Galloway claims Senate knock-out

George Galloway arrived back in Britain today claiming a " knockout" victory against US investigators who accused him of profiting from Iraq's oil-for-food scandal.

The Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow declared his performance in Washington had been the equivalent of taking out American boxing legend Rocky Marciano.

But the Republican senator who led the attack on Mr Galloway hit back, warning there would be "serious consequences" if he was found to have misled the senate committee.

Senator Norm Coleman warned that his staff would examine the MP's testimony.

Mr Galloway won plaudits in the US for his combative testimony to the senate permanent sub-committee on investigation yesterday.

He repeatedly denied the investigators' allegations that he had benefited from abuses of the UN's Oil-For-Food programme.

The MP, who had earlier referred to the committee as "lick-spittle Republicans" said at no point had he ever seen, bought or sold a barrel of oil and neither had anyone on his behalf. Mr Galloway said he was "absolutely" convinced he had been vindicated over allegations that he received vouchers for 20 million barrels of oil from Saddam's regime.

"These people think they can smear people without them having the right to speak back, and this time I got that right and I knocked them for six," he said after the hearing.

"They didn't have a leg to stand on. All they had was my name on a bit of paper and that just isn't good enough."