George Galloway contests by-election from South Africa

George Galloway has stated he is contesting the Holborn and St Pancras by-election from South Africa. The leader of the Workers Party of Britain (WPB) is on a speaking tour in the country with events scheduled until October 4, four days before the Camden vote.

A spokesperson for the WPB told The Standard that Mr Galloway is awaiting confirmation from the Home Office that he is "free to carry on with political campaigning" before he can return to the UK to contest the election. Mr Galloway said in an Instagram post that he is "having to fight a parliamentary by-election for his old constituency of Holborn and St Pancras from exile in Africa, in South Africa to be precise."

Previous Airport Stop

Mr Galloway, 72, was reportedly living in "self-imposed exile" in Moscow. He and his wife, Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, the party's deputy chair, were stopped by counter-terrorism officers at Gatwick Airport in September 2025. They were believed to be returning to the UK from Moscow via Abu Dhabi.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers stopped a man in his 70s and a woman in her 40s under schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. The police stated that neither individual was arrested and they were "allowed on their way". The WPB described the stop as "politically motivated intimidation."

The Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 allows police to stop, question, search, and detain individuals at ports or border areas to determine if they have engaged in hostile activity. A WPB spokesman told The Standard that a similar stop occurred in 2004, after which the Head of Special Branch (Ports) issued a public apology and confirmed Mr Galloway was free to campaign.

The by-election in Holborn and St Pancras was triggered by the resignation of former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Mr Galloway's candidacy is seen as a potential challenge to Green leader Zack Polanski, as it could divide the left-leaning vote.