1
00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:05,440
George Galloway is one of the most

2
00:00:03,439 --> 00:00:08,400
divisive figures in British politics

3
00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:10,719
today he was most recently the MP for

4
00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,840
Bradford West but has now decided to run

5
00:00:10,719 --> 00:00:14,759
for mayor of London well Mr Galloway

6
00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,160
joins us here today at the University of

7
00:00:14,759 --> 00:00:18,039
Cambridge thank you very much for

8
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,160
joining us here I'd like to start by

9
00:00:18,039 --> 00:00:23,279
asking you the government says it will

10
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:26,359
accept 20,000 refugees over the next 5

11
00:00:23,279 --> 00:00:28,359
years do you think that's enough well

12
00:00:26,359 --> 00:00:31,240
first of all I'm not sure why you should

13
00:00:28,359 --> 00:00:33,600
describe me as one of the most divisive

14
00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:36,680
figures in British Politics As a matter

15
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,600
of fact the ideas that I stand for are

16
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:41,200
the ideas of the great majority of

17
00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:44,160
people in the country perhaps here in

18
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:46,640
these uh green fields of uh Cambridge

19
00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:49,199
University uh that's divisive but the

20
00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:52,199
things I stand for opposition to the war

21
00:00:49,199 --> 00:00:54,879
in Iraq uh support for the Palestinian

22
00:00:52,199 --> 00:00:57,239
people opposition to nuclear weapons

23
00:00:54,879 --> 00:00:59,039
opposition to what they call austerity

24
00:00:57,239 --> 00:01:02,600
which is really the class war that the

25
00:00:59,039 --> 00:01:05,840
rich is waging uh on the poor I don't

26
00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:09,000
think these are divisive stands at all

27
00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:13,000
as for refugees uh I don't want any

28
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:15,400
refugees not 20,000 not 2,000 I want the

29
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:18,320
refugees to be able to return to their

30
00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:20,360
own countries to their own homes and

31
00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:22,400
that means stopping doing the things

32
00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:25,159
that we have been doing which have

33
00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:30,040
created these Refugee flows in the first

34
00:01:25,159 --> 00:01:33,799
place most 80% at least of the current

35
00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:36,159
wave of refugees are from Iraq Syria and

36
00:01:33,799 --> 00:01:38,720
Afghanistan and I have opposed British

37
00:01:36,159 --> 00:01:41,399
government policy in all three of these

38
00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:44,280
theaters and if people had listened to

39
00:01:41,399 --> 00:01:46,399
me we wouldn't have these refugees now a

40
00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:50,200
million people plus would still be alive

41
00:01:46,399 --> 00:01:53,240
that are dead and buried uh and we ought

42
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:56,119
to concentrate on that of course it's

43
00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:58,840
distinctly unchristian to say the least

44
00:01:56,119 --> 00:02:00,960
to bomb someone's country and then lock

45
00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:06,039
the door on them when they are fleeing

46
00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:09,360
from your bombs and so no words could uh

47
00:02:06,039 --> 00:02:12,239
could be dredged to sum up the contempt

48
00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:14,680
one must feel for a government that does

49
00:02:12,239 --> 00:02:17,080
that that bombs and locks the doors at

50
00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:19,360
the same time so do you think the

51
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,480
British government is doing enough do

52
00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:24,120
you advocate for accepting more refugees

53
00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:26,160
into Britain as I said I don't play that

54
00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,840
num schem because I'm not in favor of

55
00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:32,280
any refugees I want all the refugees to

56
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:34,519
go back to Syria back to Iraq and back

57
00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:38,239
to Afghanistan and that means ending the

58
00:02:34,519 --> 00:02:39,519
wars there okay but pragmatically we've

59
00:02:38,239 --> 00:02:41,879
seen that the current government's

60
00:02:39,519 --> 00:02:44,360
policy is focusing refugees to be

61
00:02:41,879 --> 00:02:46,239
resettled in the north of England as

62
00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,680
mayor of London would you advocate for

63
00:02:46,239 --> 00:02:49,800
more refugees to be resettled the third

64
00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,640
time you've asked me the question and

65
00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,560
I'm going to give you the same answer

66
00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:57,480
for the third time I don't get into the

67
00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,360
numbers game I don't want refugees I

68
00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,840
want refugees to be back in their own

69
00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,360
country countries like Syria are being

70
00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:06,000
intellectually

71
00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:08,239
decapitated by what's happening there

72
00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:10,519
the people who are fleeing Syria are the

73
00:03:08,239 --> 00:03:14,000
people that Syria most desperately needs

74
00:03:10,519 --> 00:03:16,840
they are doctors surgeons uh uh public

75
00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:20,599
servants people who are vitally needed

76
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:23,080
in Syria and who oughtn't to be being

77
00:03:20,599 --> 00:03:25,599
forced to

78
00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:27,400
flee prior to Jeremy Corbin's election

79
00:03:25,599 --> 00:03:30,239
as labor leader you said you would

80
00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:33,000
rejoin the labor party pretty damn quick

81
00:03:30,239 --> 00:03:37,040
if he was made leader have you reapplied

82
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:41,360
to join and I don't intend to reapply uh

83
00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:44,280
the labor party has to resend my unjust

84
00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:46,360
wartime expulsion I don't want

85
00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:50,720
compensation I don't even want an

86
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:53,239
apology but they must resend that unjust

87
00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:56,560
expulsion which was opposed at the time

88
00:03:53,239 --> 00:03:59,400
by Mr foot the former leader by Mr Ben

89
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:02,680
the great Labor uh figure and figure

90
00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:06,360
head and of course Mr Corbin so I'm

91
00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:08,680
waiting for the labor party to resend my

92
00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:11,159
expulsion which would have the effect of

93
00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:13,400
reinstating me in the party and not

94
00:04:11,159 --> 00:04:16,239
asking for uh

95
00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:18,560
readmission if they were to resend your

96
00:04:16,239 --> 00:04:20,759
expulsion from the party would you drop

97
00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,680
out of the race for mayor of London in

98
00:04:20,759 --> 00:04:24,960
favor of the current labor candidate Sid

99
00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,720
KH well if you'll forgive me I'll

100
00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:30,160
negotiate that with the leadership of

101
00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:31,800
the labor party not here at Cambridge

102
00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,479
you've been described as a rape

103
00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:36,960
apologist by the MP Jess Phillips and

104
00:04:34,479 --> 00:04:39,199
you've accused the MP NASA of lying

105
00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:41,639
about being forced into a marriage in

106
00:04:39,199 --> 00:04:42,880
which she says she was repeatedly raped

107
00:04:41,639 --> 00:04:45,080
I thought we were here to talk about

108
00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:47,560
foreign policy we're talking about your

109
00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:50,000
race uh for the mayor of London now the

110
00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:52,800
Met says there's been a 15% increase in

111
00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:55,000
the incident of rape in London how will

112
00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:57,800
you convince voters you will address

113
00:04:55,000 --> 00:05:02,600
that issue well no voter has Ever Raised

114
00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:06,520
that issue with me uh the uh approximate

115
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:08,680
cause of this Jess Phillips's comments

116
00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:13,280
were my intervention in support of

117
00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:16,280
Julian Assange uh whose cause I support

118
00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:18,479
absolutely and moreover it's a cause

119
00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:20,400
that's very close to being Vindicated so

120
00:05:18,479 --> 00:05:23,720
you'd have to be careful that by the

121
00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:26,160
time your film came out that uh his

122
00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:29,720
position and mine were not entirely

123
00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:32,759
publicly uh Vindicated uh Julian arange

124
00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:36,000
ought to be given the Nobel Peace Prize

125
00:05:32,759 --> 00:05:37,910
not locked up in the Ecuadorian Embassy

126
00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,199
being falsely

127
00:05:37,910 --> 00:05:41,560
[Applause]

128
00:05:39,199 --> 00:05:44,080
traduced but the issue there is that

129
00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:47,280
Julian Assange and his activism for

130
00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:49,600
freedom of speech for example can be

131
00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:52,319
separated completely from his actions as

132
00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:55,000
a person and for what the Supreme Court

133
00:05:52,319 --> 00:05:57,080
has described has described as being

134
00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,639
against the would be against the law if

135
00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:01,160
he's found to have carried out these

136
00:05:58,639 --> 00:06:04,680
actions but he even being charged never

137
00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:08,360
mind convicted uh of those actions and

138
00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:10,800
he can't go to Sweden even though Sweden

139
00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:13,599
allowed him to leave freely and he

140
00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:15,720
checked before he left that he could

141
00:06:13,599 --> 00:06:17,800
because Sweden will not guarantee that

142
00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:21,360
he will not be extradited to the United

143
00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:24,199
States to face a secret grand jury and

144
00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:26,319
up to 100 years in prison for blowing

145
00:06:24,199 --> 00:06:28,919
the whistle on American crimes in the

146
00:06:26,319 --> 00:06:31,240
world that's the nub of this story it's

147
00:06:28,919 --> 00:06:33,840
nothing to do with with rape actually

148
00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:37,639
it's everything to do with the hatred of

149
00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:40,400
the US government for people who betray

150
00:06:37,639 --> 00:06:42,759
their secrets even when those secrets

151
00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:45,800
are matters of the gravest public

152
00:06:42,759 --> 00:06:50,720
concern that's why Chelsea Manning is

153
00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:54,000
currently serving I think now 35 years

154
00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:56,360
of her life for giving Julian a s and

155
00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:58,800
Wikileaks those secrets in the first

156
00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:02,160
place this is not nuclear science if

157
00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:05,440
Sweden was interested in uh

158
00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:08,560
investigating claims about asan's

159
00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,919
personal Behavior they would easily have

160
00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:13,400
come to London and questioned him which

161
00:07:10,919 --> 00:07:14,879
was always open to them to do or they

162
00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,039
would have given an assurance that they

163
00:07:14,879 --> 00:07:18,840
would not further extradite them to the

164
00:07:17,039 --> 00:07:21,280
United States and they haven't been

165
00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,960
prepared to do either of those things

166
00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:26,680
okay so you've previously tried to

167
00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:28,720
declare Bradford an Israel free zone

168
00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:32,919
will you try a similar policy in London

169
00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:36,160
no uh and the mayor of London has no

170
00:07:32,919 --> 00:07:38,440
power whatsoever to do that and Power in

171
00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:40,960
Bradford yes as a member of parliament

172
00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:43,680
the parliament of Britain controls the

173
00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:46,039
British government's foreign policy so

174
00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:49,599
uh as a member of parliament I had every

175
00:07:46,039 --> 00:07:52,560
right to take a stand against Israeli

176
00:07:49,599 --> 00:07:56,000
crimes which are even more uh pertinent

177
00:07:52,560 --> 00:08:00,039
as we speak today as the rivers of blood

178
00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:02,039
flow again uh but as the mayor of London

179
00:08:00,039 --> 00:08:04,520
I have neither the power nor the

180
00:08:02,039 --> 00:08:06,879
intention of seeking to do that let's

181
00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:09,400
just clarify that point though you seem

182
00:08:06,879 --> 00:08:12,039
to suggest that as MP for Bradford West

183
00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:15,400
you had the power to declare Bradford to

184
00:08:12,039 --> 00:08:17,360
be Israeli friend no and you know little

185
00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:19,240
you know a little knowledge is dangerous

186
00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,720
and if you're going to interview me you

187
00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:23,919
need to make sure you've got all the

188
00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:26,720
knowledge I didn't declare Bradford to

189
00:08:23,919 --> 00:08:30,039
be an Israel free zone because I could

190
00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:33,839
not I had no such power to do so

191
00:08:30,039 --> 00:08:36,519
but I did speak for tens scores of

192
00:08:33,839 --> 00:08:39,000
thousands of people in Bradford so

193
00:08:36,519 --> 00:08:42,719
disgusted by the crimes that were taking

194
00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:46,760
place in Gaza to say we want to boycott

195
00:08:42,719 --> 00:08:51,160
you and frankly hardly anyone in

196
00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:53,480
Bradford uh is not boycotting Israel uh

197
00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:57,360
so these are two different things as the

198
00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:59,440
mayor I have no power to declare London

199
00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:02,279
and Israel free zone nor any intent

200
00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:05,279
ition of trying to do so okay London's

201
00:09:02,279 --> 00:09:07,680
economy is roughly the size of Sweden's

202
00:09:05,279 --> 00:09:10,440
what economic or financial credentials

203
00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:13,360
or experience would you say you have

204
00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:16,440
well I was uh elected six times to the

205
00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:18,000
British Parliament I spent nearly 30

206
00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:21,079
years as a member of the House of

207
00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:23,440
Commons uh more than my two opponents

208
00:09:21,079 --> 00:09:25,880
put together I have more experience than

209
00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:27,519
my two opponents put together in the

210
00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:30,720
economic field in international

211
00:09:27,519 --> 00:09:33,600
relations in uh uh Labor Relations all

212
00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:35,959
the things that I concentrated on in the

213
00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:38,320
near three decades that I spent in

214
00:09:35,959 --> 00:09:40,800
Parliament of course the people will uh

215
00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:44,000
decide uh this matter uh whose

216
00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:46,839
experience they prefer Whose stand is

217
00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:49,880
closer to theirs who they think would

218
00:09:46,839 --> 00:09:53,079
best fight for the majority in London

219
00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:55,480
and not the very small minority For Whom

220
00:09:53,079 --> 00:09:58,399
the current mayor of London has operated

221
00:09:55,480 --> 00:10:03,399
for eight long years Mr George Galloway

222
00:09:58,399 --> 00:10:03,399
thank you for joining us here C pleas