George Galloway is returning to parliament this week as Rochdale’s new MP. But who is he – and why is he such a divisive figure?
Here’s what you need to know about the founder of the British Workers Party, and his turbulent time in politics.
What is Galloway’s political background?
Having fought in 15 elections over the years – standing for three parties, twice as an independent and once in an alliance – Galloway’s name is well-known in political circles.
Galloway’s time with Labour
He was elected as a Labour MP in 1987 for Glasgow Hillhead (later Glasgow Kelvin) with a majority of 3,251.
But, in just a matter of months, he caused a scandal when he told the press about a conference he attended in Mykonos, claiming that he “had sexual intercourse with some of the people in Greece.”
The extraordinary confession earned him the bizarre nickname “Gorgeous George”.
The executive committee of his local party subsequently passed a vote of no confidence in him – he survived it, and won re-selection the next year.
Galloway continued to make headlines, seen as a left-wing revolutionary of the Labour party.
But the party expelled him in October 2003, after he commented on the Iraq war just as Labour PM Tony Blair was leading the UK’s intervention in the Middle Eastern country.
The Labour chair said his remarks “incited foreign forces to rise up against British troops” – but he still held onto the seat until 2005.
Galloway’s stint with Respect Party
He then headed up the anti-war party, Respect, and managed to get re-elected to parliament by ousting a Labour MP in Bethnal Green and Bow in the 2005 General election. He had a majority of just 823.
Labour’s Oona King said it was “one of the dirtiest campaigns we have ever seen in British politics”.
In 2006, Galloway went on Celebrity Big Brother, triggering questions about his dedication to his constituency.
He was not re-elected to parliament in the 2010 general election, coming in third when he tried out for yet another parliamentary seat, the neighbouring Labour stronghold of Poplar and Limehouse.
He also failed to get elected in 2011 to the Scottish Parliament when campaigning on the “coalition against cuts” ticket.
But, Galloway saw success again in 2012, when he was elected for Bradford West in an unexpected landslide result, defeating the Labour candidate with a 36% swing in the by-election.
By late 2013, he had become Respect Party’s leader.
It was a short-lived victory for him though. He was defeated at the 2015 general election by the Labour candidate Naz Shah – then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the tactics Galloway used against Shah as “appalling”.
He also tried to become the London mayor in 2016 as Respect’s candidate, but came in seventh with 1.4% of the first preference votes.
Founding of Workers Party of Britain
After he contested the parliamentary seats of Manchester Gorton in 2017 and West Bromwich East in 2019 as an independent – losing both – Galloway set up the Workers Party of Britain.
The party claimed it was “economically radical with an independent foreign policy” and “unequivocally committed to class politics”.
He also set up an All for Unity party alliance in favour of unity in the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections – but they secured 0 seats.
He also tried to stand in the 2021 Batley and Spen by-election, but came third.
His party’s first real success story arrived only in 2024, when Galloway won the Rochdale by-election last week, becoming the Workers Party of Britain’s first MP.
However, whole contest was marred by controversy after Labour dropped their candidate after he caused backlash with anti-Israel comments.
What are Galloway’s most significant policies?
Most recently, Galloway has been criticised for his response to the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, where 1,200 people were killed and around 240 others were taken hostage.
He has disputed reports from the Israel government, saying anyone who propagate the official Israeli government account are “war criminals”.
He advocates for a one-state solution – Palestine – and said last week that his Rochdale victory was “for Gaza”.
Galloway has spoken out about the ongoing crisis in the Middle East for years, dating back to the 70s, and he notably received a Palestinian passport from Hamas leader in 2009 in honour of his support for the cause.
Galloway has repeatedly called for the boycott of Israel, and when MP for Bradford West, declared his constituency would be an Israel-free zone in 2014.
While he has always denied accusations of antisemitism, he was sacked from his role at TalkRadio in 2019 after the station described some of his comments as antisemitic.
In 1994, he was slammed for telling Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein: “I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability.”
However, he later claimed he was saluting the people of Iraq as a whole and that he did not support Hussein.
Away from the Middle East, Galloway has been outspoken about the end of the Soviet Union, once describing it as the “biggest catastrophe of my life”.
Galloway has described Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, Crimea, as legitimate, but later said he was “bitterly sorry” the 2022 invasion happened.
Still, he blamed Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on the West, while he was employed by Russia Today, part of Moscow’s state-backed media.
He also defended China’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s democracy protesters in 2019.
In the run-up to the EU referendum, Galloway also said he supported leaving the bloc, and later claimed he would support Nigel Farage in the 2019 European parliament elections.
What does his return mean for the rest of parliament?
His return will undoubtedly put pressure on Labour, which is already split over how to respond to the Hamas-Israel crisis.
In his victory speech, Galloway said: “Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza.
“You have paid and you will pay for the role you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza strip.”
A Labour party spokesperson said they “deeply regret” that Labour was not able to field a candidate, adding: “George Galloway only won because Labour did not stand.”
They added that Galloway is “only interested in stoking fear and division” calling him a “damaging force in our communities and public life”.
The spokesperson also expressed hope of ousting Galloway at the general election expected later this year.