Key facts
- George Galloway is running in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection without being in the UK.
- Galloway is on a speaking tour in South Africa and has also been in China and Moscow.
- He cited self-exile after being questioned by counter-terrorism police at Gatwick airport a year ago.
- Galloway has been critical of Ukraine and NATO, and supportive of Palestine.
- His bank accounts with Bank of Scotland were closed on September 4.
- British electoral law does not require candidates to be registered electors or residents.
George Galloway, a seven-time former Member of Parliament, is currently running in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection without having set foot in the UK during the campaign. He is reportedly in self-exile after being questioned by counter-terrorism police at Gatwick airport a year ago, following a trip from Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
Galloway has spent recent weeks on a speaking tour in South Africa, attending pro-Palestine rallies, and has also posted from Shanghai, China, and Moscow. He has used social media to communicate his political views, including his opposition to the war in Ukraine and support for Palestine. His campaign argues that the "biggest issue" in the byelection is the path to "WW3 in Ukraine."
While Galloway campaigns remotely, Workers Party of Britain activists are canvassing in the constituency. Galloway has expressed gratitude for their efforts, stating, "We can win this. And me and my family can come home."
The situation highlights an anomaly in British electoral law, which allows any qualifying citizen to stand for parliament without a residency requirement. Separately, Galloway revealed on September 4 that his bank accounts with Bank of Scotland, owned by Lloyds, had been closed without explanation. The bank declined to comment on individual cases but stated its policy is not to close accounts based on political beliefs.