Danny smitten by Gorgeous George
This morning, put on the spot about who might take Gerry Adams' seat in West Belfast, I suggested a few names - Alex Maskey to shift over from South Belfast, Caitriona Ruane to return to her West Belfast festival domain, or Bobby Storey to complete his conversion from physical force republicanism to the electoral side of the movement. I omitted Seanna Walsh, the former IRA prisoner who read out its order to decommission arms in 2005, but certaibly should have included him.
But one name I must admit I wouldn't have thought of in a month of Sundays was that of the former Respect MP, George Galloway. Famous for his opposition to the Iraq war, his admiration for Saddam Hussein's "indefatigability", taking on the US Congress head to head and impersonating a cat lapping up milk on Big Brother, Mr Galloway's name didn't immediately spring to my mind - but it did to Sinn Fein's former publicity director Danny Morrison.
Danny has written a column for Monday's Andersonstown News arguing that if the people of West Belfast returned George to Westminster he would be an "incendiary presence" and "a voice for the oppressed of this earth. It would be us 'invading' them, a major reversal of colonialism, a statement of our internationalism."
Sinn Fein's initial response is that Mr Galloway isn't a party member so wouldn't qualify to participate in their selection convention. So maybe George shouldn't get his hopes up.
When the West Belfast by-election might be held remains far from clear. Gerry Adams has written to the Speaker John Bercow to say he's stepping down. But he won't abide by the British tradition of MPs being unable to resign unless they apply for the "Chiltern hundreds".
On the face of it this presents a dillemma for the Speaker's office - if an outgoing MP is determined to flout parliamentary tradition, you would presume the Westminster authorities would try to find a way to ensure the electorate get a chance to choose a successor. However when I contacted the Speaker's office today all I got was a restatement of the "Chiltern hundreds" tradition as set out in the Commons bible Erskine May. This didn't answer the question, and the Speaker's office wouldn't add anything to it. Perhaps Mr Bercow will wait to see if the Sinn Fein President secures election to the Dail and then rule that he has disbarred himself from being an MP. Or maybe if he hears George Galloway is in the running, the Speaker might pretend the letter from Gerry Adams got lost in the post.
I'm 
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