Mr Galloway did not draw an MP's salary while he was locked in the house, but his absence triggered anger and criticism from constituents and colleagues who demanded he get back to work. Yesterday, he defended his onscreen antics - which included pretending to be a cat and dressing in a red leotard - by highlighting the cash that would be raised for Interpal, a charity helping Palestinian refugees. "At least the people in Palestine might have shoes for their children and something to put in their children's stomachs, and two additional staff will be working in my constituency office as a result," he told the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2. He added that many Muslim people would be "totally glad" his participation would raise a lot of money for Palestinian refugees.In his absence, he said other politicians may have been in the Commons, but "some of them might have been propping up the bars". He added: "Other MPs might have been on exotic foreign trips, fact-finding in the Seychelles or the Maldives. I was trying something different." Mr Galloway said that, while some of his acts may have embarrassed him, he was unashamed of his involvement. "Why are we talking about this?" he said. "The world is in flames. The Liberal Democrat party is imploding ... there is war and pestilence and disease in the world. Why are we talking on national radio for ten minutes about me, for charity, pretending to be a cat?"