George Galloway has announced he will stand as a candidate in the election to replace Andy Burnham as the mayor of Greater Manchester. The contest is scheduled for July 30.
Galloway's Political Career
Mr Galloway has served as an MP for five different constituencies during his parliamentary career spanning five decades, the latest being Rochdale. The leader of the Workers Party of Britain became the town's MP after a victory at the Rochdale by-election held at the end of February 2024. He came up short, however, against Labour's Paul Waugh at the July General Election, cutting his latest parliamentary tenure to just four months.
Announcement on Social Media
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Mr Galloway confirmed he was the Workers Party of Britain's candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoral election. He said: "Labour under Starmer are apparently running so scared of losing the position they are planning the election for July 30, the dog days of summer in the middle of the summer holidays. I have today asked my lawyers to seek from the Starmer government the assurance that I will be allowed by them to fight the election and not held, again, by armed police officers under the Terrorism Act at the airport. What else can I do, fight a British election from China?"
Expenses and Current Situation
The Manchester Evening News has previously reported Mr Galloway spent more than £150,000 in expenses during his brief stint as Rochdale's MP. The majority of the cash – some £106,098.30 – was spent on staffing. In a statement, the party said the Electoral Commission and Parliament "have been completely satisfied with all accounts and returns." Mr Galloway, a former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, is currently living in Russia in self-imposed exile. The former Labour Party politician was detained at Gatwick Airport by counter-terrorism police in September.
Background
He represented Glasgow Hillhead and Glasgow Kelvin for Labour in parliament from 1987 until 2003 when he was expelled and became an independent. He went on to lead the Respect Party, representing Bethnal Green and Bow between 2005 and 2010 before taking Bradford West in a by-election in 2012, where he served for three years.
