George Galloway hit by full-blown Labour attack over Holborn by-election: 'He's not even in the UK'

George Galloway has been slammed by Labour as the Holborn and St Pancras by-election contest escalated.Workers Party of Britain leader George GallowayGetty“He has a long-track record of divisive campaigns and rhetoric, yet no record of delivering for Camden. He isn’t even in the country.”Beckenham and Penge MP Mr Conlon added: “People deserve much better than anyone with those credentials.”He stressed that Labour’s candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali had “shown her commitment to Camden over decades, from community activism to her time as a school governor, and now as Leader of Camden Council”.Earlier, Mr Galloway’s chances of having a major impact on the by-election were dismissed by a senior Green parliamentarian.Baroness Jenny Jones criticised him as a “glory seeker” who “just wants attention”.The former London Assembly member added: “He will confuse the voting a bit - but I think not enough to make a huge difference.”Baroness Jenny Jones of MoulsecoombPA ArchiveBut former Labour and ex-Respect MP Mr Galloway has been hit with a backlash over his move from within his party by the resignation of its deputy leader Chris Williamson.Responding to Baroness Jones’ criticism, a spokesman for the Workers Party of Britain (WPB) said: “The Baroness is hardly qualified to talk on Westminster voting, sitting in the Lords as an unelected life peer having repeatedly failed to get elected as an MP herself.”When the WPB announced Mr Galloway would be the party’s candidate in Holborn, it hit out at Labour and the Greens as it offered voters what it called “a genuine socialist alternative”.Read MoreIt said: “At a time when millions are struggling to heat their homes, pay their rent and provide for their families, we believe politics must focus on bread-and-butter issues and the economic wellbeing of ordinary people. “Greens and Labour support sending endless £billions to Ukraine.” Mr Galloway, 72, is currently on a speaking tour in South Africa and has events scheduled until October 4, just four days before voters are set to go to the polls in Camden.Shortly before he threw his hat into the ring for the north London by-election, he signalled that he might be returning to the city to fight the contest.George Galloway and Zack Polanski who are fighting over the Left-leaning, anti-Labour vote in Holborn and St PancrasGettyHowever, he is believed to have been living in “self-imposed exile” in Moscow for the last year after he and his wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi were detained by counter-terrorism police at Gatwick Airport in September 2025.They are thought to have been returning to the UK from Moscow via Abu Dhabi.Neither of them were arrested and police said they were "allowed on their way".Labour's candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, Sagal Abdi-Wali, speaks to supporters during her campaign launchGettyA WPB spokesman said: “George's home address since moving out of London with his family has been in Scotland. “He was detained along with his wife and party chairwoman Gayatri unjustly by counter terrorism officers at Gatwick airport for nine hours in total, and subsequently released.“This also happened in 2004. In 2004 the Head of Special Branch (Ports) issued a public apology and confirmed he was free to carry on with political campaigning.“We are awaiting a similar message from the police or Home Office so that he can hit the ground in Holborn & St Pancras.”