The former Labour and Respect Party MP George Galloway has announced his intention to stand in the Rochdale by-election, which has been triggered following the tragic death of sitting MP Sir Tony Lloyd. The ex-MP and Big Brother contestant has stated he is running to "teach Labour a lesson."
Brexit-supporting Galloway, 69, will be standing against Lancashire County Council leader Azhar Ali (Labour) for the seat, which has been held by a large Labour majority since 2010. No date has been set for the Rochdale by-election yet, but it could be as soon as next month.
Scottish-born Galloway has stood in many elections and is the current leader of the Workers Party of Great Britain, which was formed to "defend the achievements of the USSR, China, Cuba etc," and has previously contested by-elections in Manchester, previously standing in Gorton in 2017, where he won five per cent of the vote.
Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link.
Many will know Galloway for his appearance on the 2006 Celebrity Big Brother, which many remember for the moment when the sitting MP pretended to be a cat, and drank imaginary milk from the hands of another contestant.
Galloway, who has been an anti-war figure for all his political life, as well as an advocate for the Palestinian people, has signalled that these are issues he plans to fight the seat over.
In the hours after he threw his hat into the ring, Galloway posted on X saying 'the best way to teach Labour a lesson' was to support him in the by-election.
Other parties are still selecting candidates for the by-election, which is being held in the run-up to this year's General Election.
