Galloway on Question Time

[Andy the Don]

How many local council seats did Respect win this May..?? less than 20..??

The Green Party won 7 seats in lewisham alone, but when was the last time you saw a member of the Green party on Question Time..??

For the size of electoral support Respect seem to get a lot of airtime..

 

[astronaut]

I have to say that the case of Yvonne Ridley sickens me to my stomach, not she in herself, but her situation - kidnapped and then converts - it is clear she suffers from Stockholm Syndrome (even if she did convert only a few years later) - she need intense psychological councelling, something she seems to refuse to admit.

 

[Sue]

You wont be missed.

Ooooh!

 

[dylanredefined]

Yvonne Ridley comment about non cooperation was it paid for by the daily mail
/bnp ? seems destined for their headlines .Very sad .

 

[mutley]

How many local council seats did Respect win this May..?? less than 20..??

The Green Party won 7 seats in lewisham alone, but when was the last time you saw a member of the Green party on Question Time..??

For the size of electoral support Respect seem to get a lot of airtime..

I'm sure they have been on, but also Respect do have an MP unlike the Greens. They've got MEP's but that doesn't have the same punch as winning in a first past the post westminster seat.

 

[agricola]

I think there is one significant difference. In the 80s there was alleged disproportionate police activity targetted on the black community. But there was no aspect of that community which was at war (in any guise) with the UK and hence there was no explanation for that disproportionality at all.

Currently there is disproportionate police activity targetted on the asian / Muslim communities. But there is also a section of the Muslim world which is at war (however you wish to describe) it, with the UK (amongst others) and, hence, there is an explanation for that disproportionate activity.

Whilst any activity based simply on someone being asian / Muslim cannot be justified, activity properly based on intelligence, surveillance, etc. is likely to throw up statistical disproportionality in any event.

I agree with you, but unfortunately we have largely come to the point where "disproportionality" has widely been accepted as a fact that proves Police racism, so we will probably have to live with it.

IMHO they couldnt have picked a better panel for Galloway to be on.

 

[Jografer]

For the size of electoral support Respect seem to get a lot of airtime..

Isn't it Galloway rather than Respect who are getting the airtime, and that's mainly because he's bonkers, and the media wet themselves hoping he'll say something they can cluck & tut & get all uppity about..

 

[Fez909]

Just watched it on the BBC site and it was very good. I do like Galloway's style in telling it like it is, even though he does go on a bit. It's a shame that people like Lammy attack the person, rather than the point (not that he could, to be fair), and there's not a lot said about it.

 

[Fez909]

Isn't it Galloway rather than Respect who are getting the airtime, and that's mainly because he's bonkers, and the media wet themselves hoping he'll say something they can cluck & tut & get all uppity about..

This is the point I was just trying to make. Everyone attacks Galloway for his 'outrageous' comments, but it's as if the rest of what he says, which does get an airing quite often, is unheard.

 

[JoePolitix]

Yes Galloway's performance was good, although his reception from the audience was pretty bad, Liam Fox and even Lammy (or Lamey as I refer to him as - top satire that) got as good a reaction, if not better, than he did - normally he steals the show. Following big brother, the "assinate Blair" remarks and Respects unpopular response to the Forest Gate shooting Gallloway's opponents have now found the chinks in his armour.

Lamey (see what I've done there?) could criticise Galloway's self publicising narsacism whilst Fox could point out his Saddam apologism - remarks that resonated with the crowd (of course the question time crowd only appaud someone when they are criticising someone else). Galloway although distancing himself from bonkers Ridley still didn't go down well for his Forest Gate remarks - I think most of the public are worried about terrorism and dislike the way Respect are trying to gain political capital from the Newham raid.

But on most of the subjects Galloway was bang on the money - Zarqawi, the Iraq war and the NHS were all very well argued and a breath of fresh air to hear on mainstream tv. But one thing's for sure - he hasn't got the same credibility he had when he went on the last one fresh back from the senate hearing.

 

[detective-boy]

The use of the Community support officers as itelligence gathering has worked extremely well.

At £25k at time?

Statistics rather than anecdotal evidence please.

 

[Boogie Boy]

I think there is one significant difference. In the 80s there was alleged disproportionate police activity targetted on the black community. But there was no aspect of that community which was at war (in any guise) with the UK and hence there was no explanation for that disproportionality at all.

I find this interesting - particularly the last line "there was no explanation for that disproportionality at all". Can you clarify what exactly you mean by this?

BB

 

[Fullyplumped]

Lamey (see what I've done there?)

That's pure coruscating satire, so it is, marking you out as a master of wit and repartee. Did you invent the Bliar name too?

 

[Fullyplumped]

No. There is no law in England which requires anyone to give information about any crime. And you could only be convicted of assisting them in some way by doing something positive, simply keeping quiet about what you knew would not be enough.

Isn't there an offence of failing to give information about terrorism?

 

[detective-boy]

I find this interesting - particularly the last line "there was no explanation for that disproportionality at all". Can you clarify what exactly you mean by this?

I simply mean that if there was disproportionate stop and search or "sus" activity targetting black people no-one could say "Well we're targetting them because thats where the problem is coming from / is likely to come from". There were some efforts to do that, on a very localised basis, in relation to the disproportionate representation of black youths in particular types of crime (such as street robbery) where stop-search was a particularly useful tactic (probably the only reactive one likely to have an immediate effect to be honest), but I don't think it ever reached a particularly believeable / reliable level.

Unlike the current threat from terrorism motivated by extreme muslim beliefs / organisations which, by definition, is very, very likely to involve muslims.

 

[detective-boy]

Isn't there an offence of failing to give information about terrorism?

There is. It is far wider than in relation to general crime, but it's still not so wide as to be a generality I would suggest.

s.38B Terrorism Act 2000 say a person commits an offence if they do not disclose (to a constable) if they have information which they know or believe might be of material assistance in preventing the commission of an act of terrorism by some person, or in securing the apprehension / prosecution / conviction of a person for an act of terrorism.

I didn't mention it specifically as there was nothing in Yvonne Ridley's suggestion (such as I have seen reported) which suggested that she was referring to specific information. A general lack of cooperation with the police would not amount to obstruction in England and Wales.

 

[X-77]

it is clear she suffers from Stockholm Syndrome (even if she did convert only a few years later) - she need intense psychological councelling, something she seems to refuse to admit.

get a grip, there are plenty of converts to Islam around the world, it is very patronising to say that she must be suffering from some syndrome or other as a way of explaining her decision

and I was at the rally outside Scotland Yard today, most of the speakers echoed her view that Muslims should quit cooperating with the police full stop. Perhaps you have trouble empathising with the frustration and anger that has led some to this position because you yourself are not the target of constant media/police/govt harrassment.

 

[X-77]

But one thing's for sure - he hasn't got the same credibility he had when he went on the last one fresh back from the senate hearing.

In your opinion - he got a reasonable reception on QT as far as I noticed.

 

[X-77]

Isn't it Galloway rather than Respect who are getting the airtime, and that's mainly because he's bonkers, and the media wet themselves hoping he'll say something they can cluck & tut & get all uppity about..

so what has he said that you consider 'bonkers' (and please don't repeat the same old tired Saddam thing, that is so Zzzzzzzzzzz)

 

[JoePolitix]

In your opinion - he got a reasonable reception on QT as far as I noticed.

Exactly he got a "reasonable reception", not dissimilar to Lamey and Lame Fox. The last time he was on he got an outstanding response - I remember a speaker from the floor hailed him as a "hero" to a large round of applause.

Do you not agree that some of the activities and statements by Galloway made inbetween QT's have negatively impacted on the public's perception of him and this was reflected to some degree on that episode of QT (not that it really matters given that that crowd seemed to be full of middle england dimwits)?

 

[neprimerimye]

get a grip, there are plenty of converts to Islam around the world, it is very patronising to say that she must be suffering from some syndrome or other as a way of explaining her decision

and I was at the rally outside Scotland Yard today, most of the speakers echoed her view that Muslims should quit cooperating with the police full stop. Perhaps you have trouble empathising with the frustration and anger that has led some to this position because you yourself are not the target of constant media/police/govt harrassment.

Alas there are many converts to Isla that is true. Alas too there are many moe converts to Christianity. Alas rationalism is increasingly imperilled by such irrational belief systems and the reactionary politicians who so often manipulate believers.

More to the point Yvonne Ridley is rather atypical of converts to Islam. Certainly in Britain it would seem that most such converts are working class people who convert as a result of marriage with a believer. Ridley however is a rather privilged journalist whose professional career saw her working for right wing gutter sheets hostile to the working classes of whose life she has no experience.

It seems peculiar then that such an individual would convert to Islam despite lacking any personal connections with the Muslim groups in this country. It is quite legitimate to note that prior to her Afghan episode she was a litle remarked upon journalist for the right wong press who shot to fame as a result of her adventure. Given her noxious comments comparing the mysogynist Taliban with the fighters against fascism in Spain it seems only fair to note that this was without doubt a personal turning point for Ridley who has without doubt turned to a belief system she previously castigated.

What is for certain is that she personally does not experience police harassment as a very well paid hack who can afford very expensive private schools for her child. Her self appointed status as a spokesperson for the 'Muslim community' is then the purest hypocrisy and her comments demagogic crap. Whether or not this individual truly believes in the anti-humanist shit she claims to believe in is of no importance she was and is a third rate right wing hack.

 

[X-77]

Do you not agree that some of the activities and statements by Galloway made inbetween QT's have negatively impacted on the public's perception of him and this was reflected to some degree on that episode of QT (not that it really matters given that that crowd seemed to be full of middle england dimwits)?

I am in no position to say how the public at large view Galloway although there seem to be no end of people gushing down the phone to him on TalkSport, that's for sure... and as you yourself seem to imply, the audience of QT are hardly a cross-section of Britain by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[mk12]

a poll on radio 1 during big brother ha 97% of people not liking him So much for winning over the youth!

 

[Groucho]

a poll on radio 1 during big brother ha 97% of people not liking him So much for winning over the youth!

I didn't like him on BB either, but that hasn't destroyed his credibility on political issues imo.

 

[X-77]

a poll on radio 1 during big brother ha 97% of people not liking him So much for winning over the youth!

you mean when the vile wanker Chris Moyles ranted, raved and frothed at the mouth in gutter-press style about him all morning like he was the most evil person that had ever graced our television screens while repeating the number to text if you didn't like him? Funnily enough he forgot (ooh, about 97% of the time) to read out the number to text if you did like him..hmm, yes, that was a very scientific bit of research by the wonderful BBC radio 1 indeed