Luscious and ludicrous he may look in a body-hugging catsuit, but get George Galloway in front of officialdom and he's the one calling the shots - just ask Capitol Hill. He's notched up another success, winning £15,000 in libel damages after a Jewish radio station implied he was anti-Semitic. Well, we say implied, but it's a little stronger than that - in a show broadcast in November, north London-based station Jcom conjured up a......

Eagle-eyed Londoners may have spotted an open-topped "battle bus" doing the rounds recently, Aretha Franklin's "Respect" blaring out and a hirsute gentleman, familiar to reality TV fans and US Congressmen alike, bopping away atop it with a megaphone and a cheeky smile. Yes, it's is none other than George Galloway and his Respect chums on maneuvers. Despite an acrimonious row between Galloway and the pro-SWP goons last year over control of the party (prompting......

Here’s what we’ve learned whilst you’ve been resolving to train for the marathon next year: Draconian new litter laws for motorists are to be piloted in London. The London Cycling Campaign are worried by a delay in new safety legislation for HGVs. Now BA pisses off all the other airlines by delaying the move of its long-haul operations to T5 until later on this year. Freud’s naked London civil servant is set to fetch......

News of breathtaking excitement and deep significance has reached Londonist Towers this very afternoon: not only is there to be A NEW CARRY ON FILM, but it bears the working title of CARRY ON LONDON (IST?). It is reputedly set to follow the antics of a firm of chauffeurs running actors to and from a spoof awards ceremony: expect much to be made of gear sticks, honking, horns, and the general giving of rides. Political......

Media regulators Ofcom have finally come to a conclusion about one of George Galloway's inappropriate outbursts on radio station TalkSport. As a sitting MP and representative of Bethnal Green and Bow, it was not acceptable for him to have hijacked the morning show for promoting himself as a better candidate for Poplar and Limehouse. Called to stand-in for regular hosts on the morning of 10 August, Galloway proceeded to outline his plan to pitch......

Here’s what we’ve learnt out and about this weekend (while you’ve been shivering indoors trying to find your thermals): The RSPB would like us count robins this year We’ve given up counting the number of shootings each weekend. The police should count themselves lucky that they have apparently found Rachel Nickell’s killer at last. Mayoral race entrants: 3 and counting as Paddick joins the fray We’re losing count of the ins and outs of......

Stand Aside, oh diminuitive purpley chap formerly known as Prince. Make Way for the taller and altogether more substantial man formerly known as the 42nd President of the USA. As previewed here last month, Bill Clinton came to the O2 this lunchtime. To afford the VIP tickets we re-mortgaged our home, sold our grandma to science before she'd even popped her clogs and employed George Galloway to do a bit of fund-raising for us.......

A classic piece of political theatre was played out yesterday in the Commons when George Galloway, the raging MP for Bethnal Green & Bow, was suspended for some decidly murky funding links to Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. In the debate leading up to the decision, 'Gorgeous George' made his case in his ususal fiery style - citing everything from short-sword fighting to Julius Caesar's legions in his defence (defiance?). While everyone already knew......

Today marks the release of Taking Liberties, a documentary close to our hearts all about the erosion of civil liberties. Described by The Times as an "eloquent mugging" and as an "angry howl of protest" by Total Film, we highly recommend you go and see it - full listings here. The lovely people behind the film have given us four copies of the accompanying book - called, imaginatively enough, Taking Liberties - to give......

Reality TV: Not quite the white-hot topic it maybe was a few months ago at the height of Shilpagate but still newsworthy, if you're a lazy newspaper editor with a comment space to be filled, anyway. What can there possibly be new to say on the subject? Well, a debate being held next Tuesday (3rd April) in the Southbank Centre aims to explore the shifting interface between "watcher" and "watched" embodied by Big Brother,......

Londonist loves a good protest; they're excellent for the constitution. Nothing like a nice amble all the way from Speaker's Corner to Trafalgar Square with 60,000 (or 2,000, or 100,000, depending on who you listen to) of your fellow Londoners, while carrying an "amusingly" modified placard expressing your outrage about something or other. Yes, Saturday was Stop Trident/Troops Out Of Iraq/Don't Attack Iran marching day, and so march we did, from that symbolic home......

Olympic bosses are going to go on a series of roadshows around the country to preach the virtues of the Games. A new report shows that the UK's North-South divide is still alive and well thanks to the economic and social dominance of London. George Galloway calls Blair and Brown 'two cheeks of the same arse' over at the Guardian's Comment is Free while the Respect party demand a re-run of the poll in......

Prosecutors and police now have to decide if there should be a third trial for the killing of schoolboy Damilola Taylor. Two brothers were yesterday acquitted of murdering the 10-year-old. A man has died after being stabbed at a bus stop in Peckham. Former Wonder Stuff drummer Martin Gilks has died following a motorcycle accident. George Galloway isn't allowed to show off his pics of the fake sheikh. "This is exactly what we expected.......

Not content with being an MP, everyone's favourite cat impressioner George Galloway has today announced he's turning his hand to the art of a radio talkshow host. Now we know he likes talking, but is giving him a microphone really necessary? Dear ol' George will be presenting a current affairs phone in on Talk Sport. He won't be restricting himself to politics though and says that he intends to make the show the most......

George Clooney might be coming to the West End. We say 'might' because this story reads like proper showbiz news ("Oscar nominated star George Clooney is reportedly planning to stage a play in London's West End for his next big challenge," blah blah blah) until you actually read the quote from George himself: "I go to the theatre all the time when I am (in London) and I love it but the buzz now......

As one Londonista said the other day, "we can't ignore it!" - Valentine's Day is here, and love is in the air, even here in Westminster. Many people find power sexy. Others claim that politics is "showbusiness for ugly people" (why else would I be so rabidly political?) On this Valentine's Day therefore, Londonist has a treat for you! Do you fancy being part of a political sex scandal? Do you want to sell......

Hats off to London MPs Kate Hoey (Vauxhall), Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green) and Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North), who were among the Labour rebels whose votes aided the defeat of the Religious Hatred bill. This New Labour fatwa was note-perfect Brazil, combining as it did an Orwellian assault on language and freedom with bureaucratic incompetence. File under "I" for "ID Cards". (On the subject of ID cards and bureaucracy, this story wins "headline......

This day in London’s History Jan 30 1969: The Beatles get back to their live roots for an impromptu rooftop performance at Apple Records, Savile Row. The long and winding arm of the law quickly intervenes. London fact of the week Chelsea’s football ground, Stamford Bridge, is built on rubble excavated when the Metropolitan Line was constructed in the 1860s. London person of the week It’s got to be ‘gorgeous’ George Galloway after finally......

London is to get an extra £22 million next year to tackle climate change and improve the environment. My Pal the Psychopath says today's Sun, describing the "astonishing video"of George Galloway in a 20-minute meeting with Saddam Hussein's son Uday in an Iraqi palace. It's not all work, work, work: police charge the ex-assistant manager of the Wandsworth high street branch of Lloyds TSB with corruption and theft as part of a two year investigation......

There's no way to break this gently: There's a whale in the Thames. Go take photos now. BBC24 are talking about a rescue boat being launched... Update: It's a pilot whale Northern Bottle Nosed whale normally found in deep water so while it's in no immediate danger it does need to be encouraged to pull a Charles Kennedy and wave a fond goodbye to Parliament sooner rather than later. Some bint on Beeb24 just......

We've got our new transport chief and the poor bugger's name is Peter Hendy. Pete is the current director of surface transport (buses) and will start the role in February. Say hello to Pete everybody! A 27-year-old man was arrested on Kensington Church Street yesterday in connection with the July bombings. That's the 44th arrest now, but who's counting? George Galloway has cleared of any wrong-doing concerning the signing of motions while away from the......

That's not sarcasm, we mean it most sincerely. So sincerely in fact that we're going to write it again... in capital letters. GOD BLESS GEORGE GALLOWAY. Amen to that. Why do we love George so much? Well for a start if it weren't for George we might be forced to write about Pete Doherty, and the thought of that is so depressing it's almost enough to make us to grow a moustache and start......

George Galloway's spokesman has finally come out and said what everyone else already knew, i.e. going on Big Brother might not have been the best idea. After the now infamous cat incident late last week it was always going to be difficult for the Respect party to keep up their paper-thin pretence that Galloway's antics were somwhow for the good of the nation. And sure enough, over the weekend GG's press adviser, Ron McKay,......

Just a quick post to keep you up-to-date with the growing band of people who are laying into George Galloway for entering the Celebrity Big Brother house when he's actually suposed to be, you know, representing his constituents and all that (plus, any old excuse to print that picture again). The 'big news' from the Standard is that Tony Blair has joined the growing criticism. Except he hasn't really. He just got asked "Would......

Well, they did vote him in last May, after all. Yes, as every Londoner knows, the eleventh and most shocking entrant into the Celebrity Big Brother house is "Gorgeous" George Galloway, cigar-chomping scourge of the right, New Labour, journalists, Christopher Hitchens, and anyone who doesn't agree with him. TV Troll was so surprised when the camera panned up to show his smug turnip head, we almost fell off the sofa. The thought of Galloway......

The PCC is to investigate complaints against the Standard and other papers which carried pictures of Katherine Ward falling to her death from the window of a Kensington hotel. Can we just say to the 'eyewitness', one Mr Jon Bushell, who actually took the snaps and then presumably sold them on to the press: what the fuck do you think you were doing? George Galloway, sometime MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, has entered the......

The Charity Commission has announced that it's to launch its third investigation into George Galloway's now infamous Mariam Appeal. The Mariam campaign was founded by Galloway back in 1998 in order to "to campaign against sanctions on Iraq which are having disastrous effects on the ordinary people of Iraq," but the fund became the centre of controversy in 2003 when Galloway's somewhat extravagent travel arrangements (luxury hotels, champagne, caviar... those massive cigars he likes......

Regular readers will already know that George Galloway is not really one of our favourite people. Well, if you needed another reason to feel a little icky about his particular brand of over-inflated personality politics, he now stands accused of dropping gay rights out of his party's official platform as a sop to his anti-gay Islamic supporters, at his party's conference last weekend. No word yet on whether he intends to rename his party......

Just think what you can do with fifteen quid. You could buy a CD or a couple of paperback books. You could place a bid on this fabulous gothic front door bell, or you could just go and treat yourself to a McDonalds banquet. Or you could buy a ticket for an Audience with George Galloway at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Now we know what you're thinking: aren't politicians supposed to do regular Q+A's with the......

We're starting to feel a little peeved that every week we have to bow down to Edinburgh, this being the LONDONIST Literary List and all, and not an Ode to Cities to the North. But what can a column do, when it is not only London-centric, but Literary-centric as well, and all the literary stuff is in Edinburgh? But alas, there’s only a week to go, and it seems to be winding down a......