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Labour MP says calling George Galloway a 'rape apologist' was 'another thing ticked off the bucket list'

Mr Galloway claims Jess Phillips never approached him, and dismissed her as 'an MP I've never heard of'

Matt Dathan
Online Political Reporter
Tuesday 29 September 2015 14:09 BST
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Mr Galloway was thrown out of the Labour party in 2003
Mr Galloway was thrown out of the Labour party in 2003 (Getty Images)

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A Labour MP has tweeted about her pride after revealing how she claims she told George Galloway he was a “rape apologist” on a beach in Brighton yesterday.

Jess Phillips, MP for Birmingham Yardley, said it was “another thing ticked off” her “bucket list” following her exchange earlier this month with shadow cabinet minister Diane Abbott, in which she told her to “F*** off”.

However Mr Galloway, who was thrown out of the Labour party in 2003, claimed Ms Phillips had not confronted him and dismissed her as “an MP I’ve never heard of”.

The controversial former Respect MP, who is running for London Mayor next year, faced widespread criticism in 2012 after suggesting the Wikileaks Julian Assange was accused of nothing more than “bad sexual etiquette” after he was wanted in Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault by two women. Mr Assange denies the allegations.

Mr Galloway said at the time that the claims from the women were “totally unproven” and said Mr Assange had been “set up”.

Ms Phillips was involved in a bust-up with Ms Abbott two days after Mr Corbyn’s victory as leader. She told the shadow international development secretary to “f*** off* after she had been told not to ask “sanctimonious” questions about Mr Corbyn’s lack of women in top jobs on his front bench.

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