s defiant black-gloved salute on the 1968 Olympics winner’s podium brought worldwide attention to racial segregation and inequality in the USA.

Their show of defiance remains one of the most iconic images of the 20th Century. In Conversation with John Carlos will be a unique opportunity for people across the UK to discover the reasons behind his decision to raise his clenched gloved fist, and to learn how his gesture of defiance radically altered the course of his life.

26 May 2012: Chambers, Bradford - with George Galloway MP. Tickets £5

GALLOWAY ACCUSES WARD OF BACKING THE LOAN SHARKS

By voting against a measure to control payday loan sharks MP David Ward backed the exorbitant and exploitative rates of interest charged by unscrupulous companies who prey on the poor, fellow Bradford MP George Galloway hit out.

‘David Ward just needs to walk around Bradford to see the number of these loan shops. Some of these payday loan companies bleed poor people with stratospheric interest rates – sometimes of several thousand per cent,’ Galloway said. ‘He could have voted on Tuesday night to control this. He could have voted for the interests of his constituents but shamefully he voted for the status quo. No control. No sanctions. Just carry on as usual feeding off the poorest and most desperate and needy people.’ 

SAVE THE RICHARD DUNN CAFE, SAYS GALLOWAY

'The Richard Dunn cafe has a special place in my heart,' said Bradford West MP George Galloway. 'I spent a great deal of time there on the night I was elected to parliament. But while it's special to me it's also obviously special to many other people. I've had a string of letters, emails and phone calls from people who simply can't believe the council are closing the cafe. You can't have a leisure centre without a cafe. It's like football without the ball.'

Bradford MDC is intent on closing the cafe on June 10 to cut costs. 'This can only be a drop in the ocean,' Galloway continued. 'I urge the council to postpone this decision and talk to the staff to broker a solution. I can't believe that it isn't possible to both stop the losses and save the facility. It just needs a bit of imagination. I'd be happy to be involved in a salvage plan.'

GALLOWAY CONGRATULATES YORKSHIRE ON CHELSEA GOLD MEDAL

'What a magnificent debut,' said Bradford West MP George Galloway, congratulating Leeds-born garden designer Tracy Foster on winning a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show at her first attempt. He also credited the tourism authority Welcome Yorkshire for commissioning her.

'It's a double triumph,' Galloway continued. 'The idea for the award-winner, the Bronte Garden, was inspired. I'm looking forward to visiting it at Chelsea, as I am sure are thousands of others, and the added benefit is that it will encourage many, many people to visit Bronte country, bringing substantial revenues into the area. This is both an imaginary, innovative and brilliantly realised project,' he said.

The Real Deal with George Galloway

Seamus Milne of the Guardian talks to George about the crisis in Greece and across the Euro-zone.

Comment: Weekly debate with George Galloway

George: I'm as Scottish as they are . . . and I'll have my say

In an interview published in the Sunday Mail yesterday I argued the case against the partition of this small island of English speakers (apart from the Punjabi part in Pollokshields). Predictably the piece brought forward a rush of abuse from the anonymous internet bravehearts who lurk in the undergrowth waiting for apostates from the white heather club school of political science to stone. In fact not a few of them (even on a Sunday morning) had clearly started on the cream sherry. Many departed from the premise that anyone who could be elected to the House of Commons six times in four constituencies in two countries and be, well, quite prominent in politics actually was clearly an idiot and merely to say so in language as colourful as the tartan was sufficient to defeat their views. You can be the judge of that dear readers. These critics didn't bother me, I've faced worse.

Political lessons from Bradford's 'second Spring'

The defeat of Labour leader Ian Greenwood in the Bradford council local elections and his deputy leader Imran Hussain in the Bradford West by-election – both by Respect party candidates – ushers in the chance of new political possibilities in the city. Ratna Lachman writes in The Guardian

We cannot yet be sure whether Bradford is setting a new political template nationally by breaking the stranglehold of the three-party politics bunched up to the centre-right of the political spectrum, or whether the Respect victories at the by-election and council polls are just a local and temporary phenomenon.

What is certain is that the Respect party's succession of victories has shaken up the political establishment and highlighted the need for local leaders to wake from political stupor and stand up as champions for a city that appears to be in terminal economic decline.

Read full article here

Leading Bradford Conservative joins Respect

George Galloway this morning welcomed the latest recruit to Respect, Qurban Malik. Mr Malik has been an active Conservative for many years and was deputy chairman of the Bradford Conservative Party. He stood for the Tories in Manningham ward in the recent local elections.

"The old parties have failed Bradford," said Mr Malik. "Respect has shown it has huge support in Bradford city from an electorate desperate for change and desperate for a positive vision for Bradford's future."

George Galloway welcomed Mr Malik to the Respect Party just before the party's national council meeting, held in Bradford for the first time. "We are attracting support from all of the major parties and from that majority in the country which is increasingly saying none of the above. Mr Malik gave me invaluable personal support in the by-election. I am delighted that a man of very considerable standing has now decided to do everything can to build the Respect Party here in Bradford."

Debate the week's news: Comment with George Galloway

GALLOWAY SLATES MOVE TO REINSTATE SUSPENDED COUNCILLOR

George Galloway today expressed his outrage that a Bradford Labour councillor he is suing for libel is trying to pressure the party nationally into reinstating a councillor suspended over gross financial misconduct.

'A letter from Toller Councillor Arshad Hussain has come into my possession which is a lobbying request to other Labour council members to pressure the party in London into reinstating Imdad Hussain,' Galloway said. 'It's clear from the letter that Arshad Hussain finds nothing wrong with his colleague being struck off as a company director for seven years after he was quite blatantly unable to account for more than £1.3 million which flowed in and out of his company - clearly without any proper records. This is financial mismanagement on a monumental scale by someone who is clearly not a fit and proper person to be making decisions about public money. Arshad Hussain, too, by his support and his tawdry lobbying letter, has proved that he isn't fit to govern.' 

GALLOWAY CALLS ON HCA TO INSIST ON ODEON SAFEGUARDS

George Galloway welcomed an assurance from the Homes and Communities Agency that the distinctive features of the Odeon would be safeguarded if the present development scheme does not go ahead. But he added, 'Why aren't they insisting that these crucial architectural features must be retained in the Langtree scheme?'

He went on: 'The HCA have moved, and that's welcome, but they have not moved nearly far enough. They have said that they will seek another option if Langtree fail to deliver, but that would take at least another nine months or more and by that time the fabric of the Odeon would probably be beyond saving, thereby bringing about the scenario the developers want, the demolition of the iconic building. That just isn't acceptable.' 

George: 'Respect is surely due'

George writes in The Daily Record

WE fairly kicked backsides last week.

In just over 50 days, Respect has arrived in ­Bradford, won a landslide parliamentary by-election victory, won five rock-solid seats on the city council, gutted the leader, come second in three other seats and held the balance of power on that council.

A group of extremist Muslims, led by Anjem Choudary, the poppy burner, were burning green and red Respect rosettes in Bradford, claiming that democracy is forbidden for Muslims and telling me to go home - the last time that was shouted at me was in Airdrie.

The same day the Liberal Democrats were declaring we were the extremists.

In fact, we are the antidote to these extremists. We have shown democracy is not only not forbidden, but that it can work, that a people united cannot easily be defeated.

While they sow ­separatism, isolation, even violence, we seek the fruits of those universal values - justice, equality, peace and amity between the people and the faiths. You decide.

Bradford elections on the Real Deal

Respect take five seats in Bradford

Respect candidates have won five seats on Bradford City Council in the process defeating the leader of the Labour group Ian Greenwood. Our total vote across the 12 wards was 17, 817.

Respect won in Manningham (57.5%), City (56.1%), Bradford Moor (42.1%), Heaton (39.6%) and Little Horton (47.8%).

Bradford Respect win 5 council seats - results

Bradford Respect results 

Bolton and Undercliffe
Tazeem Sawaiz , 529, 13.7% 3rd

Bowling and Barkerend
Mohammed Asif Khan, 1525, 34.1% 2nd

Bradford Moor

Faisal Khan, 2720, 42.1% ELECTED

GALLOWAY DEMANDS CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S RESIGNATION

As the fourth recount was taking place in the Little Horton ward of Bradford MDC George Galloway branded the process as, "a farce, something I have never seen in 40 years of politics. After three recounts at the behest of the returning officer and chief executive Tony Reeves, he then granted another at the request of the defeated Labour candidate and council leader Ian Greenwood," Galloway said. "Respect won on the initial ballot and three different recounts - and the margin actually increased!. It's unprecedented in a council election. You have to ask if there is a conflict of interest here, the chief executive agreeing to the request of the man who effectively employs him.

"If this result goes against Respect we will take it all the way through the courts. We will not concede. And I will not concede in my demand that the chief executive Tony Reeves resigns immediately."

Weekly Discussion: Comment with George Galloway

ELECTION DAY - YOUR VOTE MATTERS

Vote Respect - Bradford deserves better

In London, Vote Ken Livingstone

Investment not cuts

GALLOWAY CALLS FOR EMERGENCY ACTION ON GUN CRIME

The Bradford West MP George Galloway today expressed his concern about the level of gun crime in the city.

'A firearms incident in Bradford almost every other day is completely unacceptable,' he said. 'As I've been out on the campaign trail I've been repeatedly asked by deeply concerned people - and particularly by businesses - about the number of crimes involving guns. While it's true that the number of incidents is down compared with two years ago, in fact they went up last year. We need to urgently address this issue. I'm calling for a top level meeting with the heads of all relevant agencies to devise a plan to eradicate gun crime from this city.'

According to West Yorkshire police there were 175 reported gun incidents last year, up from 160 in 2010. The number was 205 in 2009.

'There's a worrying upward curve here,' Galloway continued. 'I know that the police are trying to get on top of it but my concern is that the swingeing cuts to police numbers may contribute to a further rise in gun crime. The chief constable has warned that the force could be approaching a 'tipping point'. We must ensure that this does not happen.'