Ex-England cricketer among hundreds to stand for George Galloway’s party

Hundreds of individuals who will be running under George Galloway's Workers party at the upcoming general election include Monty Panesar, an ex-England cricketer, and a former Ukip MEP.

The group looking to benefit from dissatisfaction with how Labour managed the Gaza situation stated they will give their backing to ex-Labour members Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, and Claudia Webbe if they decided to stand independently.

On Tuesday, Galloway stated that he was discussing the possibility of leaving the Labour party with three MPs and a peer. Abbott was not mentioned as one of these individuals, according to Galloway. Tahir Ali, who serves as the Labour MP for Birmingham, Hall Green, also denied any involvement in these discussions.

Galloway gathered with many of the 500 potential candidates in Parliament Square and claimed that their party is now a powerful presence throughout the country. He declared that their main focus is on serving Britain, supporting Gaza, and advocating for the working class.

Galloway is aiming to achieve the same success he had in the Rochdale election, where he acquired nearly 40% of the votes in a competition that was mainly focused on the clashes in Gaza. Labour withdrew its candidate, Azhar Ali, due to his provocative remarks regarding Israel.

Even though the Workers party is not seen as likely to win any other seats in Westminster, and Galloway must fight to keep his own, they may still attract important support away from Labour.

Yet another candidate from the Workers party will be Chris Williamson, who formerly served as the Labour MP for Derby North. Despite his suspension due to an ongoing dispute regarding anti-Semitism, Williamson fought for his reinstatement in court, but ultimately lost in 2019.

The gathering further disclosed the candidacy of Khalil Ahmed from Labour's previous election in 2019, who will be campaigning in Wycombe. Additionally, former UKIP MEP Amjad Bashir, who joined the Conservatives in 2015, will be standing as a candidate in Pudsey. Notably, two ex-British ambassadors named Peter Ford and Craig Murray, as well as several Labour councillors who have switched sides, were also introduced. Lastly, Amrit Mann, the former mayor of Houslow, is also joining the race and is hopeful to secure victory in Feltham and Heston.

Harry Boota, an ex-Ukip member who is now affiliated with the Workers party, was once a candidate for the Conservatives. However, he was suspended in 2016 for making a controversial statement suggesting that childhood abuse could potentially lead to homosexuality.

A few individuals seeking political office have connections to extreme or unconventional movements. In particular, Mick Stott, who is running for office in South Northamptonshire, used to serve in the military and attempted to gather a group of "common-law constables" to outnumber police officers. Stott believed that the police were violating the law during the lockdown. On a Telegram channel related to this group, hostile remarks were made about Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer. Stott distanced himself from the language used and claimed that "infiltrators" were responsible.

Panesar stated that a crucial matter on his agenda is conducting a referendum regarding achieving net zero emissions, a concept Galloway has previously criticized as fraudulent.

Galloway is feeling annoyed about Corbyn's delay in making a decision on whether he'll run for Islington North again.

There are additional locations where the support of the Workers party could have an impact, such as Bethnal Green and Stepney. In these areas, Labour is being challenged by an independent candidate named Mohammed Akunjee. He is a lawyer who previously represented Shamima Begum during her legal battles. She was one of three young women who chose to leave the United Kingdom and join the terrorist group, Islamic State. Begum was subsequently stripped of her UK citizenship.