Liam Conlon, Labour’s political lead for the Holborn and St Pancras contest, told the Evening Standard that Galloway “has a long‑track record of divisive campaigns and rhetoric, yet no record of delivering for Camden. He isn’t even in the country.” He added that voters “deserve much better than anyone with those credentials,” and praised Labour candidate Sagal Abdi‑Wali for her decades of community activism and service as a school governor and leader of Camden Council.
Galloway, 72, is currently on a speaking tour in South Africa with events scheduled through 4 October, just four days before the by‑election. The candidate’s address on Camden Council’s list is recorded as a property in the Dumfries & Galloway constituency in Scotland, and he has been described as living in “self‑imposed exile” in Moscow after he and his wife were detained by counter‑terrorism police at Gatwick Airport in September 2025 while returning from Moscow via Abu Dhabi. Both were released without charge after nine hours, and the Workers Party says it is awaiting confirmation from the Home Office that Galloway is free to campaign.
The entry of a high‑profile former MP into the race has drawn criticism from the Green Party as well. Baroness Jenny Jones, a senior Green parliamentarian, called Galloway a “glory seeker” who will “confuse the voting a bit – but I think not enough to make a huge difference.” Green leader Zack Polanski, also standing in the seat, warned that Galloway’s candidacy could split the left‑leaning, anti‑Labour vote.
The by‑election was triggered after Sir Keir Starmer resigned as the local MP, prompting a contest that Labour expects to hold with its candidate Abdi‑Wali, who has highlighted her commitment to “bread‑and‑butter” issues such as housing costs and energy bills. Labour’s campaign has framed the race as a choice between a genuine socialist alternative offered by the Workers Party and a proven local representative focused on ordinary people’s economic wellbeing.
If Galloway’s campaign proceeds despite his overseas location, analysts say the vote could be fragmented, potentially benefitting Labour’s candidate by diluting the anti‑Labour vote on the left. The Workers Party, however, maintains that Galloway’s candidacy provides voters with a “genuine socialist alternative” at a time when “millions are struggling to heat their homes, pay their rent and provide for their families.”