06/05/2005

Galloway bloodies Labour nose in Bethnal Green

Ousted Labour MP George Galloway has fought off a challenge from a staunch Blair loyalist to take the Bethnal Green & Bow seat.

The defeat is seen as a severe blow for Labour. Supposedly safe candidate 37-year-old Oona King a Blairite and supporter of the Iraq war was a high-profile 'Blair babe' who had previously returned a 'safe' 10,000 majority for the Labour-held seat. The close fought battle saw Mr Galloway, 50, who formed the Respect party take a slender margin in voting polling 15,801 votes to Ms King's 14,978.

Campaign workers and supporters engaged in a bitter battle, that occasionally lapsed into direct confrontation, as Ms King was pelted with eggs and had her car tyres slashed.

Mr Galloway said of his rival that his win was not so much over Ms King, but rather over Labour leader Tony Blair. He wished Ms King well in her future Parliamentary career and he said that he was sure that she would return to Government.

The anti-Iraq war Respect party contested 25 seats and Mr Galloway, who was expelled from Labour in 2003, congratulated his party colleagues some of whom he said had come a "credible second".

Last month, the outspoken Mr Galloway claimed that he had been issued with death threats by a group of Islamic extremists.

(SP/KMcA)

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