The WPB contested its first parliamentary seat at the2021 Batley and Spen by-election, with Galloway as its candidate.[19] Galloway gained 8,264 votes (21.9%) and came in third, behind the winning Labour candidateKim Leadbeater and second placedConservative candidate Ryan Stephenson. TheLiberal Democrats came in fourth place, as they did in the previous election.[23] Galloway concentrated on the issues of thePalestinian territories, theKashmir conflict, criticism of Labour leaderKeir Starmer, the suspension of a teacher for showing a cartoon ofMuhammad atBatley Grammar School, and the reopening of a police station inBatley.[24][25][26] The campaign received considerable media attention due to incidents of harassment during its final days.[27][28][29][30] TheJewish Labour Movement called the result a "triumph for hope and decency" over Galloway's "toxic politics". Galloway vowed to challenge the result on the basis of an alleged "false statement" made about him by Leadbeater and Starmer, which he said tipped the result of the by-election.[31][32]
On 29 February 2024, Galloway won the2024 Rochdale by-election following the disendorsement of the Labour candidate in a traditionally safe Labour seat.[39] TheGaza war dominated the campaign. In his election speech, Galloway said: "Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza. You will pay a high price for the role that you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupiedPalestine, in theGaza Strip."[40][41] Galloway won almost 40% of the vote and overturned a previous Labour majority of 9,668, achieved by former MPTony Lloyd, whose death had precipitated the by-election. Turnout at 39.7% was much lower than the 60.1% for the 2019 general election.[42] Labour had withdrawn support for its candidate when it became known he had suggested that Israel was complicit in the2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[43] Following the by-election, it was announced that the Workers Party had 59prospective parliamentary candidates for the2024 United Kingdom general election.[44]
The party'smayoral candidate inLewisham, John Hamilton, distributed a flyer saying "Starmer’s Labour Party is falling apart. Any criticism of Israel is labelled antisemitic. He is their puppet". He posed with a placard that depicted aswastika above a JewishStar of David.[52][53][54] He came fifth, with 5.7% of the vote.[55]
On 2 July, independent (formerly Labour) Burnley councillor Syeda Kazmi joined the party.[56]
On 30 April 2024, Galloway announced that he had 500 candidates ready and that the party would stand in every seat at thenext general election.[57][58][59]
Among the candidates were announced were former cricketerMonty Panesar, along with defectors fromUKIP and Labour.[59][60] Describing the Labour Party as the "number one enemy", Galloway said the party was targeting Labour seats,[60][61] and that it would support a small number of independent left candidates, includingClaudia Webbe inLeicester East andJeremy Corbyn inIslington North.[57]
Within a week, Panesar stood down after a series of disastrous media interviews.[62] FormerLabour MP and WPB deputy leader Chris Williamson stood inDerby South.[63] In April it was reported that the WPB candidate inBrentford and Isleworth,Nisar Malik, a former mayor of Hounslow, posted a video in whichDavid Duke, a former "grand wizard" of theKu Klux Klan, expressed antisemitic conspiracy theories about Jews controlling the media and the global financial system.[46] The candidate inPutney, Hassan Chahine, was deselected in late May, due to exposure of his sharing antisemitic material (including a video that asserted that a "coven of Jews" had "seized" control of America and that Jews have been punished throughout history for "killing Jesus Christ") and praisingHezbollah.[64]
The party launched its official campaign on 1 June, with Galloway declaring Labour leaderKeir Starmer was "indistinguishable" fromRishi Sunak and had "blood on his hands" over his position on Gaza.[65] Its 34 page manifesto, which was published in June, included policies to increase thepersonal tax allowance, considernationalising some public services including rail, water, electricity and the “military-industrial complex”, opposeULEZ and "green hysteria", regulate "Big Food" and "Big Pharma", end “creeping buro-fascism” and "cultural engineering" and instead support free speech, recognise working class "anxiety" about mass immigration, end "imperialist wars", support Palestine, withdraw fromNATO, consider dropping the retirement age to 60, introduce non-means tested free school lunches and remove theUK nuclear deterrent.[58]
In the end, the WPB stood 152 candidates, with Galloway defending hisRochdale seat.[69][70] The WPB won no seats but did garner 210,194 votes across the country.George Galloway came in second place to Labour Party candidate and journalistPaul Waugh in Rochdale. Waugh received 13,027 votes, equivalent to 32.8% of the vote, while Galloway received 11,587 votes, equivalent to 29.2% of the vote.[71][72]Craig Murray, who stood inBlackburn for the party, finished in third place behind independent candidateAdnan Hussain and incumbent Labour MPKate Hollern.[73] The Workers Party came within a small number of votes of defeating some high profile Labour MPs with large swings.[74]Jody McIntyre came in second place inBirmingham Yardley, 693 votes short of unseating Labour'sJess Phillips.[75] James Giles won just 1,566 fewer votes thanLiam Byrne inBirmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North.[76]
The party identifies as a socialist,working class party, which aims for "a redistribution of wealth and power in favour of working people".[77] It describes itself as "economically radical" and "committed to class politics".[78][79] It has expressed support for aplanned economy. The party's platform is outlined in its 10-point plan, in which it advocates "rebuilding British industry", universal "decent housing", "free or cheap" public transportation and an end to NHS waiting lists.[77] It advocates forreferendums onnet zero emissions policies and the future ofthe British monarchy. Its manifesto states: "The transition to a Green [sic] economy should be at a pace that matches the ability of our population to afford it. We will not be seduced by the more apocalypticGreen [sic] hysteria that floods our media but we will seek rational debate centred on democratically aligned outcomes beneficial to workers".[80]
The party is opposed toNATO andEuropean Union membership, with a policy of withdrawing Britain from NATO.[84][77] In a statement it said it "is unequivocal in its support for thePalestinian liberation struggle and opposition toZionism as a violently racist ideology".[85][86] Its website states that the party will "withdraw all military support from war zones and work for a negotiated and peaceful settlement whenever and wherever war breaks out".[80] During the week of Galloway's by-election win, a Workers Party delegation was taking part in theWorld Festival of Youth in Russia.[87]
During the 2024 general election, the party launched its first election manifesto, with promises to improve "poverty pay" and provide more social housing.[88] It pledges therenationalisation of utility companies,free school meals for all children without means testing, free adult education, and to hold areferendum on the continued existence of themonarchy andproportional representation for elections.[89] The overhaul arts funding was also noted, to make space for working-class communities.[90][failed verification] In an article forPolitics.co.uk, philosopherRafael Holmberg argued thatGeorge Galloway's reference toFreud in an election speech signalled the possibility of a new type of political discourse in the UK.[91]
The party has been referred to as "climate sceptical" and as "stronglydownplaying the human impact of two hundred years of industrialisation and greenhouse gas emissions" in terms of its stance regarding how to respond toclimate change.[92]
Monty Panesar, former England cricketer. Planned to contest theEaling Southall constituency at the 2024 general election,[102] but soon withdrew as a candidate.[103]
*Co-operative Party candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party.‡5 independent MPs work together in theIndependent Alliance, 3 of whom are also involved inYour Party.†Sinn Féin have elected members and offices at Westminster, but asabstentionists do not take their seats.
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