George Galloway defends comments on gay people as he launches Workers Party campaign

George Galloway doubled down on controversial remarks about people who identify as homosexual after launching his party's campaign in Tameside. The Workers Party of Britain leader became MP for Rochdale in January's by-election and is standing for re-election on July 4.

He told a gathering of dozens outside Ashton Town Hall on Saturday (June 1) he was one of 326 Workers Party candidates who will campaign for votes nationwide in the next five weeks. Mr Galloway has 'high hopes' across Greater Manchester, following his win in Rochdale and the unseating of Labour's deputy council leader in Manchester last month.

But the region is home to one of the country's largest LGBTQ+ communities - and last month, Mr Galloway drew criticism for comments he made to Novara Media, when he suggested gay relationships were 'not normal'. His remarks were blasted as 'blatant homophobia' by left-wing campaign group Momentum.

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And gay veteran Labour MP Chris Bryant tweeted that his 'sense of deep unease has increased significantly recently with moments like this'. Asked if he recognised the upset his comments had caused, Mr Galloway told the Manchester Evening News: "It hasn't upset any of my constituents. You can take your question round, I'll give you the wards to go to.

"No, I am a family values man, I believe in mum, dad and the kids as the way forward for society. I fully respect other lifestyle choices, I fully respect other orientations, but if we run out of mums, dads and kids, we run out of humanity altogether, and that's all I said in that interview.

"The norm in Britain, nine out of 10 people in Britain and indeed in society across the world - because it seems that we've been made in pairs, and if those pairs can't procreate then the species dies. So it's not an issue in my constituency, it's not an issue that anybody's raised here - except you - and so I've really said all I want to say on it.

"I'm a religious believer and I have a conscience and I'm entitled to exercise it. In our party are lots of gay people and there are some people who don't agree with my take on these things, and they are fully entitled to that because this is a conscience matter."

'I think people want change'

Mr Galloway was warmly received by the small crowd that had gathered outside Ashton town hall - with just one man walking past who chose to heckle him, shouting he should 'go back to Scotland'. The Workers Party leader told the crowd: "If you want peace, if you want justice, if you want equality, vote Workers Party."

He stated he was looking to secure 'thousands and thousands of votes' in Greater Manchester - naming Bury, Oldham and Ashton as towns where he hoped to win - and insisted his party's candidates would make a 'decisive difference the outcome of the election wherever they stand'. Mr Galloway stated Labour and the Conservatives were 'indistinguishable', likening them to 'two cheeks of the same a***'.

He told the M.E.N. the biggest thing he could promise Greater Mancunians was 'change'. "I think people want change," he said. "They want hope, they want respectable political leaders that they can be proud of, rather than ashamed of."

Mr Galloway stated his belief that the recent by-election campaign in Rochdale and his work since would see him re-elected in the town. He reiterated his stance that Rochdale's maternity unit would be rebuilt, insisting he had received the commitment from the Conservatives and 'Labour will have to match it' - despite the relevant NHS bodies telling the M.E.N. they were 'not aware' of the plans.

Workers Party members held signs saying 'For Britain, For Gaza' as they stood alongside Mr Galloway in Ashton, and he suggested voting for his party and other pro-Palestine candidates was the 'most effective thing to do' for people who are concerned about the conflict. Mr Galloway also insisted he would 'work with any party' if they needed Workers Party votes following the July 4 election - but his support would 'have a price', particularly on policy surrounding Gaza.

'The heist of a lifetime'

Much of Mr Galloway's speech to the crowd - and his comments made to media later on - were about the incumbent in Ashton, Angela Rayner. He insisted Workers Party candidate, Aroma Hassan, would be a 'tremendous breath of fresh air for the town' compared to Labour's deputy leader, adding: "She's going to surprise you with the votes she gets, I can promise you that."

Addressing the crowd, Ms Hassan criticised successive governments who she claimed had shown 'no humanity' by using taxpayers' money 'to wage wars'. She also slammed the closure of Ashton's swimming baths and Tameside council's children's services - which went into special measures earlier this year - as she promised would-be voters she would be held 'accountable'.

She added: "You want to make sure that you send a very loud message... to the establishment, to the status quo. What we are trying to pull off here is the heist of a lifetime. They've given us six weeks, less than that, to challenge them. Let's show them that they can't stop this change, the change has already begun."