George Galloway has filed an election petition with the Royal Courts of Justice this morning to have the Batley & Spen by-election set aside. The move comes following Guido’s exposé that at least four MPs’ offices were used during phone banking sessions during the campaign, none of which were declared in Labour’s election spending returns. Due to Kim Leadbeater’s wafer-thin majority, Galloway calls on the court to allow the case to be heard, and hopes “a free and fair election will soon follow in Batley and Spen.”
The Court petition reads:
“the Labour Party knowingly failed to declare the use of four MPs offices as notional expenditure during phone banking sessions undertaken on the Parliamentary estate, which in effect meant that taxpayers contributed to the cost of the Labour Party’s election campaign.”
Yesterday afternoon Guido looked over the by-election spending returns to double-check the accommodation and administration venues the party declared. Sure enough, the four identified MPs’ offices – Kate Green’s, Matt Western’s, Catherine West’s, and an unknown staffer’s – are nowhere to be seen.
It seems Angela Rayner’s Cox office complaint has opened up a rather large can of worms…
When Kim Leadbeater won the Batley & Spen by-election back in July, George Galloway insisted he wouldn’t go quietly into the night. Having taken in over 22% of the vote share, the Workers Party of Britain promised to contest the result in the courts, claiming “it ain’t over till it’s over”, and warning that they “may be back in August doing this all over again”. It’s now the last day of August, and Galloway still isn’t wandering around the Commons…
Galloway has missed the initial 21-day deadline to challenge the result through the Election Petitions Office, although exceptions can be made provided there is evidence of “corrupt or illegal practices“, including bribery. A spokesperson tells Guido:
“We’ve been busy working our way through Labour’s expenditure return. The notion that the Tories spent more than Labour in this by-election will seem ludicrous to anybody who was in Batley at the time. There are a number of irregularities which we are working through with counsel, and will be able to provide a fuller update in due course.”
Unfortunately for Galloway he can no longer turn his attention to the possibility of a Polar & Limehouse by-election any time soon …
George Galloway’s campaign team have denied to Guido the rumours that Galloway plans to stand in any future Tower Hamlets by-election, which would be held if Apsana Begum is found guilty of housing fraud.
Speaking to Guido this morning, Galloway campaign chief James Giles said “no…that’s news to me“, and added that although the Workers Party of Britain would stand a candidate in that election if it were held, Galloway himself wouldn’t run. When asked whether George would fulfil his promise to eat his own hat if Labour won in Batley & Spen, the team said “it ain’t over till it’s over”, and they “may be back in August doing this all over again”. Looks like he’s more Ashdown than Pickard…
Despite a fairly remarkable vote share of 22%, George Galloway has told supporters he won’t be taking the defeat lying down. He argues claims of him “laughing on the other side of the road” while Kim Leadbeater was being harrassed by Muslim activists were wrong and defamatory. He cited former Labour MP Phil Woolas who lost his seat in 2011 after posting false information about his LibDem opponent on leaflets. Woolas was also accused of “inflaming racial tensions”…
“On multiple grounds, we will apply to the courts for this election result to be set aside”.
This is now the sixth legal fight Galloway has promised…
Guido also enjoyed Galloway saying he’s no longer willing to talk to the mainstream media because they repeated the false accusation. A statement of intent that was broadcast on Sky News…
Labour has remarkably clung on in Batley by just 323, seeing Kim Leadbeater elected. While Labour’s vote was down 7.5%, the Tories also dropped 1.7% thanks in part to Galloways astonishing 22% vote share.
It looks like Galloway was so successful he ended up hitting the Tories just enough to let Leadbeater win…
Labour is bullish this morning, with a source telling Guido and other outlets:
“Everyone’s being calling this a referendum on Keir’s leadership. Well we’ve won – bucked the trend, held onto this marginal seat and advanced in Tory areas. A fantastic result.”
Guido gently points out, however, that once again a ‘red wall seat’ has had a fall in its Labour vote share of 20% in four years…
George Galloway has had a very busy few weeks on the campaign trail; from bashing the BBC to clashing with Labour’s Kim Leadbeater on Palestine and trans rights. A lot of his time, however, has been spent making legal threats against various individuals and bodies. Guido’s been through the archives and discovered Gorgeous George has either made legal threats, or begun legal proceedings against no fewer than 11 people during the Batley by-election. Even if he holds on to his deposit, he’s going to face a big legal bill in the coming months…
The most notable threat was directed at a school kid behind a parody Twitter news account, who photoshopped Galloway with a gun.
Not accepted. You will face criminal prosecution and an action for defamation. #BatleyAndSpenByelection
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) June 22, 2021
Off the back of that he’s also threatened a girl called Sophie warning “Anyone retweeting it is committing a criminal offence.” It is not and we have no threat from him, surprisingly.
He also claims he’s instructed his lawyers, XYZ Law, “to begin legal actions against @UKLabour and several news organisations for sundry breaches of both criminal and civil law in relation to the #BatleyAndSpenByelection“. He’s also directed legal threats at Starmer directly
This claim is a false statement against an election opponent and a criminal offence. We have photo and video evidence of its falsity. I put all concerned on notice @UKLabour @WestYorksPolice @yorkshirepost
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) June 25, 2021
He’s told ByLine TV that their claims the Muslim activists harassing Kim Leadbeater were from his camp “will exacerbate both civil damages and criminal law consequences. It is simply a grotesque libel”.
This is a very considerable escalation of your original breaches of both criminal and civil law and raises serious questions about your outlet. It will exacerbate both civil damages and criminal law consequences. It is simply a grotesque libel of the good people in this picture
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) June 25, 2021
Most recently this morning he launched a legal challenge against Kirklees Council after the local authority admitted to removing his posters from across the constituency, and refusing to return them. Beyond those he’s actively told on to the police, or instructed his lawyers to go after, he’s also made a number of less specific threats:
- That Labour would be “legally disqualified for MULTIPLE breaches of electoral law” should they win on Thursday night
- Against a man called Jeremy for sharing ByLine TV’s footage of Muslim activists harassing Kim Leadbeater
- Against Paul Mason over claims he “laughed as homophobic thugs intimidated Labour’s candidate”
- Against a user called Lloyd for linking him to Steve Bannon
Those on the receiving end of George’s threats may start to assume they are not entirely serious…
