An Evening With George Galloway At Orlandos 1st October 2008

Politician, anti-Iraq War activist and all round pussycat George Galloway spends an evening at Chorlton's newest venue.

Over the last ten years, George Galloway has become one of the most controversial figures in British politics. Originally a member of the Labour Party, he rose to prominence through his outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, which eventually led to his expulsion from the party in 2003 after he was accused of bringing the party into disrepute through his use of immoderate language on the subject. He then went on to form the Respect party in coalition with the Socialist Workers Party and many anti-war activists and leading voices of the left-wing, and became one of the main figureheads for the huge anti-war movement.

However, his career has also been fraught with controversy, most notably over the allegation that he profited from abuses of the UN Oil-For-Food programme led by the Daily Telegraph. Though the Daily Telegraph lost the libel case he brought against them, his detractors still question his close relationship with top figures in the previous Iraq regime. His reputation also suffered from his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, where he was seen dressing in a leotard and pretending to be a cat as part of a challenge set in the house. Whether you agree with his politics or not, this event is sure to provoke lively discussion.