THE SOUND of applause filled the room at a packed social club in Walthamstow, last night, as former MP George Galloway launched his campaign to become the next Mayor of London.

The Respect Party candidate pulled no punches when he spoke about shooting terrorists, refusing to host ‘killers’ and improving the city for everyone - not just those “dripping in gold”.

During his impassioned speech at the Orford Road Social Club,  Galloway promised to shake-up not only the mayoral race, but politics in Waltham Forest.

“The majority of London does not come from more than one generation of family living in London,” he told the crowd.

 “I want to make a beautiful tartan from all colours and creeds.”

He began outlining his policies against the backdrop of the international terror crisis.

“Instead of strengthening our security forces and increasing numbers of police – David Cameron and Boris Johnson have been doing the opposite,” he said.

“David Cameron wants to invest in nuclear weapons- Boris Johnson bought a water cannon.

“If something like Paris happens on the streets of Britain, tell me, how will either of those help?”

Mr Galloway openly opposed the government's anti-extremism programme 'Prevent'.

“We are not against Prevent because we want extremism, we are against Prevent because it doesn’t prevent. It is the wrong approach.

 “They are always just looking for a mosque to close, or person to ban or organisation to prohibit. But we need to do the exact opposite of what we are doing now.

“We have to stop supporting Israel, and we have got to stop supporting the tyrants that rule the Arab world without exception.”

He outlined policies including banning trucks in the capital between dawn and dusk, giving EMA payments for all eligible students and allowing ‘vital professionals’ like police to travel free on London buses.

Galloway also promised to support the police and security services in the fight against terrorism.

“The police will find a friend in me,” he added.

“Every terrorist will be shot down dead, and if I can, I will pull the trigger myself.

“I say to the police officer in the room, when it comes to your wages, your resources and your strengthening, you can count on me.”

Speaking about the visit from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi he said he would never “roll out the red carpet for a killer”.

He also said he would encourage the use of knife wands or arches in schools and a ‘mass wave’ of council house building.

“I believe in council housing, I believe in social housing,” he said.

“But council housing is the best because you can sack your landlord every four years at the ballot box.”

Speaking to The Guardian ahead of the meeting he spoke about his long-lasting friendship with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

“I will never appeal to join the Labour Party; if they want to rescind my expulsion that’s up to them,” he said.

 “We have been friends for 40 years. I am the Corbyn of this race.”

Galloway said his Labour opponent Sadiq Khan has been “rubbishing Jeremy Corbyn in the most withering terms” since he was chosen as the candidate.

And he believes this may lose Khan Labour supporters’ votes as a result.

In fact ‘gorgeous George’ did not think much of his main rivals in the contest.

“If you want a trust fund child as a mayor – you couldn’t get better than Zac Goldsmith,” he added.

“An honourable person, but he has never stood out in the cold in Waltham Forest looking for a flat.

“London needs a leader, not a reader.

“And if Sadiq Khan wants to swap poverty stories with me, trust me I will win.”

He went on to propose a ‘land tax’ on homes in London that are empty for over a year, claiming that criminals ‘hiding money’ in property will be forced to leave.

After four visits in four days he admitted he is treating Walthamstow “very carefully” in his campaign.

And he warned Waltham Forest, that he planned to shake-up up local politics calling the borough a ‘one party state’.

“The ruling party believes people have no option but to support them and accept what they tell them,” he added.

“It is not the business of the mayor, but I am here to tell you I am going to field candidates for Waltham Forest borough council. It is time labour was challenged.

“We need to find people who can do the job better than it is being done now.

“I am not a liberal. I say what I mean and I mean what I say and I have been saying the same things for years.”

 “The mayor of London needs to be a personality – a person people can relate to. Ken Livingstone was that man,” he concluded.

“That is what London wants, that is what London needs, I don’t think my opponents measure up at all.”