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This is LBC,
Leading Britain's Conversation with
James O'Brien. Call 034560973.
Tweet at LBC. Text 84850.
James O'Brien on LBC.
It's 4 minutes after 11. You're
listening to James O'Brien on LBC. We
broadcast from London, but across the
entire nation, of course. And my guest
this hour is a politician who's had a
well, he's had a foot in many
constituencies across this country, but
seeks next the city hall of the capital,
George Galloway will be running for
mayor uh as an independent candidate.
We've learned today that Zach Goldsmith
has added his name to the list of those
seeking the conservative candidacy.
We've heard, of course, from the likes
of um Sadi Khn and Tessa Jao for the
Labor candidacy. David Lambie also in
that battle. Uh but it will be George
Galloway's candidature that perhaps
raises the most eyebrows.
And I say that George Galloway because
you've only just lost a bi-election. Uh
not a bi-election, a general election
constituency. Uh yeah, but I have lived
in London for 35 years. My children were
born, grew up here, go to school here.
Uh I'm uh more of a Londoner than many
who of course the majority of uh people
that are now living in London were not
born here. So I don't feel like I'm any
kind of foreigner. It it wasn't so much
the suggestion that you're an alien that
I was intrigued by. It was the sort of
suggestion that you know up in Bradford
West just just a month and a half ago
that that was your top priority. That
was where you wanted to serve. And and I
guess I want you to address the
suspicion that you just you just want
power and you don't care where it comes
from. No. No, I declared uh at least two
years ago that I was interested in this
job. And I told Sky News at some cost in
the middle of the general election
campaign that uh if I was uh not
reelected in Bradford, I'd be running
for mayor of London. And the media
picked that up and ran with it. So, this
is not any kind of surprise. Why do you
want it? Well, I think that London, one
of the greatest cities in the world,
needs leadership. And I didn't feel that
the field that was on offer when I
declared uh was up to the job of
rallying and uniting the great majority
of Londoners who are not of course the
people of the square mile. They're not
the people that are dripping in gold
that are to be found on red carpets
outside in Leicester Square. They are
increasingly millions of them pushed to
the edge literally and metaphorically
pushed to the edge economically pushed
to the edge geographically unable to
live in London even though they have to
work here and we need them to work here
and of course there are huge and diverse
communities many of which I'm really
quite strong in. So you will be
championing the victims of austerity,
the dispossessed, the the losers as it
were. Like in Barcelona and in Milan and
Rome to some extent in New York, mayors
have been being elected, speaking for
that marginalized majority, speaking for
the 99 rather than the 1%. Uh, of course
you've got to uh have ideas on housing,
on transport, on policing, on economic
powers, on culture and so on. But we
we'll get on to those. You mentioned
leadership. What are your leadership
credentials? Well, I've been elected six
times to parliament, as you said, in
four different constituencies in two
countries, Scotland and England. I have
been in politics for 40 years. I helped
build the biggest mass movement that
Britain has ever seen, the anti-war
movement in the run-up to the You didn't
leadership credentials. George, you
didn't lead the anti-war movement. I was
and I'm the the the vice president of
the stop. There you go. The vice
president. What's the definition of not
being the leader in terms of what you
have taken personal responsibility for?
Running a city like London is not like
running a a political party that you set
up yourself. Uh, no. Of course, none of
the candidates involved have uh
governed. And when they're here, I'll
ask them about their leadership
credentials, but they're not. So, I'm
asking you about your Well, I'm I'm
telling you about my leadership
credentials. And uh a lot of people uh
recognize them. That's why I'm here.
It's why the bookmakers are narrowing
the odds because they believe that I can
lead movements of people. And that's
what I'm trying to do here. lead a
movement of people who will challenge
the prevailing orthodoxy that London is
run by and for the elite. And you've
just announced Zach Goldmith. He's a
friend of mine. If you're going to have
a multi-billionaire trust fund child as
your mayor, he's definitely the best one
to uh have. Uh he's he's a good uh and
honorable uh person, but he's undeniably
a part of the elite. And I'm speaking
for those that are not. Well, yeah, it
depends how you define elite, doesn't
it? You mention a career politician is
is someone who many would consider to be
a part of the elite as well, regardless
of how how many maverick paths they may
have been down over the years. You can't
deny that you're a career politician.
That's the other sort of phrase that's
used to to denigrate people seeking
office. Either you're a member of the
elite or you're a career politician.
You're you're he's one, you're the
other. Well, I think that all the
candidates are politicians. Uh people
will choose what kind of politician. I
think even my worst critic and I'm
waiting for their call. Uh let me just
remind people of the number if you're
listening. George Galloway's worst
critic. 034560973
is they acknowledge that I'm not like uh
other politicians. If I had been, I
wouldn't have put myself in the position
of being expelled by Tony Blair over the
Iraq war. I wouldn't have taken up
causes that I did from my teens and
stuck to them uh through thick and thin
over many decades. Uh and I might have
prospered in the in the political class.
Uh but I didn't and I don't regret it.
The situation in Bradford West, I just
want to clarify. A few people are asking
on Twitter. You you you you mentioned
that you were going to challenge the
result up there, but you did you miss
the deadline? No. Uh there's a section
106 uh complaint by us uh which the
police are investigating
uh and uh we better not go too deeply uh
into that in the middle of a police
investigation into it. But it's a very
serious complaint. I believe that it
will lead to the setting aside of the
Bradford West uh result that will result
in a bi-election. I will not be a
candidate. I'm running for mayor of
London. So, this is the only Yes. job on
your to-do list at the moment. Um, you
haven't properly addressed the the the
suspicion, and I appreciate that you
want to represent the 99% and you want
to lead London into a into a brave new
future, but but to talk about George
Galloway, the man, there is a a
widespread perception that you just sort
of can't cope with not being in the
spotlight, that that you need Well, I
didn't ask you for a spot on this show.
You asked, but you asked to run for
Matt. Yes, but I didn't ask. That's why
you're here. Can you put me on the
legendary James O'Brien show? You, the
legendary pursued pursued me. So, if you
think about it, that's partly why. Cuz I
wanted to ask you questions like this.
Yeah. You You wanted to bring me on your
show so you could ask me why I'm on your
show. No, I wanted to bring you on the
show to ask you why you're running for
mayor and whether there's any truth in
the suggestions that that you need the
oxygen of publicity. No, I have no need
of the oxygen of publicity, but I am not
short of it. I have no need of
audiences. I have many on television.
I'm currently negotiating a new radio
show. Uh I'm making a film. I don't know
that this is proof that you don't have a
desire for the spotlight. No, that's my
point. I'm not short of audience. I'm
not short of spotlight. Uh but it's if
you don't mind me saying so to a legend,
it's a kind of a silly question. You ask
me to come on your show to ask me why
I'm on your show. No, but I didn't
George I just I'm telling you what
people think and a lot a lot of people
think that it's more about George
Galloway than it is spotlight then it is
about the poly I'd like to find out
whether they're right or not. I said you
you should know this. You used to
present a radio show yourself. Me a
spotlight so you can establish whether I
want a spotlight. No, I'm inviting you
on I'm inviting you on to a radio show
because you want to run for mayor and
I'm examining your motivation for
running for mayor and wondering how much
vanity plays a part in that motivation.
That's all. It's not complicated.
Heaven. I'm not the first person to call
you vain forend vanity. A politician
with any vanity or evil. Well, the
suggestions you've got even more than
most. That's all I'm seeking to
understand. And that will be reflected
in the in the Do you think you do? No, I
certainly don't think I do. But the
That's where the nickname comes from,
isn't it? Which nickname? The gorgeous
George nickname, doesn't it? Come from a
perception that you are quite vain. I
don't see why it's a difficult question.
No, I was quite handsome then. It was 40
years ago. Uh I was quite handsome. I
didn't give myself the nickname. No, but
I'm talking about the perception of
voters. You're supposed to care about
that. Uh well, I'm running on my record
and on my abilities and on the program
I'll be putting forward. If people think
that I'm doing it because I want to be
in the spotlight, no doubt I'll not be
able to count on their votes. I'll put
them down as doubtful. I was hoping you
might say something that would disprove
them or or or disprove such a a charge,
James. Well, that's what I'm asking you.
No, how does one Well, you might list
all of the things that you're desperate
to do and would continue to be desperate
to do even if you do that. You said
we'll come on to that later. You're
bogging us down on whether or not I'm
seeking the spotlight. Well, you are
seeking the spotlight. You've admitted
that yourself. You've just said I've got
lots of other spotlights as well. So,
life is I have no shortage of
spotlights. I don't need to run for
mayor of London. That's my point. All
right. So we will move on to why you are
and the things that you seek to do for
the city. Let's begin with one of the
most crucial questions that any mayor of
London will ever face. And then with
respect, you'll have to put your
headphones on for this George. With with
respect, once we've dealt with this, we
will not have any other mention of the
issue. We'll come to Mo first, I think,
after the travel news and um and and
find out what it is you are going to do
or try to do for the black cab drivers
of the capital. The time is approaching
quarter 11. Then we will move on to all
the other areas of the city and life in
the city that you feel you can improve.
You're listening to Jose Bryant joined
for the rest of this hour by George
Galloway. You can of course get your
question to him by dialing the usual
number 034560973
is the number you need. You can ask
whatever you want. Whether you get an
answer or not. Only time will tell. It's
11:15.
I'm Chris Gold in the LBC Travel Center.
A couple of issues on the M25. Firstly
on the Surrey stretch clockwise, one
lane's blocked after a lorry broke down
between Clacket Lane services and
junction six for Godston. And then on
the Essex stretch anticlockwise, there's
a lane blocked on the exit slip road
because of another lorry that's broken
down that they're now trying to recover
just at junction 31 for the Dartford
River crossing. Now in central London in
Ying A312, the Parkway that's closed in
both directions. Long delays after an
accident at the Willow Tree roundabouts
causing delays back to the Oussie Garvin
roundabout in Hayes and also North Hole
station. On the train, Southeastern
still have delays of around 40 minutes
now between London Bridge and New Cross.
That's because of a signaling issue and
the Central Line still struggling as
well with severe delays because of an
earlier signal failure at Marble Arch
and Marble Arch station itself remains
closed. Keeping London moving and next
travel updates in half an hour. This is
LBC.
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James O'Brien on LBC.
18 minutes after 11. Maril candidate
George Galloway is here. The clever
money it would seem. We'll see Tessa J
with the Labour nod. Zach Goldsmith,
who's thrown his hat into the ring
representing the Conservatives and the
unknown quantity, the the the third way,
if you will, in next year's mayor
election. Uh George Galloway, a Twitter
account known as Tortoise Watcher,
George wants to know who will be funding
your mayoral bid. The people. It'll be
crowdfunded just like my Tony Blair film
that's coming out soon. It will be
crowdfunded. Uh the crowdfunding will be
launched next week after the Mel launch
in uh Conway Hall on Sunday night.
So, you kind of don't know how much
you're going to have to play with until
people No, we're going to ask for a h
100,000. We might get more. Uh would you
take big donations off members of the
elite? Uh depends on their motivation.
As long as it was transparent and as
long as they didn't expect anything in
return, but I'm not expecting any. No,
not at all. Not at all. Well, you never
know. Phone lines are open. Uh Mo is in
Houston. Mo, what's your question for
George Galloway? Good morning, George.
Morning to you.
Uh basically George I've got uh uh a
question for you regarding the uh black
taxi trade. Um we are the best taxi
trade in the world recognized times and
times. We are facing at the moment a big
problem with TfL. Um we are facing a
biggest problem and corruption of these
uh Uber taxes which is they trade in
illegally
um on the street of London. Uh basically
I want to see and I want to know what is
your vision on that. Well, I'll run Uber
out of town if I can. Uh but the very
first thing I would do as mayor is make
sure that they obey the law and they
obey the regulations that are laid down
in the statute. And as you implied
there, they're not. And TfL is not only
not doing anything about that, they gave
every impression that they're in bed
with Uber. And that goes for the mayor.
It also goes for that matter for David
Cameron and David Cameron's close circle
are deeply involved in Uber. But even if
they weren't, the point is that Uber
represents the kind of zero regulation,
no red tape, every man is the competitor
of every other man. There's no uh system
in place for the protection of workers,
the protection of the public and so on.
And people say, I get it all the time on
Twitter. Well, Uber is cheaper. Well, it
depends what you mean by cheap. If
you're in an accident in an underinsured
CD saloon car driven by a an unregulated
driver whose uh bonafiday as a person
and as a driver are completely unknown,
it won't seem so cheap. But they're not
unregulated. Just just to clarify, you
might you might find the regulation
inadequate, but there's no suggestion
that that that there's Well, the
regulation that there is is not being
applied. That's the That's a different
accusation, isn't it? That's that's not
Well, they're effectively unregulated if
they're not being forced to obey the
regul. Every major city in the world has
has found Uber has met or most major
cities in the world have managed to
accommodate Uber. Why shouldn't London?
Well, some have banned them, of course.
Not many. Uh, no, but it's growing the
number and uh I'll seek to ban them
because I think that having lost our red
telephone boxes and our red pillar box
is now being owned by the king of
Kuwait, we need to protect the black
cabs. They're a part of our heritage.
But that's an emotional argument and we
need nothing wrong with a bit of uh
emotion, James. London is London. You
could turn the Tower of London into into
a a block of luxury apartments and you
could say that would be emotional to
stand against it. But I do stand against
it. And and and how well I think we'd
all stand against that, George. Well, in
ter in terms of due diligence, how how
feasible is it to to run them out of
town? Because it's a great campaigning
phrase. Mo, you love the sound of that.
Am I right? Yes, you are right. You see,
so George knows what he's doing, but how
plausible is it? How much research, how
much work have you done to establish
whether or not it's doable rather than
just cheerable? Uh, but let me say, if
you'll forgive me, I've always been with
the Black Cabs. Long before I was
running for mayor of London, as a talk
show host, I was a cabby's favorite for
many years. I bet you're not an honorary
member of the LCDC, are you? Well, I had
their uh their spokesman on my
television just the other day. I got the
badge. Save it. Good for you. Tell me
about how feasible it is to run. And I
am in touch with campaigners in the
cities where they have been banned and I
do have a plan for banning them. You'll
forgive me if I don't give them prior
warning of it, but let's say as a very
first step, all the regulations they're
currently breaking would be rigorously
enforced by me, which would change the
paradigm for a start. And I want to know
why TFL are so soft on them. Every time
the cab drivers go to the court on this
subject, they're asked by the judge, why
are you doing this? Why isn't the
regulator doing it? Why isn't TfL doing
it? And I think that most of the cabbies
have got their suspicions about that.
They think it's personal that it's
corruption as such. I don't I think it's
ideology. It's the ideology of absolute
deregulation. Well, and and money. I
mean, there's money to be made. There's
no I don't think that's particularly
political or controversial. The backers
include Goldman Sachs. There's huge
amounts of cash to be 50 siphoned from
the pockets of black cab drivers and and
into the pockets of people who back
outfits like Uber. Well, black cab
drivers don't think you're going to have
many enemies on this one, are you?
Really? Well, I don't know. Black cabs
pay tax. Their drivers pay tax. Uber
pays zero zero tax in Britain and yet
hopes to build a monopoly in a city like
London. It's ridiculous. Let's go to
Johnny who's in Finchley. Johnny, what's
your question for George Galloway? Hello
James. Hello, George. Always a delight
to hear you talking. Thank you. As you
know, um George, I'm Jewish
and last year during the Israel Gaza
conflict,
it seemed that London Jews were exposed
to a lot of anti-semitism.
If that were to arise again, what
protection would you afford for London
Jews, seeing that a lot of them are also
black cab drivers?
I wasn't expecting that segue at the
end, but it's a valid point. It's a
valid point that you make. Um I I'll go
a little further, Johnny, with your
permission. George, you you called you
called as as an MP up in Bradford to
make the city an Israel free zone. Will
will you be will you be doing that in
London? No. Uh but because uh foreign
policy is a matter for the parliament
and the government and the London mayor
is not the pope or the president or the
foreign secretary. So no nor is the MP
for Bradford West but he's a member of
parliament which is a government. No but
he's a member of parliament. He's
entitled to fight for a government line.
So you look I'm not going to No, I'm the
answer's clear. I'm not going to try and
call for London to be an Israel free
zone, but neither am I resiling from my
views, which are shared by millions in
London, uh that the treatment of the
Palestinian people over many decades,
but last summer in Gaza in particular,
or most recently, was savage, was uh
almost unbelievable. And the attitude of
the British government and most of the
British media towards it was
reprehensible. But this has nothing
whatsoever to do with an attitude
towards Jews or Jewishness. Uh actually
I think at least two-fifths of my
closest uh circle are themselves Jews
and they have exactly the same attitude
to the Palestine question as me. So this
has nothing to do with Jews, nothing to
do with anti-semitism against which I
have stood all of my life as I've stood
against all kinds of racism. And
anti-semitism is just a form of racism
though the most virulent, the most
deadly uh in our uh in our history. And
as you know, to to try to separate
support for Israel from Jewishness is in
in the hearts and minds of many of
Israel's supporters rather harder to do
than you've you've just acknowledged. So
what will you say to or say for
Londoners who believe for perfectly
understandable religious, historical,
cultural reasons that Israel is
justified in doing almost anything she
wants to protect her borders or to
protect her future? What would you say
to Londoners who subscribe to that
school of thought? cuz you're a million
miles apart. That they are wrong. Uh and
that the notion my country right or
wrong is preposterous in any case. But
uh the notion that somebody else's
country right or wrong is even more
absurd. And most Jews in the world were
deeply uneasy about the events in Gaza
last summer. Some uh rallied to the
Israel flag, but most did not. And the
demonstration that was called in support
of Netanyahu last summer was one of the
smallest uh Jewish community
demonstrations that London had seen uh
for many a year and perhaps ever
actually on the matter of Israel. So
look, I'm not fighting this election on
Israel Palestine, but if anybody wants
to argue with me about the justice of
the Palestinian case, you'll find I'm
quite a redoubtable uh arguer for
Palestine. I'm I'm sure we will.
Although Johnny alluded also to the fact
that for for many um exponents of
anti-semitism. They don't really care
whether you are pro or anti-Israel. They
care only that you're Jewish. and and
that is something that a mayor of
London, if there were to be a flare up
in the Middle East, again, a mayor of
London would bear some responsibility
for. Well, I I have uh supported, for
example, the Metropolitan Police
protection of uh Jewish schools and
synagogues and other uh community
buildings. Uh on the record, I will
support the protection of any religious
minority in London against the bigots
and the the haters. And of course, the
same will be true of Jews. And the idea
that a support for the Palestinian cause
in any way conflates with the kind of
bigots that are about to try and march,
for example, in uh I think it's in
Hacknne. They've certainly been trying
in Hackne uh amongst the Hidic
communities there. I'll be there on the
streets with the Jewish community
fighting them off if necessary. I hope
it doesn't. Will you be welcome? Well,
whether I'm welcome or not, it's another
matter. My conscience dictates that I
stand beside for square any minority
that's suffering discrimination of any
kind. Johnny, um, back to you. Sorry, I
I should have invited you to respond to
that. Are you encouraged by what you've
heard? Uh, I haven't really heard
anything because, um, last year I felt
very threatened and I'm I'm 6' three and
I weigh over 200 pounds. Um I felt very
threatened on the streets and in fact my
daughter who at the time was 10 years
old and goes to a Jewish school um was
taken on an outing to Notting Hill Gate
in and the class the the school outing
rather it the class was split into four
or five groups of half a dozen each and
on three occasions within one hour my
10-year-old daughter was sworn at for
being a Jew.
I I I need to ask I need to ask and I
may have misunderstood the thrust of
your inquiry here, but what's that got
to do with George Galloway?
How he would protect Jews as a mayor if
there was a flare up of anti-semitism in
London? Okay. Uh Johnny doesn't feel
you've provided an adequate answer. You
you probably do. Would you do you want
to add anything else? uh just that the
words Notting Hill Gate were uh
resonating uh for me because I was
myself uh quite severely assaulted there
last summer, last August, and
hospitalized by someone wearing an
Israel Defense Force uh military garb uh
who said in court when he was sentenced
to 16 months in jail that he did it for
Israel. So, uh, I'm utterly opposed to
violence, whether it is physical or
verbal. And violence, verbal violence
against a school girl in Notting Hill
Gate is certainly, uh, outrageous, uh,
and a little bit surprising, uh, I must
say. Uh, but the truth is there are
racists attacking all kinds of religious
minorities and attacking them in a very
serious way. and we must protect all our
minorities. My slogan is a London for
all and that certainly includes London's
Jewish communities. Uh Johnny, I I have
to go towards the news now. We're
already a little late for it. Remember,
as I bid farewell to Johnny, it
potentially frees up a phone line for
you if you've been trying and failing to
get through. Judicious use of redial is
is ordinarily the best way to do it.
034560973
is the number that you need. George will
be with us for another half an hour. So,
this time for you to get your question
or indeed your point to him before 12
noon. The time now is 11:32.
Ellena No is here with the headlines.
Conservative MP Zack Goldsmith has
announced he wants to join the running
to become mayor of London after being
reelected as Richmond Park MP at the
general election last month. He says he
wants to consult his constituents first
to get their permission to stand. James
has been speaking to George Galloway who
has already announced his intention to
run for mayor. has given LBC his
reaction to the announcement by Zack
Goldmith. You're going to have a
multi-billionaire trust fund child as
your mayor. He's definitely the best one
to uh have. Uh he's he's a good uh and
honorable uh person, but he's undeniably
a part of the elite, and I'm speaking
for those that are not. The name HSBC
could disappear from British high
streets as the bank rebrands its UK
retail operations. It's fueled
speculation branches could go back to
being called Midlands Bank. HSBC has
also confirmed plans to cut up to 8,000
jobs in the UK and 25,000 globally. West
Midlands police are holding three people
on suspicion of terrorism offenses
related to Syria. The two men and a
woman who are all in their 20s were held
in raids in Warsaw this morning. LBC
weather mainly dry and breezy with sunny
spells for London and the Southeast.
Highs of 16 degrees. The chance of a few
light showers across England and Wales,
but staying mainly dry with some
sunshine. Rain likely later for the
north of England and southern Scotland.
Cloudier for central areas and Northern
Ireland. From Global's newsroom for LBC,
I'm Ellen and Oaks. This is LBC.
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Participating centers only. James
O'Brien on LBC.
24 minutes to 12. You're listening to
James O'Brien on LBC, joined this hour
by the mayoral candidate George
Galloway. Ju just to clarify, you'll be
running as an independent, not as a No,
I'll be running as the respect candidate
because we're going to run a slate for
the London Assembly, too, to try and
establish a foothold in that uh often
body. Indeed, costs millions to run, but
nobody knows anybody that's in it or
anything that it does. Well, I I'd like
to think LBC listeners are a little
better equipped than perhaps the average
punter with the workings of of the
London Assembly, but your point stands.
Let me just steer you back if I may,
George Galloway, to the um events that
you mentioned of last summer when when
you were assaulted in the street. Your
attacker did receive a 16month sentence
uh for well, you were punched, I think,
10 times before
a kung fu kick was administered towards
you. You you're you're a tough guy, but
I sensed immediately after that when you
were talking about it that that that you
were genuinely very shaken by this. I
was really shocked because it came out
of nowhere. You know, I'm a former
boxer. I like to think or I used to be
able to I'm 60 now. I was 60 when the
assault happened uh that I can if I'm
faced with someone at least put up a a
fight. But when it comes literally out
of uh the blind spot uh and there's a
blow to your face before you even see
the person who is about to uh deliver
it. Uh, and then you're lying on a on
the pavement uh with your back uh
already racked in pain and the person
then climbs on top of you and is really
if you'd had a knife I'd be dead. Uh,
and the sort of crazed look in his eyes
made me wonder if the knife was next.
So, it has uh shaken me. the the wounds
have uh healed but the psychological uh
um damage if you like is is there. Um I
I was subsequently attacked two more
times. So I was attacked three times in
4 months. He got 16 months. The other
two uh who assaulted me one verbally,
one physically uh got on the spot fines.
But the the last of those was on
Christmas Eve in Winter Wonderland in
Hyde Park with a bodyguard sit standing
next to me and my three-year-old son uh
holding my hand. You might ask yourself,
what kind of person would assault
someone in those circumstances on CCTV?
Uh so um it just if you like butresses
my view that violence of this kind
political violence is completely and
utterly beyond the pale. We can't have
it. You can't live in a free and
democratic country and permit political
violence of this kind. If um if we
approach that from the other angle and
and if you were seeking to explain it to
your son when he was a little older and
he asked why do these people hate you so
much, what would you say? How do you
rationalize that? Well, it's a very good
question. Uh the
the nature of politics is divisive.
You're choosing A or B as a path or a
candidate and uh it's therefore
divisive. The bigger the stakes, in this
case, all these assaults were linked to
the Middle East, the stakes are very
high, the quarrel is very ancient and
deep. Uh, and if you take a stand on one
side, uh, then you're going to make
enemies on the other side. And if you're
quite good at it, if you'll allow me to
blow my own trumpet on that, of course.
I mean, the the re the reason why the
wildest supporters of Israel hate me so
much is because I have been over decades
quite a successful advocate of the case
against them.
So have a lot of people. They don't get
attacked in the street. So if I've
understood you correctly, the people who
don't get attacked aren't as good as you
are criticizing Israel. Well, they may
not have been as forthright and they
haven't, if you like, scored as many
goals. I mean, I think that the uh the
the wildest supporters of Israel uh
reckon that I've been a part of a
transformation in Britain. When I took
this cause up in 1975, you could have
fitted all the supporters of the PLO
into this studio. But now we're
millions. In fact, the great majority of
British people know that the Palestinian
issue is central to conflicts in the
Middle East and therefore in the world.
And I think they think that I have
played a role, maybe an important one,
in helping transform British public
opinion on that matter. And to people
who think that that then leeches into
anti-semitism, you say what? That it has
nothing whatsoever to do with
anti-semitism or Jewishness. We love
Jews. We're against the political creed
of Zionism. You, you know, you didn't
hate Russians because you were against
the Soviet Union. you hated communism.
You don't hate Jews because you're
against Zionism and the uh aparite state
of Israel. Mentioning the Middle East,
let's go to Veno who's in Wsworth. Veno,
what's your question for George
Galloway?
Uh, hi George. Hi. Um, I've been
intrigued ever since I saw your picture
in the papers uh with Saddam Hussein as
to the sort of discussions you had with
him. You know, I don't think anybody's
privy to it. if you don't know about it,
but it was interesting. Would you be
able to tell us at something at all?
Well, I met him twice. Uh once very
briefly in 1994
and the second time for a much longer
period about 90 minutes in August of
2002.
Uh so my uh my experience with them is
necessarily limited to those two
occasions. Uh what I would say is this
that the great majority in Iraq wishes
that Britain and America had not invaded
and occupied their country because it
was a country with many problems under
Saddam. It has far far more problems now
and worse for us those problems have
cascaded uh around the world. So, um, my
view, if that's what you're asking, is
that the invasion and occupation of Iraq
was a catastrophic error. I I I think he
possibly wasn't asking that, but you
know, correct me if I'm wrong. You just
wanted to know what they talked about,
right? Well, I was interested to know. I
think it was a more gossipy I think it
was a more gossipy question than
political. What? And let me just throw
in one first of mine. Do you regret
saluting his courage and inddehatic
ability as you did? Because I mean, he
was a psychopath. Uh I I I I regret the
fact that the editing of the piece
implies that I was I was saluting the
courage, strength, and indehaticability
of the Iraqi people. But I've said that
10,000 times. There's no point really in
going over it. What what I will tell you
of more contemporary uh because this
that was in 2004, this was in 200 uh
sorry 1994, this was in 2002. Uh, I did
say to him, "You have to let these arms
inspectors in and you have to destroy
every single piece of weapons of mass
destruction that Iraq has because
otherwise Iraq is going to be invaded,
overwhelmed, and will be broken into
pieces." And he said to me, "We would
not lie to you. We know everything that
you've done to defend the people of
Iraq, but we do not have any weapons of
mass destruction. And I thought to
myself, Krikey, he's even lying to me
now at the 11th hour. But it turns out
he was the one telling the truth. And
the leaders of the free world were the
ones who were lying. Uh or wrong
depending on your point of view. I
prefer lying. And we'll see from
Chilcott uh who's right. uh about that
somebody Matthew Norman a friend of mine
uh great writer and humorist put it in
my Blair film like this that there were
three uh people uh dominating the news
at that time George Bushama bin Laden
and Saddam Hussein and the only one who
wasn't a religious maniac was Saddam
Hussein and that actually is the truth
it's uh just coming up to 11:45 the hour
is flying by but there's still time for
you to get your point too George
Galloway, mayor or candidate. If you
want to do that, um you can email James
lbc.co.uk. You'll struggle to get
through on the phones to be honest. So
why not send me a tweet to to to Mr.
James? Actually, on the subject of
Twitter, a lot of people are asking me
why you block so many on Twitter. Uh I I
have a criterion. Bigots. You have a you
have a hair trigger. Uh not so much
nowadays, actually. Uh bigots, uh
sectarians, uh blasphemers,
uh people who uh liel. I block them. Um
though not so much now. I've kind of
given up uh blocking. I do have a
million followers on social media. So I
need help to run these things. I'm not
doing it all myself. So if you think
you've been blocked unfairly, let me
know and I'll reinstate you. How are
they going to let you know? Uh there are
ways. I think there are ways. We'll
ponder that during the travel news.
You're listening to James O'Brien on
LBC. It's 11:45.
I'm Chris Gton. The LBC Travel Center.
Still got these big problems in Yeding.
The A312 the parkway still closed in
both directions for accident
investigation work between the Willow
Tree roundabout and the White Hart
roundabout. It's causing delays all the
way back to the Aussie Garvin roundabout
in Hayes and also onto the Target
roundabout in North Halt. Not helping
matters on the M4 heading to London
either. That's much heavier than normal
just before junction 2 for Brenford.
Delays all the way back to Hayes there.
It's much worse than usual onto the
two-lane elevated section with most of
you avoiding the problems on the parkway
between Hayes and North Halt. Plus,
there was a breakdown as well. On the
train, Southeastern had delays around 40
minutes still between London Bridge and
New Cross. It's all because of a
signaling problem at New Cross. They're
expecting the delays to continue till at
least 1:00 this afternoon. And on the
tubes, the Central Line still has severe
delays because that signal failure at
Marble Arch. Marble Arch station remains
closed as well. Keeping London moving
and next travel updates in half an hour.
This is LBC.
Thursday nights on LBC. Join Clive Bull
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James O'Brien on LBC.
[Music]
11 minutes to 12 is the time you're
listening to. James O'Brien on LBC. Back
to your calls in just a moment. George
Galloway is with me. I'll just ask you
this one if I may, George. um ask him
why as a Scott he wants us to remain
part of this corrupt protrudant
pro-austerity union. You were quite
active in the I was I fought hard in the
referendum campaign uh to save the unity
of this island and I would do so again.
I don't believe that uh the Scottish
Independence Project would have
delivered the kind of change that your
texter Twitter uh imagines. I think
quite the opposite. There would have
been a race to the bottom between a
permanently conservative England
producing uh a paradise for free
markets, deregulated, low public
spending, low taxation, and Scotland
would have had to chase them to the
bottom to the detriment of working
people on both sides of the border. I'll
grant him this. I did think that Labor
would be elected in May and that the
benefits of sticking together would have
been, I hoped, quite quickly apparent.
That has not happened. It's therefore
weakened the union. I suspect that
Scotland is on its way out of the
country. And in any case, as we're
talking about me in London, it's about
time London got into this devolution
home rule debate because all kinds of
places, Scotland, Wales, the northwest
of England are all in the devolution
business and London needs to get into
it. We produce most of the wealth in the
country, but we have almost no power. We
talked jokingly, I did about the London
Assembly earlier. It's a toothless,
powerless uh organization for the most
part. We need a powerful parliament in
London and we need powers over some of
the economic and other aspects of our
lives here. Um, which leads us into
Rav's question from Harrow. Rav, what
would you like to ask George Galloway?
Hi there, George. Hi. Hi there. Um, so
I've listened to quite a bit of what
you've said, some of which I agree with,
some of which I quite um don't quite
understand. For instance, um I don't
know if George really appreciate
economics and its role within London. We
need pro- uh choice. We need a market in
which Londoners have a choice. I mean,
for instance, Uber is a good thing. Uber
provides choice to Londoners and the
market will decide. I mean, I don't
understand why George keeps um
lambasting these different pro business
choices. And I really wonder whether
he's appreciates how important
businesses can be to London and how that
is what is going to be the antidote to
inequality. And this is one of the
reasons Labor is thought to have lost in
May is that they were perceived as
somehow anti- business. Well, my view is
this that markets cannot be allowed to
decide everything. Uh if they did,
children would still be going up
chimneys. The state has a right to a
responsibility to ensure the public
good. And so I believe in a state and
private mix, a mixed economy. I don't
believe in uh unfettered, untralled uh
free markets. Although the Conservatives
do and Uber is the personification of
that. It seems to work for you, it
doesn't work for the great majority of
people in London. And every black cab
driver, Rav, is a small businessman.
Surely
that's correct. I mean, unfortunately,
the way the cookie crumbles is Uber have
the resources. They have the power. Yes,
which is why that which is why they're
doing so well. I did say when Mo asked
the original question, we were only
going to take one on cab. So, I I'm
sticking to my guns on that one. And I
want to I want to hear from Alli who's
in Wildon. Ally, what's your question?
Hi. Hi. Uh good morning. Uh George, um I
believe uh uh you you believe in human
rights and uh and I want to ask you, I'm
I'm an Iranian in exile. Um we we are
there are around 6 million Iranians in
exile out of Iran. 100,000 Iranian have
been executed according to Amnesty
International and Human Rights of the
United Nations. You know, Islamic
Republic is one of the ruthless
terrorist organization in the world. Yet
you work in a press TV which which
belongs to Islamic Republic of Iran. How
can you be a mayor of a metropolitan
city uh when you work for Islamic
Republic of Iran and press TV? You even
took can with you Ken Livingston to
press TV. How can we talk about human
rights and justice when you work for for
Islamic Republic of Iran? Well, I guess
I'll put you down as doubtful uh in the
election. I present a television program
on Press TV, as I do on Russia Today,
and as I would do on Sky if they would
offer me one. I'm responsible for what I
say on my show on those platforms, not
for the governments that ultimately own
them. But you give them credibility by
being there, don't you? Well, I would I
give Rert Murdoch credibility by being
there if I took a show on Sky? I don't
know. uh if I were paring the point of
view of Rupert Murdoch or Iran or Russia
that would be condemnable but it isn't
true but they are I mean two deeply
deeply suspect regimes Russia and Iran
and you will be seen as somehow
supporting them by taking their
shilling. Some people have pulled out of
course of of presenting on press TV as a
result of this very very question
including my colleague Nick Ferrari.
Some people have had um acts of
conscience. I wasn't going to for
reasons of politess bring that up. Uh
but Nick Ferrari was on the payroll of
Press TV as was uh uh Andrew the BBC
fellow uh the famous uh now uh witch
hunter uh on the Daily Telegraph uh and
so on. So, I mean, look, we're
professionals, James. We present
programs, and we we we stand or fall on
what we say and do on our uh programs. I
don't share your analysis of the
governments of Iran or Russia. Uh, and
in any case, I'm not speaking for
either.
And yet, you take their money. Well, I'm
I'm uh a television presenter, of
course. Everybody that presents Is there
anyone you wouldn't work for? Is there
anyone you wouldn't take money from? Uh
if any platform including Rupert Murdoch
offered me a show, uh my only criterion
is this. Don't ever tell me what I
should say. Don't ever tell me what I
must not say. And no one has on any of
the platforms that I've uh worked on.
These figures are accurate. You know,
the number of executions in Iran, these
are I don't know how long a period that
is over. But if it's from 1979 until
now, it's it's 100,000 too many. I'm
against all executions. Still illegal to
be gay there. Uh it's not actually
illegal to be gay, but it's illegal to
practice uh gay sex. Uh but it's not
illegal to be gay, but uh it's horrific.
Uh in in either case, uh it's not
illegal to be gay in Russia, but they
have a So if ISIS TV came to you
tomorrow and said, "George Galloway,
we've got just the gig for you." How do
you fancy it? No, because I'm I'm the
country's We promise not to tell you
what to say. We promise not to influence
you in any way. I I'm the foremost
opponent of ISIS. I want to see them all
lying dead in the street. And if the
British government had listened to me
right at the beginning, there never
would have been an ISIS. So no uh is the
answer to that. But the states that own
Press TV and own Russia Today and the
BBC is owned by the British state. There
are all kinds of state broadcasters and
uh I'm ready to stand or fall. I've got
50,000 videos on YouTube of what I've
said on those platforms over the years
and I I stand by by all of it. So, would
you work for an Israeli television
channel if they offered you the right?
No, I wouldn't. Why not? I wouldn't
because of my political attitude to
Israel that I believe in no recognition,
no normalization
uh with Israel until it has negotiated a
settlement with the Palestinian people
and it has not yet. Just to clarify, you
wouldn't have any problem working for a
Jewish television station. It's an
Israeli state funded one. Absolutely. Uh
I I love Jews. I just hate the Israeli
apartheite state. And some people will
be deeply unhappy that you even employ
that language. But I sense that as the
meal uh election looms ever closer, you
won't be stopping. Uh no. Uh Jimmy
Carter was the first person to call it
an apartheite state, the former
president of the United States. I
believe that he was right about that. Um
it's very short of time. Are we too
short of time? Can we squeeze in Mary
and Finchley, can you just ask your
question very briefly if you don't mind?
Yeah. You've been around Mr. Galloway,
good morning. Good afternoon. You've
been around Wesnik for an awful long
time. Do you have a a personal opinion
as to why Greel Jana has never been
prosecuted and there was evidence from
before he evidently has had dementia?
All all allegations of course
persistently demand denied but the but
the question is clear. Why do you think
that these allegations have never been
officially followed up? Because he's
part of the magic circle around
Westminster of the powerful looking
after uh their own. And I listened to
your discussion on that earlier. It was
very very powerful radio. Uh it is an
outrage that Grel Janer was not
prosecuted when he was able and it's an
outrage that we're being told that he's
now unable to face justice. Uh but uh
nobody quite believes it and the best
place to establish it would have been in
a court of uh of law. Uh Grareville Jar
made a career out of demanding and
entirely correctly. I supported them
that every last Nazi war criminal,
however old, however infirm, however uh
uh uh they are suffering from dementia
or anything else, if necessary, should
be carried into a court of law to face
their heinous crimes. And I think the
same is true of Janna. George Galloway,
final question. This is a tweet from
Brendan. Um, it says, "During a run in
you had a few years ago with Frank
Lampard James, George Galloway described
you as a disc jockey making a name for
himself. Is an apology to you." I'm not
sure if I did do that. Uh, cuz I'm
actually one of your admirers. But, uh,
if I did then then I apologize though.
We've all been diss at one time or
another. Indeed, we have. Um, time is
just approaching 12. George Galloway,
many thanks. You'll be back, I'm sure,
as the mayor election looms ever closer.
You are listening to James O'Brien on
LBC. Back into the news of today,
straight after the news, and that once
again involves animals that some people
call pets and other people call demonic,
devilish, and whether or not those two
camps can ever be encouraged to meet.
The question that seems most pertinent
to that ambition is this. Why do people
want dogs that are usable as weapons?
People who who tell me they don't want
the dog to be a weapon, why not choose a
dog that isn't? Why not choose an animal
that is not prone to particularly
vicious behavior? I want to understand.
I've tried in the past and I've failed.
But you never stop trying. Time now is
12:01
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