By . Brendan Carlin . PUBLISHED: . 20:09 EST, 20 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:09 EST, 20 April 2013 . Backlash: Ed Milliband invited Respect MP Mr Galloway to his Commons office . Ed Miliband last night faced an angry backlash from Labour MPs after it emerged he held a secret meeting with George Galloway, who was thrown out of the party ten years ago. The Labour leader invited Respect MP Mr Galloway to his Commons office, where they had a ‘cordial and friendly conversation’ for nearly an hour. It has sparked rumours that Mr Miliband is considering allowing Mr Galloway to rejoin the party. But Labour MPs warned their leader . against taking such action. ‘Galloway is a traitor,’ said one. ‘It’s . naive lunacy for the leader to have anything to do with him. I thought . he wanted to get rid of the Red Ed tag. He will rejoin Labour over my . dead body.’ Mr Galloway was expelled from Labour . after he was accused of inciting foreign forces to rise up against . British troops invading Iraq – military action he strongly opposed. Last year, Mr Galloway humiliated Mr . Miliband by triumphing over Labour in the Bradford West by- election by a . thumping 10,000 votes. If he returned to his former party, it could give Mr Miliband an extra seat at the next General Election in 2015. Mr Miliband believes that winning seats in Labour’s northern stronghold is key to him ousting David Cameron from No  10. Controversial character: George Galloway MP, formerly of the Labour Party . Senior Labour sources denied there were plans to let Mr Galloway rejoin the party, saying it was ‘merely a get to know you’ meeting. But friends of Mr Galloway said he was ‘taken aback’ to receive the invitation. ‘Obviously it was an olive branch,’ said one. ‘It is hard to imagine why Ed would want to see him unless he is thinking of letting George back in. They had a very friendly chat and agreed to stay in touch. At one point in the meeting, Mr Miliband asked Mr Galloway why he had left the party. He replied, ‘I didn’t leave, I was thrown out.’ Both men laughed. News of the meeting, said to have taken place a few weeks ago, was leaked days after Mr Galloway greeted Margaret Thatcher’s death by saying: ‘May she burn in the hellfires.’ In 2006, he was ridiculed after taking time off from his MP’s duties to appear on Celebrity Big Brother. During one episode he pretended to be a cat. Labour last night confirmed the meeting took place but insisted there had been no attempt to bring Mr Galloway back into the party as many of his views were ‘unacceptable’.
Revelation will do nothing for Labour leader trying to shake 'Red Ed' tag .
George Galloway was thrown out of the party ten years ago .
By . Brendan Carlin . PUBLISHED: . 20:09 EST, 20 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:09 EST, 20 April 2013 . Backlash: Ed Milliband invited Respect MP Mr Galloway to his Commons office . Ed Miliband last night faced an angry backlash from Labour MPs after it emerged he held a secret meeting with George Galloway, who was thrown out of the party ten years ago. The Labour leader invited Respect MP Mr Galloway to his Commons office, where they had a ‘cordial and friendly conversation’ for nearly an hour. It has sparked rumours that Mr Miliband is considering allowing Mr Galloway to rejoin the party. But Labour MPs warned their leader . against taking such action. ‘Galloway is a traitor,’ said one. ‘It’s . naive lunacy for the leader to have anything to do with him. I thought . he wanted to get rid of the Red Ed tag. He will rejoin Labour over my . dead body.’ Mr Galloway was expelled from Labour . after he was accused of inciting foreign forces to rise up against . British troops invading Iraq – military action he strongly opposed. Last year, Mr Galloway humiliated Mr . Miliband by triumphing over Labour in the Bradford West by- election by a . thumping 10,000 votes. If he returned to his former party, it could give Mr Miliband an extra seat at the next General Election in 2015. Mr Miliband believes that winning seats in Labour’s northern stronghold is key to him ousting David Cameron from No  10. Controversial character: George Galloway MP, formerly of the Labour Party . Senior Labour sources denied there were plans to let Mr Galloway rejoin the party, saying it was ‘merely a get to know you’ meeting. But friends of Mr Galloway said he was ‘taken aback’ to receive the invitation. ‘Obviously it was an olive branch,’ said one. ‘It is hard to imagine why Ed would want to see him unless he is thinking of letting George back in. They had a very friendly chat and agreed to stay in touch. At one point in the meeting, Mr Miliband asked Mr Galloway why he had left the party. He replied, ‘I didn’t leave, I was thrown out.’ Both men laughed. News of the meeting, said to have taken place a few weeks ago, was leaked days after Mr Galloway greeted Margaret Thatcher’s death by saying: ‘May she burn in the hellfires.’ In 2006, he was ridiculed after taking time off from his MP’s duties to appear on Celebrity Big Brother. During one episode he pretended to be a cat. Labour last night confirmed the meeting took place but insisted there had been no attempt to bring Mr Galloway back into the party as many of his views were ‘unacceptable’.
with George Galloway, who was thrown out of the party ten years ago. The Labour leader invited