UK - Galloway reality TV move defended

And the BBC is there to help with the defending.

The Respect coalition - which George Galloway MP represents - has hit back at criticism over his stay in TV's Celebrity Big Brother household.

Accusations that constituents were unable to get help with local issues were unfounded, said his spokesman.

Futher down we are told:

"George's constituency office continues to run as it has always done - the office is open five days a week and seven days a week by phone," the spokesman said.

But two days ago The Guardian went undercover and proved Galloway is letting his people down.

A helpful switchboard operator refers the caller to a number for Mr Galloway which proves to be his House of Commons office. That leads to an answering machine that promises that any message left will be returned. It was not.

So the Guardian tried a different approach. A Google search throws up the Respect party website, which says their office is closed until January 6, because they are on the move to new premises in Shoreditch, east London. An answering machine takes a message, and again promises a call back. None comes.

The website gives a mobile number, which goes unanswered. Another outgoing message invites the caller to leave a message. Time to try another approach and a call to the House of Commons main switchboard and request to be put through to the MP's office leads to the phone ringing out for a minute, before the operator says: "There's nobody in his office."

[...]

Calls to personal mobile numbers for Mr Galloway do not work, and so the next call is to the Channel 4 press office, which says it cannot put a call through to Mr Galloway in the Big Brother house.

[...]

Ms Bailey says she was surprised Channel 4 had said she could help constituents in need get help from their MP: "I'm George's media agent."

But what if I was a constituent needing help? Ms Bailey said: "I couldn't help you there. Presumably they [Channel 4] would have the numbers to call, which would be the constituency office."

His voters got what they deserve.
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