Gaza and other commitments force Galloway out of race

Respect MP George Galloway has withdrawn his candidacy for the position of rector for the University of Edinburgh.

The news came late last Thursday night and saw the controversial character state his commitments to other causes as his reason for stepping down, including plans for an aid convoy to travel from London to the Gaza strip on 14 February.

Speaking to The Journal, sources close to the Galloway campaign said: “George wanted to be sure someone would beat Foulkes. He withdrew because it became clear that Iain had a good chance of winning and had more time to do the job.”

Mr Galloway urges his supporters to vote for his former opponent, political columnist and TV presenter Iain Macwhirter. Praising his former rival, Galloway said: "I've admired his writing for a long time and I'm sure in a few years we'll be looking back at how well he accomplished this important role."

Dubbed "Viva Palestina", the official website for the convoy which has now monopolised Galloway's attention claims to have 32 vehicles pledged so far, including ambulances and fire engines, loaded with supplies for the civilians of Gaza. The pledges are responding to the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip which has left over 1,000 civilians dead and over 4,000 wounded.

The convoy will pass through France, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and finally through Rafah into Gaza, aiming to arrive with the material aid within 15 to 30 days of leaving London, while raising support for Gaza in the countries en route.

Jack Donaldson, Mr Galloway’s former rectorial campaign manager, argued that since the Israeli government’s embargo restrictions are preventing Gazans from receiving aid, the convoy would overcome this problem: “It’s a great way to provide the much-needed help to those suffering terribly.”

He also stated that denying the civilians of Gaza such basic necessities is "a crime against humanity, and not just Gaza.”

Mr Galloway made it clear, in an article he wrote for The Guardian in January 2009, that the convoy should not be seen as an alternative to the aid that has not made it through to Gaza, stressing that the aim of the convoy involves a message: “I cannot think of anything better to forge the bonds of social solidarity the government says it wants to see,” he wrote.

Mr Donaldson stressed that the aid being delivered has diplomatic weight: “The people of Britain stand for and support the ordinary civilians of Gaza [who are] scavenging from refuse tips.”

Back in Edinburgh, the votes for the two remaining rectorial candidates, Iain Macwhirter and George Foulkes will be collected online from staff and students at the University of Edinburgh on 11 and 12 February.