Batley and Spen by-election: George Galloway to stand

George Galloway says his aim is to oust Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader

Former MP George Galloway has announced his intention to stand in the forthcoming Batley and Spen by-election.

Mr Galloway, who was expelled from Labour in 2003, said he is standing as a candidate for his Workers Party of Britain in the poll on 1 July.

Posting on social media, the politician said he was "standing against" [Labour leader] Sir Keir Starmer.

"If [he] loses this by-election, it's curtains," he added.

The by-election was triggered after the previous MP Tracy Brabin had to stand down when she was elected as West Yorkshire's mayor.

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Labour has selected Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, who represented the seat before her murder by a right-wing extremist, as the party's candidate.

The Conservatives have selected Ryan Stephenson, a Leeds councillor, as their candidate.

The Yorkshire Party, which came third in the recent West Yorkshire mayoral election, said local engineer Corey Robinson would contest the by-election for them.

Jo Conchie, a television producer and director, will represent The Liberal Democrats.

'I'm your man'

Ms Brabin held Batley and Spen for Labour with a reduced majority in the general election of 2019 - down to 3,525 from 8,961 in 2017.

Paul Halloran, who secured 12% of the vote for the Heavy Woollen District Independents to come third in 2019, is yet to confirm if he will stand.

Jo Cox was killed as she arrived at a constituency surgery in June 2016

In his video post, filmed at Batley bus station, Mr Galloway, who previously served as MP for Bradford West, said: "If for whatever reason you think that the current leader of the Labour Party needs to be replaced, I'm your man."

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His campaign follows the Labour Party's dramatic defeat by the Conservatives in Hartlepool earlier this month, with the party's leadership blamed for losing touch with local voters.

Labour also lost control of eight councils and more than 300 seats in the Local Elections, including County Durham, which had been under Labour control for more than 100 years.

It performed better in Wales, where it remains the largest party in the Senedd - the Welsh Parliament - and won 11 out of 13 mayoral races in England.

The Batley and Spen by-election could also be further complicated by coronavirus, with Kirklees one of the areas where people have been encouraged to "minimise travel" due to the spread of the Indian variant.