Leading article: George Galloway is anything but gorgeous

George Galloway is no stranger to opprobrium, but his remarks in support of Julian Assange represent a new low even for him. That the MP for Bradford West believes the allegations of sexual assault levelled against the WikiLeaks founder to be untrue is one thing. To claim, however, that to have sex with someone who is asleep is not rape, merely "bad sexual etiquette", is shameful.

With a dismissive "these things happen", Mr Galloway is trivialising one of the more unpleasant crimes that one human being can commit against another. He is parroting the outdated view that a person's body is their own only up to a point. Worst of all, he is making it harder than ever for victims of rape to come forward.

From anyone, such arguments would be deeply flawed. From a Member of Parliament, they are unpardonable. Mr Galloway is unfit for public office.