Galloway Set To Stand In Bradford West Race

Former MP George Galloway has announced he is "almost certain" to stand for Parliament in Bradford West.

There will be a by-election in the West Yorkshire seat later this month after ill-health forced current MP Marsha Singh to step down.

Mr Galloway visited the area and told locals he was "here to take the temperature [about running] in the city.

"I'm finding it warm and sunny so far."

It follows previous trips "for consultations" about standing for Parliament.

"If I stand we will need money and men and women to rally the voters behind the banner of justice, equality and peace," he wrote on Facebook.

When news of the by-election emerged, he posted on Twitter: "A by-election for the Parliamentary vacancy in Bradford West . Hmmm. Now THAT'S interesting..."

The vote is expected to be held on March 29.

Mr Galloway used to be a Labour MP in Glasgow but was expelled from the party in 2003 over remarks he made about the war in Iraq.

He returned to Parliament two years later when he stood for his own political party, Respect , in Bethnal Green, east London.

At the last General Election in 2010, he lost his bid to win Poplar and Limehouse, again standing as a Respect candidate.

Most recently, Mr Galloway failed to win a place on the Glasgow regional list for the Scottish Parliament in 2011.

He is also an active media figure - he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, has presented programmes for talkSport and Press TV and currently writes a column for the Daily Record .