A new low

last updated 8 January 2015

London

Maverick Member of Parliament George Galloway appeared on British television this week meowing, purring, and pretending to lap up cream. Galloway, best known for his unstinting support for Saddam Hussein, is a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother, a reality show in which contestants trapped in a house together are dared to do stunts such as imitate a cat. But Galloway’s constituents are not impressed. A petition circulating in his East London district says voters “believe this egotistical action shows a shameful lack of respect for the people of this constituency.” Galloway, stuck in the house, can’t talk to the press. His spokesman said that Galloway only took the role to get his message out to young voters, but that producers aren’t airing any of the footage in which he talks about politics.