Leading article: Disrespectful behaviour

It can be debated whether the abject sight of the honourable member for Bethnal Green and Bow playing a cat on the floor of the Big Brother House marks the nadir of reality television. But there can be little doubt that it marks the nadir of George Galloway's far from brilliant career. The Government Chief Whip, Hilary Armstrong, was quite right when she urged him yesterday to "respect his constituents, not his ego" and hotfoot it back to the Commons. Not that Ms Anderson's motives were entirely altruistic, but it was "gorgeous George" who foolishly gave his old party the opportunity.

We always had doubts about the name he chose for his new party, but it was up to him to live up to it. A gifted politician, he could have used his victory to put his constituency on the national map and pursue his campaign against the Iraq war. His Big Brother antics do nothing whatever to advance either cause. They only demean him and his office.