George Galloway managed to walk off an interview with Paxman, just after Paxman congratulated him on winning his seat. [Via Richard].
The transcript is not entirely accurate, I have highlighted the missing words.
JP: We’re joined now from his count in Bethnal Green and Bow by George Galloway. Mr Galloway, are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?
GG: What a preposterous question. I know it’s very late in the night, but wouldn’t you be better starting by congratulating me for one of the most sensational election results in modern history?
JP: Are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?
GG: I’m not – Jeremy – move on to your next question.
JP: You’re not answering that one?
GG: No because I don’t believe that people get elected because of the colour of their skin. I believe people get elected because of their record and because of their policies. So move on to your next question.
JP: Are you proud –
GG: Because I’ve got a lot of people who want to speak to me.
JP: – You –
GG: If you ask that question again, I’m going, I warn you now.
JP: Don’t try and threaten me Mr Galloway, please.
GG: You’re the one who’s trying to badger me.
JP: I’m not trying to badger you, I’m merely trying to ask if you’re proud at having driven out of Parliament one of the very few black women there, a woman you accuse of having on her conscience the deaths of 100,000 people.
GG: Oh well there’s no doubt about that one. There’s absolutely no doubt that all those New Labour MPs who voted for Mr Blair and Mr Bush’s war have on their hands the blood of 100,000 people in Iraq, many of them British soldiers, many of them American soldiers, most of them Iraqis and that’s a more important issue than the colour of her skin.
JP: Absolutely, because you then went on to say “including a lot of women who had blacker faces than her”
GG: Absolutely right, absolutely right. So don’t try and tell me I should feel guilty about one of the most sensational election results in modern electoral history.
JP: I put it to you Mr Galloway that Nick Raynsford had you to a T when he said you were a “demagogue”.
GG: Sorry?
JP: Nick Raynsford. You know who I mean? Nick Raynsford. Labour MP?
GG: No, I don’t know who you mean.
JP: Never heard of him.
GG: I’ve never heard of Nick Raynsford, no.
JP: What else haven’t you heard of?
GG: Well, I’ve been in Parliament a long time…
JP: He was a Parliamentary colleague of yours until very recently.
GG: Well, most of them just blend one into the other, Jeremy, they’re largely a spineless, a supine bunch.
JP: Have you ever heard of Tony Banks?
GG: Yes I have, yes.
JP: Right, Tony Banks was sitting here five minutes ago, and he said that you were behaving inexcusably, that you had deliberately chosen to go to that part of London and to exploit the latent racial tensions there.
GG: You are actually conducting one of the most – even by your standards – one of the most absurd interviews I have ever participated in. I have just won an election. Can you find it within yourself to recognise that fact? To recognise the fact that the people of Bethnal Green and Bow chose me this evening. Why are you insulting them?
JP: I’m not insulting them, I’m not insulting you
GG: You are insulting them, they chose me just a few minutes ago. Can’t you find it within yourself even to congratulate me on this victory?
JP: Congratulations, Mr Galloway.
GG: Thank you very much indeed. [Waves, removes microphone]
Excellent stuff, its people like Galloway who provide great entertainment in the political world. I saw him on another station the other day, he was in the same good form calling the newscasters liars and all sorts of things. Its his passion coupled with his unpredictability that makes him so fascinating.
Jeremy was really in a good mood yesterday. I loved it! We should have more people like him.
Sorry, I’m afraid this is paxman at his worst. It was indeed a preposterous question, and he did himself no favours by opening with it. If he wanted to press galloway on his comments about King’s skin tone, he should have done that, rather than trying to be far too clever for his own good.
Galloway has so many chinks in his armour – single-issue politics, the manner he’s fought for Brick Lane’s Muslim vote, his pomposity, the list is practically endless – that to waste an interview in this fashion is tantamout to amateurism.
Paxman is a prick anyway.
Great interview! No wonder Gorgeous George was rattled. The idea of a rich white guy stomping on a poor black woman is something he can’t handle when he’s the rich white guy.
Jeremy may have been hurried and mislead, he should have retracted and apologised. The question really was preposterous if not downright insidious. In my own view this should be clear to fair observers regardless of who it was put to (it was not a question to put to racist, it was an explicitly racist question)
“The idea of a rich white guy stomping on a poor black woman is something he can’t handle when he’s the rich white guy.”
What utter nonsense. Oona King is no poor little black woman. She supported New labour down the line and paid the price. This bollox pretend feminism (from a man) and guilt trip about her gender and colour only serves to cover up the fact that New Labour got what it deserved in Tower Hamlets. King lied her way through the campaign (implying that Muslims were against her coz she is partly Jewish), had to pay damages TWICE in court for libelling Galloway and RESPECT, and tried to make out that a HARD LEFT party was being racist, sexist and anti Jewish. Shame she isn’t gay. Then right-wingers could accuse left-wingers of being homophobic and your whole Alice in Wonderland world would be complete.
Face it. You (Tony et al) lost because of your warmongering leader and cowardly MP’s. King included.
JP was asking questions that no one else would dare ask GG. This whole event was blown out of proportion. Long live JP and his brand of sharp journalism!
Perhaps JP should have asked why Galloway’s party is funded by extremist Islamists who back the death penalty ofr homosexuals? And why a pledge on gay rights was dropped from his manifesto?
So George Galloway shouldn’t have stood for the election because there was a chance that he might oust a black woman which he did? What the hell is that all about? What next? All white olympic swimmers should not race against any black olympic swimmers because there is about a 99.9% chance they’ll beat them? I’ve never heard of something as stupid as that question that Paxman asked. What a fool!
Bit late to comment on this but here’s my twopence worth – Paxman is a crap interviewer who asks crap questions whilst pretending he is ‘tough’. Shame he’s never ‘tough’ with New Labourites – only those that oppose their agenda like Galloway. What a prize prick.