An orator returns to the House of Commons

Twitter has been alive with tweets expressing mixed feelings about George Galloway's return to the House of Commons via the Bradford West by-election.

But his his Wikipedia entry ends with quotes from three newspapers about his public speaking ability:

The Times finds that he has "the gift of the Glasgow gab, a love of the stage and an inexhaustible fund of self-belief." The Guardian finds him "renowned for his colourful rhetoric and combative debating style" and the Spectator once awarded him Debater of the Year.

His victory speech (above) may have kicked off with a slight over-statement, but is a timely reminder of the shortage of competent orators among our current Members of Parliament.

Love him or hate him, students of rhetoric and oratory should welcome him back and look forward to an improvement in the quality of House of Commons debates, however slight the impact of a single member is likely to be.