Respect MP George Galloway has joined a row over a Liberal Democrat who tweeted a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad.

Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate Maajid Nawaz, a Muslim, sparked controversy when he posted a cartoon of the prophet and Jesus on social network Twitter.

Mr Nawaz, a hopeful for the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency in London and former Islamist, now runs an anti-extremist organisation.

He tweeted what he said was a bland image and said as a Muslim he did not feel threatened by it.

But Mr Galloway, MP for Bradford West and the leader of the Respect Party, labelled Mr Nawaz “rancid” and pledged to find a Respect candidate to stand against him in the constituency.