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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Galloway quits Respect coalition | Galloway quits Respect coalition |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| George Galloway is "distancing himself" from anti-war party Respect and forming a separate organisation instead. | |
| He promised the group would gather a "broad coalition" of left-wingers who would promote "Old Labour values". | He promised the group would gather a "broad coalition" of left-wingers who would promote "Old Labour values". |
| Mr Galloway, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, says he plans to run for both the London Assembly and for Parliament. | Mr Galloway, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, says he plans to run for both the London Assembly and for Parliament. |
| John Rees, the coalition's general secretary, described the move as "a shame", but was sure the party would still "do very well without him". | |
| Respect had already seen a split in its ranks, holding two separate party conferences on one day last November. | |
| 'Uncomfortable' | |
| The division was understood to revolve around arguments about candidate selection and internal democracy. | |
| Mr Galloway and his supporters stuck together on one side, with representatives of the Socialist Workers' Party on the other. | |
| "It's been clear for some time that George was uncomfortable in Respect," added Mr Rees. | |
| As well as representing his new party in the assembly elections on 1 May, Mr Galloway still plans to challenge Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick in his Poplar and Limehouse seat. | As well as representing his new party in the assembly elections on 1 May, Mr Galloway still plans to challenge Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick in his Poplar and Limehouse seat. |
| If he does participate in that east London constituency at the next general election, he will be hoping to claim his second Labour scalp. | If he does participate in that east London constituency at the next general election, he will be hoping to claim his second Labour scalp. |
| In the 2005 election, he spectacularly defeated Oona King, overturning the Labour MP's majority of 10,000 to win by 823 votes. | |