The latest and many wives of British MP Galloway

London Just what attracted 27-year-old Putri Gayatri Pertiwi to George Galloway, the 57-year-old MP for Bradford West? Gorgeous George, as he is often referred to, married his fourth wife less than 48 hours after his surprise by-election win last fortnight — just four months after his third wife gave birth to the couple's second child. To further complicate matters, Galloway's new love is two years younger than his first born, Lucy, who has made the politician a grandfather twice over.

Is everyone keeping up at the back? Lucy's mother, Elaine Fyffe, was Galloway's childhood sweetheart and the subject of his first marriage. His second was to the Palestinian scientist Dr Ameenah Abu Zeid, who said that the relationship broke down irretrievably because his ‘'friendships'' with other women had left her depressed.

It is not known when he was divorced from his third wife, his former researcher Rima Husseini, and she refused to discuss details of the Galloways' chequered love life when approached. "I'm sorry," she told reporters at her home in North Kensington. "I have two young children and they are all I am concerned with right now."

Anthropologist

It is believed his latest squeeze, who is an anthropologist of Indonesian extraction living in Amsterdam, met the MP through his Viva Palestina charity. Like his two last wives, she is a Muslim, and she has been seen by some particularly cynical curmudgeons as a ploy to further win the hearts of the large Islamic population in his new constituency. "Yes, it is true that George and I have married," she told a newspaper. "The service was on Saturday in a hotel in Amsterdam."

The couple, who according to Galloway have known each other "for about six months", were photographed beaming as they arrived at his £1.4 million (Dh8.19 million) home in south London last fortnight. The young bride looked particularly happy - and who wouldn't be over the moon about snagging a man 30 years their senior, who once dressed up as cat while a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother, licking an imaginary bowl of cream from the hands of Rula Lenska?

Enamoured

What else might have enamoured the new Mrs Galloway? Perhaps it was her husband's courage, his strength, his indefatigability — qualities that the MP once told Saddam Hussain he admired him. Or maybe it was his wonderful way with words. Here he is, in the late 1980s, explaining how much he had enjoyed attending a conference in Mykonos: "I travelled and spent lots of time with people in Greece, many of whom were women, some of whom were known carnally to me."

Yep, what's not to like? Still, Galloway is not the first politician to be an unlikely hit with the ladies thanks to his bombastic charm, and nor will he be the last.

Women, of course, are far more forgiving of physical unattractiveness than men, and if politics is showbusiness for ugly people, then perhaps our MPs have simply been canny enough to capitalise on that.

Attraction

"Power is an aphrodisiac," says Edwina Currie, when I phone to ask her about the attraction. "There is no better chat-up line than ‘come up and see my statutory instruments.'" "It is a truism in politics," continues the former cabinet minister, "that if you can convince yourself then you can convince other people. That is quite clear when you see the amount of extraordinary women on the arms of exceedingly ordinary men. But they figure it out eventually. That is why these MPs are such repeat offenders. The girls realise that Lembit isn't going to become the prime minister, and that Galloway isn't going to become president either."

Still, we wish the newlyweds all the best.

The more the merrier!

John Hemming, British MP.

What: He is about to have a second child with his mistress Emily, though he is still married to Christine, the mother of three other mini-Hemmings. Christine, who once claimed her errant husband had enjoyed around 26 lovers during their marriage, was last year found guilty of stealing Emily's cat, Beauty.

Lembit Opik, a former Lib Dem MP

What: Currently has a 21-year-old girlfriend with platinum blonde hair and a fondness for skintight frocks. The 46-year-old has previously stepped out with Cheeky Girls, weather girls and even Page 3 girls.

John Major, ex-Prime Minister

What: Major enjoyed a four-year affair with Edwina Currie when he was a whip in Margaret Thatcher's government. The former Prime Minister later described it as "the one event in my life of which I am most ashamed."

Alan Clark (1928 -1999), British MP.

What: His honeymoon was crashed by an ex-girlfriend! Clark is perhaps the most famous philanderer of them all, having once seduced a mother and her two daughters in sequential order, terming the three as "the coven". His wife Jane, 69, even today finds the memories of his philandering ways trouble her mind as she lives out her life at their castle in Kent.

Britain has a rich history of political lotharios. Here's a list of some of the more famous British politicians who earned notoriety:

David Mellor, ex-politician.

What: Mellor was involved in a scandalous extra-marital affair with actress Antonia de Sancha who sold her story of her relationship to a British tabloid for £30,000. Twenty years on, the sordid details as leaked to the press are still burned on the minds of all those who were unfortunate enough to read them.

Chris Huhne, Energy Secretary

What: Huhne left his wife of 26 years for a colleague Carina Trimingham, which many believe is the first step in his short walk to a complete downfall. The announcement of his betrayal and separation to his wife Vicky Pryce was delivered in a devastatingly brief press release.

Mike Hancock, Liberal Democrat MP

What: Hancock has, over the years, seduced a councillor and a constituency secretary. The Brian Blessed lookalike, who is a sprightly 64, was last week accused of sending "sex texts" to a 36-year-old mother who had asked him for help with some noisy neighbours. He also had a four-year relationship with a Russian woman 39 years his junior who worked in his office.

Ken Livingstone, British Labour Party politician

What: Livingstone loves women almost as much as he loves newts, having sired five children by three different females. He is currently married to Emma Beal, his office manager.

Robin Cook, former foreign secretary

What: Not many media people have kind things to say about Cook's appearance. He took five lovers before finally leaving his wife Margaret for his secretary Gaynor Reagan. He broke the news of his affair to his wife at the Heathrow airport when he heard that the press was about to spill the beans on him.

Lord Prescott

What: Lord Prescott is now apologetic for having been "idiotic" enough to have an affair with his secretary Tracey Temple. He is however happy that his wife was understanding enough to stick by him despite his behaviour.