Reinstate Galloway, Labour urged

George Galloway: "Further gagging order"

The constituency party of suspended rebel MP George Galloway has urged Labour leaders to consider reinstating him.

The Glasgow Kelvin MP was suspended after making comments seen as urging Arabs to rise up against the coalition forces at the height of the war in Iraq.

On Friday evening he was barred from a meeting in his constituency because of the suspension.

But more than 40 local party members at the meeting voted to write to the party's National Executive Committee urging it to discuss Mr Galloway's status.

The meeting had been arranged to hear Mr Galloway's arguments and discuss the implications of his suspension, ahead of the imminent selections for the new constituency of Glasgow central, which Mr Galloway is tipped to win.

'Very supportive'

Mark Craig, constituency chairman, said local members were angered that Mr Galloway had been prevented from attending.

"It was slightly marred by the fact that George was not there, and all the members felt it would have been better if he had been there," he said.

"Everyone was very supportive of George and believe he shouldn't have been suspended for what he is alleged to have said.

"The party are selecting which meetings he can come to and which ones he can't come to."

Mr Galloway described the ban as "a further gagging order on free speech in the party".

"I was looking forward to explaining for the first time to my own party members the true nature of the campaign against me," he said.

A Labour Party spokesman said any member who had been suspended would not be allowed to represent the party or attend constituency party meetings.

"The party is now looking as quickly as possible into complaints about comments Mr Galloway reportedly made and into the allegation that he acted in a way that is prejudicial or grossly detrimental to the Labour Party's interests," he said.