Oona King: more dirty tricks

The saga continues:

George Galloway is taking legal action once more against Oona King MP over "an apology that wasn't and a smear that has been repeated once more".

King, the Bethnal Green and Bow Labour MP, had been forced into a humiliating climbdown over defamatory allegations she made against the Respect MP who is contesting her seat at the forthcoming General Election. The terms of the settlement included a one-off payment to a charity of Galloway's choice, the payment of his legal costs and an undertaking that she would not repeat the allegations.

"No sooner was the ink dry on the supposed agreement than she repeated the smear," Galloway told the East London Advertiser. "She is quoted in last week's Advertiser as saying she was too busy to fight the case and that 'It's up to others to decide whether they believe Galloway has behaved improperly' and 'Galloway has a lot to answer for'. The implication is clear and that is a glaring breach of the solemn undertaking she gave. My lawyers are acting urgently on this and I will be taking it all the way."

On a happier note, Respect has now delivered something like 160,000 newspapers advertising itself across the four East End constituencies we are standing in. Naturally, this has severely rattled the opposition who appear to be resorting to a half-witted smear campaign. As the Evening Standard recognised a few days ago in a report by Andrew Gilligan on tactical voting, Respect is the only force that can beat Labour out there. It's particularly impressive that this is being done from an principled, left-wing, anti-war position - to which New Labour have no credible response.