All for Independence – the Many Faces of George Galloway
George Galloway has believed in a lot of things.
In 2014, he said: “I’ll be campaigning to remain in the EU as anyone with any brain cells will be doing.”
In 2019, he said: “I will be supporting Nigel Farage in next months elections.”
In 2020, he formed All for Unity, a British unionist party which opposed Scottish independence. It fielded candidates at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election but failed to win a single seat. It was supported by Effie Deans and candidates included the UK Independence Party (UKIP) founder Alan Sked, former Tory Fife Councillor Linda Holt (of recent fame) and writer Jamie Blackett, who was also the party’s leader.
Blacket announced that: “All for Unity was set up as a very broad alliance of people from across the political spectrum to counter separatism in Scotland.” In July 2020, Sked tweeted that: “George Galloway’s Alliance for Scotland has taken off. It has recruited 10,000 followers in ten days. And among those chosen as candidates are Lords lieutenant, former SAS men and myself. I am to top the Highland list.”
The party fell apart after having made no breakthrough and disagreements with Galloway’s decision to continue presenting The Mother of All Talk Shows on RT UK-linked channel Sputnik, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Curious George
Gorgeous George’s political career has included:
All for Unity (2020)
The Workers Party of Britain (formed 2019)
Tried (and failed) to stand for the Brexit Party
The Respect Party (2004-2016)
The Labour Party (expelled in 2003)
Having spent the last decade building a reputation as a committed Unionist he has now done a volte face and declared that he doesn’t believe any of that anymore.
At the weekend, Galloway said: “We go into the coming elections for Holyrood in May, behind our lead candidate Yvonne Ridley, wholly committed to a second referendum on the issue of Scottish Independence.”
Weirdly, after having spent his entire life fighting independence, he claimed:
“There is no change of heart from me on this.”
But also “As a former opponent of Independence I have changed my opinion.”
Quite what has brought about this damascene change of heart is unclear. Galloway has claimed:
“We are not “Nationalists”. Nobody who knows MY life’s work or Yvonne Ridley’s life’s work could credibly claim that. But we are realists. We know that the UK’s gig is up. It’s time for a new start.”
In reality, Galloway campaigned relentlessly for Better Together (‘Just Say Naw’) – quite literally on the same platform as Tories like Ruth Davidson and Adam Tomkins in the indy ref. His recent conversion reeks of blatant opportunism. None of this makes any sense.
Factions and Schisms
Galloway’s conversion comes as the Scottish political scene implodes in factions and schisms. With Alba having gone down fighting in a blaze of accusations about financial impropriety, the remnant hopefuls have jumped ship from Alba to the Alliance to Liberate Scotland, which in itself has caused the Independence for Scotland Party’s withdrawal last weekend.
Now the Alliance to Liberate Scotland has Craig Murray and Tommy Sheridan as their lead candidates. Murray tweeted: “Now George Galloway has come out strongly in favour of Scottish Independence, it is crazy for Alliance to Liberate Scotland and the Workers Party to be fighting each other. We still have 9 days to sort this out. I am willing to stand down if it helps.”
Does Murray mean that the new recruit would stand for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland?
It’s all a bizarre soap opera featuring these individuals who seem absolutely desperate to get elected, by whatever means necessary, they can change their platforms, invent new parties, and disown their previous affiliations in a seemingly endless search for validation. Murray has tried the SNP (failed vetting), then left the Alba Party in October 2025 to join “Your Party” after being blocked from standing as an Alba candidate for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. The block was due to his 2021 contempt of court prison sentence and his candidacy for the Workers Party of Great Britain in 2024. He was unsuccessful in getting nominated for Your Party and has now ended up in the Alliance to Liberate Scotland, which, as Heckle note has links to the ultra-unionist far-right, see New indy party’s links to unionist far-right – Heckle.
Is this a disinformation campaign? Is this black ops? Who knows.
What we do know is this is about individuals driven solely by ego, distant from any political principle and endlessly churning their desperate attempts to become a politician, any politician. It’s pure narcissism. Galloway’s latest about-turn is comical and cynical but unsurprising. But I suspect the Workers Party of Great Britain, and the Alliance to Liberate Scotland will be as successful as Alba and All for Unity.
These people are charlatans, but it’s a mark of the deterioration of political life that they get the time of day.
Galloway is your typical “Chanty Rassler” A complete and utter charlatan always has been and always will be,a disgusting individual with no redeeming features whatever, should be treated with the contempt he so richly deserves.
He’s many faced. I was on the Scotland united bandwagon (partly Galloway founded). I recall him being very insistent to me that we should be campaigning for a multi-option referendum, because then “we’d get the chance to vote for independence!” I never quite got his subsequent public unionism, other than that he let people hear what they wanted to her, and then did what served him best. He returns like a bad smell.
…. put simply in the Scots vernacular …. “he’s got mair faces than the toon clock” …. he’ll hitch his wagon to whatever horse he thinks will deliver him to his Nirvana (namely, a meal ticket for life) …. a duplicitous charlatan who “Snake Oil Salesmen” would avoid !!
“A meal ticket for life”? Seriously? He is the host of the hugely successful Mother of all Talk Shows which has more viewers than any podcast outside of North America. He’s just had a pacemaker fitted and is in his 70s. Do you really think he views Holyrood as the motherlode or holy grail? Get a grip.
Long ago, I thought well of Mr. Galloway, mainly because of this speech before a committee of the US Senate https://internationalviewpoint.org/George-Galloway-slams-US-war-mongers.
No longer. As your article demonstrates, he is an ethical flaneur, taking in the sights long his endless journey of self-promotion.
Whether the, ahem, “McChattering classes’ like it or not Tommy Sheridan – warts and all – has a capability to connect with the working class of Scotland that existing politicians, and other would be politicians, can only dream of.
He could be invaluable in countering the apparent allure of Reform’s simple message, besides building an unassailable pro independence consensus.
As a general rule, folks untainted by egotism tend not to bitch about the egotism of others.
ha ha, true
Following the logic of your comment if I call Donald Trump a narcissist does that make me a narcissist too?
Putting aside the flawed inference, most certainly not if the remark was made purely as an observation – but then you know this.
Iain – Your observation comes over as a blanket statement and a very personal one especially the use of the term bitching. It is one that I am not in agreement with. My inference was merely taking your observation (flawed in my view) to its illogical conclusion as egotism and narcissism are in some respects not dissimilar personality traits.
Ps – your last sentence comes over as a bit bitchy (to use your own terminology)
Oh it was a blanket statement. We are all free to take such things as personally, or dispassionately, as we like. Feel free to unpick it.
Your question struck me as disingenuous, or dim, hence the “bitchy” response. Sorry about that one – the conception of others is typically clouded, i would contend stained, by the sense of self…. Yuck!
Iain – apology accepted.
Cheers
Tommy Sheridan used to have a capability to engage with the working class of Scotland would be more accurate.
I think it is unfair to lump Craig Murray in with Georgeous George Galloway. Murray has held a consistent moral and political stance. If he has not found a political home it is more likely because political parties are rarely welcoming of those who don’t compromise their integrity.
I’m not a follower or subscriber of Murray and he has been wrong about lots of things, but I think he acts in good faith. Not at all like Galloway.
Craig Murray was once a member of the unionist/federalist Liberal Democrats. where opportunism and absence of principles has few boundaries.
Hmm, possibly. I suppose I am combining them in the respect of the ever-desperate search for political validation resulting in the endless creation of parties and vehicles.
Aye Mike, maybe you are.
Socialists have tended to be butterflies for a while. Usually led by egoists. The parties disunited can always be defeated.
All for Me! One for Me! – A slogan that will resound with a hungover brickie.
UKIP, Reform, Restore, Advance UK. The far right of British politics is more than holding its end up when it comes to splintering in British Politics.
A good summary Mike, thank you, I see George a lot on TikTok and I have lost count of the changes you have enumerated here!
I’ve finished Thucydides’ history and read Xenophon up to the surrender of Athens in the Peloponnesian War, the rise of the Thirty oligarchs and their deposition. There are many politicians who switch sides between democracy (pretty vile, belligerent, volatile, petty, swayed by demagogues, lured by spoils, lusting for slaves, keen on military adventures and horribly vindictive) and oligarchy (even worse), who swap allegiances from native city to Greek foes and barbarian empires playing divide-and-rule.
Political philosophers of the time like Plato envisaged that only a rationally-encoded political constitution could bind the excesses and corruptions of the (slave-owning, propertarian, nativist, women excluding) democracies, oligarchies and tyrannies of their acquaintance. I reject Plato’s elitism and ‘noble lie’ suggestion, but there are good reasons why The Republic is still studied in political philosophy.
Of course, not having a codified constitution is one possible reason why chancers are attracted to the British Empire (sometimes still referred to as the ‘UK’). They don’t have to nail their colours to such a mast, and there are cracks for them to exploit (and they can legally commit various treasons as long as they are not offences against the monarch and heir). Israel’s inheritance from British colonial rule did not include a codified constitution (hence the freedom of its security state), whilst the USAmerican codified constitution is only as strong as its defenders (who may still prevail on the freedom of expression conflict, partly because threatening ‘unpatriotic’ news organisations with losing licences looks both extremely weak and Kremlinesque, as one commentator noted).
I’ve been unable to find any position George Galloway has held on a codified constitution in some brief searches.
6 weeks …..Doing it a different way
——————————–
So today , we , have given them the time of day!
Lets say enough – and for the next 6 weeks give the time of day to the only viable vehicle for change.
Lets have a short term Bella crowdfunder asking those who support the platform using the next 6 weeks to produce articles about the positive successes , policies and difference delivered ,so far, by the SNP, to donate to Bella allowing a 6 week period of producing such articles for wider onward discussion .
The SNP, , against all odds, is making at least by a small degree , a better everyday life for the many.
It is also creating the posdibility of further , deeper change by making Independence an option.
So rather than give further oxygen to the mainstream and social media who will delight in platforming divisive individuals and events ( black ops or not) lets reflect on and highlight previous worthwhile change and the future that could be by giving some credit and support for the actual party of Independence.
There is a small window of opportunity to create a tipping point .
Never trust a Hat Guy
@Time, the Deer what about a hood? or a cowl? or a crown? I think we need guidelines.
I note that while conspirators in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar wear hats plucked about their ears (no doubt to thwart facial recognition), the political drama revolves around a shinier piece of headgear:
https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/julius-caesar/read/1/2/?q=crown#line-1.2.231
Then again, Caesar was reputedly sensitive about his bald patch.
The multiplicity of bampots and minute factions calling themselves parties does raise a bigger issue: why is it proving so difficult for a coherent, democratic, grass roots, non-party mass independence movement to emerge in Scotland ?
Paddy – ‘Believe in Scotland’ is such an organisation and they have a rally in Edinburgh on Saturday.
With Westminster and anti independence parties refusing to engage with independence as an issue this has led to a sense of frustration which is expressing itself in several different ways including the factionalism discussed in this article. The biggest problem arising from the current deadlock is, in my opinion, a feeling of powerlessness leading to a sense of apathy spreading among independence supporters and the wider movement.
Certainly, Believe in Scotland is the best we’ve got. To its credit, it focuses on campaigning rather than interminable point-scoring (or running down the SNP), and produces excellent campaigning materials. But it’s not a fully democratic organisation, nor does it act like a movement of the whole nation in seeking to develop links with other mass campaigns, such as the Scotland Demands Better campaign (which drew support from 400+ civil society organisations from the STUC to the Church of Scotland) or the growing antiracist movement in Scotland.
Paddy – I didn’t think that Scotland Demands Better was a pro independence movement?
I agree that the independence movement needs to become as broad a movement as possible and ideally work with as many groups as possible. The work of the Constitutional Convention in 1980’s & 90’s paved the way and public opinion for devolution and perhaps a similar body would be beneficial to develop independence thinking and cause?
The difficulty with this approach that I observe is that the independence issue has become quite polarised at a political and institutional level which appears to make the Constitutional Convention approach more difficult. If the anti independence political parties were to, at least, accept the concept and possibility of independence and the right and route the Scottish electorate can choose to decide on the issue this could reduce the polarisation and enable a variety of civic groups to better work together.
Scotland Demands Better is not a pro-Indy campaign. All the more reason to engage with it – and others. With the honourable exception of RIC, and a very few grass roots Yes groups, you never see pro-Indy presence or banners on non-indy events. An Indy campaign worth its salt would seek to break down these barriers and get people out of their silos.
I agree.
At least get our name right Mike. It is Workers Party Scotland – that is what will be on the ballot paper. I do hope you will come along to our party launch on Friday evening at 7pm at the Pearce Institute.
George, alas, can not make the event because he’s undergone surgery – the good news is he is preparing a video and there will be a live feed so you can watch from your armchair.
I was referencing George’s previous party’s. ‘Workers Party Scotland’ doesn’t even have a website. Can’t be in Glasgow on Friday but best of luck with your launch.
Mike, I’m not sure, I actually rather like the man, as an observer and commentator and as an agent provocateur. He has an inimitable rhetorical style and command of the English language that is refreshing in this PC politically spun day, where no-one any longer can call a spade a spade. Is he a political chameleon, undoubtedly, but throughout he has remained very faithful to the “real” left of politics, by that, the old fashioned socialist ideology. He seems to have some sort of religious and moral faith, but I doubt it’s something we need to know too much about, and he doesn’t proselytise. In regard to the Iraq, the Ukraine war, to Gaza and now Iran, in his attitude to the bellicosity and corruption of the US and the UK, he has been a faithful critic and prescient prophet of trouble. He is a highly charged orator of outraged protest, it’s a pity so few seem to be similarly outraged or as constant. In regard to gender issues and “woke” ideology, he’s a societal conservative, and I happen to agree with him there too. I watch his show regularly. He can certainly rub people up the wrong way, but from what I’ve seen, he annoys all the right people,, the presumptuous, the effete, the entitled, the arrogant and the racist. If he’s honest about his change in attitude to Scottish independence, and perhaps it’s the ever increasing rot in Westminster that has caused this, why not welcome him aboard, though I’d understand you might want to keep him out of harm’s way in the fo’c’s’le rather than on the poop deck, not that you’ll have any luck doing so. . I think your article rather overstates his failings and fails to recognise his virtues. That he’s still “there” after all this time should tell you something. And I am not unique in following GG. His MOATs has a very wide audience, and many good worthwhile people line up to be on his show. You mention Craig Murray, I have a high regard for him also. These two men are adrift politically, that’s why you’re seeing so much ambivalence.. Where is the politics in England or Scotland that would attract such men, or even if it did, would allow them any room? Their crime being that they ask too many awkward questions.
Kind of what I feel about Galloway. Whatever his shortcomings, the political world is a more interesting and stimulating place with him in it.
How many of our current cardboard-cut-out ‘leaders’ would agree to a straight live debate with wily old George?
I don’t disagree with the blandness of modern politicians often arising from their need to be constantly on message and lack of real life experience.
There is no doubt that Craig Murray is an articulate and passionate campaigner but having observed his foray into party politics he appears to be far more effective as a campaigner.
I have followed George’s Galloway’s career from when he was a local councillor in Dundee in early 1980’s. He remains, as he always has been, very articulate but he is becoming a parody of the firebrand politician he was in his younger days. I am sorry to say that these days it appears that the one thing that George believes in above all else is George Galloway.
At the upcoming Holyrood election we now have 6 political parties polling around 10% and above. They do straddle a fair bit of political perspective from right to left. I doubt there is any room for any other party to make any noteworthy impact or save their deposit. In light of this would people with deeply held political convictions not be more effective joining the party that is closest in alignment with their own personal political philosophy and arguing for change within that environment?
The mistake is to believe in parliamentary politics…
Why should a basic and reasonable level of social equality even be up for debate? I don’t just mean wealth, I mean access to health, to education and to culture…
It’s all just an absurd sideshow, and personality or celebrity politics is even worse…
Was Galloway not on one of those reality TV shows?
Just a sad joke by now…