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George Galloway: Sorry Pal, The Show Can't Go On
A so so Respect-baiting rant from Susan Grim who hates their cotton socks here has been followed by dynamite commentary from "Anonymous" who may, as it goes, have something to do with the mighty, and mightily wronged, Socialist Workers' Party. But sadly they don't say.
In essence George's "Mother of All Talk Shows" at Blackpool has had the rug pulled because if I've understood correctly, say the venue, he has not adhered to the terms and conditions. The show he is putting on is not the "conference" he booked the room for. It has an outside broadcast, and live entertainment, and strangely - they can hardly be expected to have predicted this - a political agenda.
And according to the brave SWP comrade (or possibly high Tory, see below) George's parliamentary workforce may have been deflected from constituency duties to work for his Extravaganza and Razzle Dazzle Brand - Miranda Media Limited - with the Talk Show Radio event allegedly ticketed from his constituency office. Which, until lock out, was also Respect's World HQ. Hat tip: Bob Piper.
FURTHER REPORTING: Meanwhile breaking the habit of a lifetime George is set to sue the pants off the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Company and the Conservative donors behind it. Strangely under defamation laws by the look of it. He has now removed - at police insistence - the home addresses of his alleged nemesises from his cult of personality shrine official website. Perchance paid for by the tax payer?
George is indefatigably collecting expenses claims from the ten comrades and their dogs (only joking George) mighty throng of well wishers who had booked for the event and shelled out in advance for nonrefundable travel and accommodation. George is calling, quite rightly, for insiders to dish the dirt on the devious capitalists who have spoiled his sport.
We will follow suit as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Any data on the audience numbers involved, the alleged deflection of parliamentary workers and tax payer funded facilities, and any other information gratefully received. Also screen grabs and archives of George's original extravaganza pictures and self-effacing blurbs would be most welcome.
CONSPIRACY THEORY ONE: Website Respect (the SWP bit) have joined forces with Blackpool Tories to scupper Renewal Respect George's vainglory.
CONSPIRACY THEORY TWO: Blackpool Pleasure Beach Company has been surreptitiously taken over and "hollowed out" by the SWP. Against the day of their Petty Bourgeoisian November Revolution.
CONSPIRACY THEORY THREE: Dave-id Cameron has seen a close rival to his "Memory Man", "Song and Dance" and "Queen's Speech Stand Up" turns and pulled the plug from on high. Lord "Biggles" Ashcroft is underwriting any and all legal costs through one of his 120,000 UK-based companies.
UPDATE: Tim provides Company Search in comment at Bob's site. George Photo Credit: Guy Smallman.
8 comments:
Gloating aside, I have some sympathy with Galloway about the cancellation, from a business point of view. It's a bit off for the thing to be canceled at this late stage. It seems perhaps the Blackpool Pleasure Beach people are somewhat naive or not wholly forthcoming? They surely knew of Galloway's plans before this, and anyway the function is hardly a big deal. Is it really necessary to put restrictions on trade or free speech for such apparently petty reasons?
I agree Benjamin. You are 100% spot on in your last comments. For that reason I do suspect that there is far more to this particular non event than meets the eye at the present time.
It is also no more than "fair comment" to suggest that the involvement of parliamentary workers, the parliamentary office, the official George Galloway MP web site, and so on and so forth is not even remotely appropriate to this venture.
Expect more information to emerge from those either made of straw or not cowed by George's litigious habits. Mr Galloway puts himself in the way of danger with his celebrity cult.
And for the record I think that the SWP and electoral politics should be electively kept apart - except for their pragmatic backing of the nearest electable democratic reformists to their programme - and that on the face of it George does seem to be on the slightly more reasonable ground politically and to understand election nitty gritty.
A few questions:
- Were the venue contracts signed and returned properly? Are these disputed?
- Were any invoices paid at all and/or in a timely way? Are these disputed?
- Were the venue deceived on the nature of the event? In what way was that?
- Are there disputes about extra costs e.g. security, catering, technical calls, commissions, PRS and PPL?
- Was this cancellation in any way encouraged or provoked by a supreme showman as sales were disappointing? Backers were defecting? Etc
- Were there any worries on the part of the management that anything George and Co were doing was illegal?
And had Galloway been breaking Ofcom regulations,using his Radio Show and urging people to send cheques to him at Parliament, which would then be "posted on" to the organisers....ie George Galloway MP.
Indeedee ...
Here's another one. Did Talksport get cold feet?
Broadcast facility fees?
Does Miranda Media Limited have sufficient lines of credit to satisfy BPBL's due diligence?
Was the thing running at a loss this business entity and/or known guarantors could not support?
Is Miranda Media Limited a sound and solvent business at this time?
Galloway has only been announcing for weeks on the air & web what would occur at the conference, which the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Company allegedly only just discovered.
Given that a Tory had a conference there recently, the hypocrisy is evident.
Canceling the event 4 days in advance couldn't be more perfect from the perspective of Galloway's political enemies. It gives Galloway time to contact people who'd be taking international flights to attend the conference but makes much of their expenses non-refundable, puts Talk Sport on notice that the wider business community will make Galloway a liability for Talk Sport every chance it can get, and provides ammunition to Galloway's detractors about his so-called litigiousness given that suing the company is the predictable consequence of the Blackpool company's precipitous action.
Galloway will win the case on the merits, but it will be worth every penny to the Tory owners of the company. The reward will be Tory and Labor conferences being booked as if they were going out of style.
Dana Garrett
Thanks Dana
You make some interesting points. But I am really at a loss as to why any party - and the Tories in particular - would want to scupper Galloway in the way that is being alleged. So there must be more to this than some politically inspired sabotage.
Galloway is helping the Tories do their job i.e. attacking Labour. the idea of rewards of future conferences for this service is quite frankly laughable and 100% daftness. Is that what George is saying?
NONE of the questions looking for alternative explanations that I've raised or that others have raised in comments have been addressed.
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