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Wednesday 18 April 2012

In Praise of George Galloway

Never has Voltaire's quoted view that "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" been so apt as when I think about George Galloway. Galloway's  success is a great advert for our liberal democracy - and ironically a comment on those regimes which he is alleged to support...someone with his views on the established government in those countries would be dead long ago. Instead, the man has once again turned our election system on its head by winning the recent Bradford West by-election.

To be fair, this win is not as significant as his astonishing victory in the 2005 general election in Bethnal Green and Bow by virtue of the fact that this isn't a general election - so voters aren't thinking about who they want to be prime minister when they vote and the main politcal parties aren't dominating the airwaves. But, winning a constituency is still winning a constituency, and to do so he had to win more votes than all the others (known as a simple plurality) despite not having any sort of party machine behind him.

That said, Imran Hussain, the hapless Labour candidate beaten by a massive voting swing in that constituency, will also have felt that he didn't have any sort of effective party machine behind him. To try and win a by-election in a constituency that has a heavily muslim electorate just by putting a Muslim candidate in front of them, talking about your opposition to the cuts and hoping for the best was imbeclic and underestimated what Galloway was capable of and how well planned his campaign was.

Firstly, he mobilised people who wouldn't normally vote. He used social media to talk to the young in the area and involved them in spreading his word. He used Urdu speakers to talk to those who spoke mainly urdu and hijab wearing Muslim women to talk to Muslim women. All they had to remember was "Galloway number two" (his position on the ballot)

Secondly, he chose an issue that would actually affect voting behaviour. He did talk about the unemployment and the effect of the cuts, but vitally he could use the Afghanistan and Iraq wars to distinguish himself from the Labour candidate - given that they were "Labour" wars. Galloway knew that an issue was only important if the potential voter had an opinion about it (they did), they could distinguish the competing parties' positions on it (they could) and it was something they cared enough about to change their vote (it was). Classic basic A-level politics theory.

Thirdly, Galloway used a "judo" move, in that he took on what was supposed to be his main opponents' strength - that he was a Muslim, and turned it on him. Galloway claimed that "God knows who is a Muslim" and put it about that Hussain had alcohol issues whilst Galloway didn't touch the stuff (should this be found to be a lie then this result might end up being challenged in court but since it hasn't yet I doubt it will be).

Galloway's message didn't just get through to Muslims by the way, he also won in mainly white wards, so it seems that the Bradford West electorate just wanted him to be an MP again. 

So, this week George Galloway took his seat in the House of Commons again. He sits in the back row as far away from the mainstream parties as he can. The people of Bradford West are represented by one of the most colourful, controversial and divisive figures in politics. I say "represented" but given he congratulated the people of 'Blackburn' on the night of his victory and when last an MP only went to 8% of Commons sittings I'm not sure they will actually be 'represented' as you and I might call it - but an MP he is.

Despite his views on just about everything being almost entirely different from mine, George Galloway's victory brought a smile to my face. That's what growing up in a liberal democracy does to you!

Philanthropy debate...what actually is charity?

The debate over the Government's plans to reduce the amount of tax relief someone can get down to £50,000 a year or 25% of income is raging because so-called philanthropists are arguing that it will reduce the amount of charity donations they will give. I have a question - if they will only give to charity if they are given tax relief are they really a philanthropist?

Let's just take a step back and look at what tax is actually for. The idea is that it pays towards those items that society needs to make it work - such as the state education system, the NHS, national defence, policing etc. Without enough money to fund them these areas would suffer and society would suffer. If you like, you are 'donating' money anonymously for the public good. We don't get a plaque in our honour, nor a dinner to celebrate our generosity, or our picture in the paper, we just have to trust that we might be living in a more socially just society.

Should someone earning a large amount of money decide that instead of paying into this vital pool of money through their income tax they should be able to choose where it goes themselves? A definition of philanthropy is "he effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations". 


In the Independent today, Mark Steel writes a coruscating critique of the current uproar (click here for this)
and puts it beautifully - "rather than funding the NHS through compulsory taxation, we get millionaires to wander round a ward and give a few pounds if they see a patient they think deserves curing."

If you look at it that way - this debate takes on a whole new meaning. The governing coalition - who are trying to deal with a crushing public debt, are trying to find ways to increase tax revenue. So, and this is a cynical example I know - if the Treasury are receiving less revenue because, for instance, a 'philanthropist' has made a massive donation to a top university that his children might not have the academic ability to get into - then the public surely have a right to question whether that should attract tax relief. 

Then think about the fact that 'philanthropists' donate to the arts - claiming that the government are cutting funding. But the government are cutting funding because they have to due to the deficit, which is partly caused by tax revenue falling which is partly caused by many people not paying their far share.

So, how about this ...you can be called a philanthropist if you donate to charity....after you have paid your fair share of tax. If you demand tax relief before you will donate to charity, then society is possibly not receiving a net gain. 

So how about a compromise...how about you get tax relief on £50,000 a year or 25% of your income? Oh, wait a minute...that's the new policy.