Galloway's shady sheikhs

We missed this yesterday, but Chris Paul didn't: George Galloway's Respect Bunfight, sorry, Coalition, has got its very own loans scandal, according to this story in the East London Advertiser.

Galloway is using it for his own ends as part of the continuing internal catfight at Respect, arguing that he called the inspectors in when he thought a cheque from United Arab Emirates outfit Khansaheb Civil Engineering, which is part-owned by British firm Interserve plc, was a sting operation. The cheque was returned with a helpful note from Respect gen sec John Rees, suggesting it be resent as a donation to the Organisation for Fighting Unions campaign, who pocketed it quite gratefully thanks very much, according to the Advertiser.

The real weirdness lies in the donating company. Interserve, which owns 45% of Khansaheb Civil Engineering, is a major private finance initiative player, and is headed up by Norman Blackwell, a former policy chief to John Major between 1995 and 1997 (did they have any policies then?). It's a FTSE 250 company with 26,000 employees. What the hell is it doing lending money to self-publicising crazies like Galloway?

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 7 Dec 2007 9:07 AM. Permalink