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AFTER former Bradford West MP George Galloway threw his much-loved fedora in the ring to stand for the upcoming Batley and Spen by-election, we take a look back at his time representing Bradford and the rest of his long political career.

Galloway, who now leads the Workers Party of Britain, is standing as the party’s candidate in the by-election which will take place on Thursday, July 1.

It was called after Tracy Brabin, who represented Batley and Spen from 2016 until the end of May, resigned following her comprehensive victory for Labour in the inaugural West Yorkshire Mayor election.

Labour have held the seat since 1997 and are hoping that Kim Leadbeater - the sister of the area’s former MP Jo Cox, who was murdered by a far right terrorist in Birstall five years ago - can retain it for the party.

The Conservatives have chosen Leeds Councillor Ryan Stephenson, who represents the leafy Harewood ward, as their candidate as they aim to repeat their success in May’s by-election in Hartlepool and turn another ‘Red Wall’ seat blue.

The only other confirmed candidate so far is the Yorkshire Party’s Corey Robinson, with the Liberal Democrats and Green Party yet to reveal their chosen candidate.

If Galloway can pull off a win, it would mark his return to Westminster six years after he was dumped by the voters of Bradford West.

The 66-year-old Scotsman served as MP for Bradford West from 2012 to 2015 representing the Respect Party.

The by-election was triggered following the resignation of Marsha Singh due to serious illness, who sadly died aged just five months after his resignation aged 57.

Galloway’s victory was a huge upset, defeating Labour’s Imran Hussain (who is now MP for Bradford East), former Wharfedale Councillor Jackie Whiteley who stood for the Tories, Idle & Thackley Councillor Jeanette Sunderland who was the Lib Dem’s candidate, and UKIP’s Sonja McNally, the Green’s Dawud Islam, Neil Craig of the Democratic Nationalists and Howling Laud Hope of the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Galloway utilised unrest in the local Labour party in his campaign allowing him to storm to a win with 55.9 per cent of the vote on a 50.8 per cent turnout.

His tenure was headlined by his anti-Israel stance which drew widespread criticism, and led to unpopularity in his constituency.

In 2015, Galloway was heavily defeated by current MP Naz Shah in the general election.

He had previously served as a Labour MP in Glasgow from 1987 to 2003, when he was expelled from the party for bringing it into disrepute.

After his expulsion he joined the left-wing Respect Party and was elected in 2005 in Bethnal Green, serving one term as the area’s MP.

After his stint representing Bradford West he then ran for Respect in the London mayoral election in 2016, gaining just 1.4 per cent of the vote, and then ran as an independent in Manchester in 2019 and West Bromwich in 2019, coming third in 2017 with 5.7 per cent of the vote and second last in 2019 with just 1.4 per cent of the vote.

Outside his political career, Galloway made headlines in 2006 after pretending to be a cat while appearing on Celebrity Big Brother while a sitting MP, miming drinking imaginary milk from a housemate’s cupped hands, for which he was mocked and criticised.