Commons committee proposes suspending George Galloway

8.08.02pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 17th Jul 2007

George Galloway - soon to be a suspended MP

Following a report by the Commissioner for Standards and Privileges it has been recommended that the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, George Galloway, is suspended from the House of Commons for 18 days. The decision will be confirmed after a vote in the Commons next week.

The Commissioner concluded that Mr Galloway's actions damaged the reputation of the House through the steps he took to secure funding from the Iraqi government for the work of the Mariam Appeal. He is of the view that Mr Galloway "has consistently failed to live up to the expectation of openness and straightforwardness in responding to questions and in other dealings which is critical to the continued effectiveness of the House's self-regulatory conduct regime."

Commenting on the report, the leader of the Tower Hamlets Liberal Democrat group, Cllr Stephanie Eaton said "It is vital that elected politicians have the trust of the electorate and Mr Galloway has been found to have breached the standards required of a Member of Parliament. The people of Bethnal Green and Bow will now have no parliamentary elected representative for 18 days, which is a shame given the profound issues of inequality, powerlessness and hardship experienced by many in the area."