Britain will be ‘at war’ within six months of a Labour election win, George Galloway claimed today as he launched his far-Left party’s ‘beautiful’ election manifesto.
The Workers Party leader, a former Russia Today presenter, lashed out at Labour as he launched the 34-page document that promised to end UK military support for Ukraine, and hold a referendum on Nato membership.
It includes chapters on redistribution, democratic reform and Palestine and referenced K-Pop and ‘creeping buro-fascism’, and pledges to reduce the mandatory retirement age to 60.
The veteran politician spoke at the launch event at a hotel in Manchester, just a few miles south from Rochdale, where he became the town’s MP in February, following a by-election triggered by the death of Labour incumbent Tony Lloyd.
Accompanied by his fourth wife, Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, the father-of-six adopted Tory language when he urged voters not to hand Labour – his former party – a ‘supermajority’ on July 4.
‘We are potentially headed to Armageddon and if we don’t get out of this death spiral, then none of this will have been worth arguing over at all,’ he said.
‘If Keir Starmer becomes the Prime Minister, within six months, Britain will be at war. I mean an actual war with British troops deployed.’
He promised a ‘staggering’ breakthrough at the General Election for his party, which he described as the ‘antidote’ to both Labour, who he said they seek to replace, and Nigel Farage’s Reform Party.
‘We are the spirit of Labour past or what it was supposed to be. Labour, long ago, lost its way, lost its purpose,’ he said.
Mr Galloway described both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Mr Starmer as ‘sub-prime performers’ with ‘vacuous’ programmes, but said that Mr Farage, his former EU referendum colleague, at least ‘has something to say’ – even if he is wrong.
Economy
Increase personal tax allowance to £21,200 and a 5 per cent wealth tax on all estates worth £10m and above. Reverse de-industrialisation and workers’ control of industry through trade unions. Consider nationalising public services including rail, water, electricity and the ‘military-industrial complex’.
Environment
Share the costs and benefits of the green agenda and change to combat global warming. Oppose Ulez (ultra low emission zone) initiatives because of costs imposed on small businesses and workers and oppose ‘Green hysteria’.
NHS
Massive reduction in administration and management in the NHS, with ‘Big Food’ and ‘Big Pharma’ to be ‘regulated’ at ‘every level’.
Free speech and ‘culture wars’
End ‘creeping buro-fascism’ to support free speech and stop ‘stealth oppression and stealth totalitarianism’ via the law, regulations, ‘lawfare’ and ‘cultural engineering’.
Overhaul arts funding to make space in working-class communities for everything from ‘K-Pop to Haydn’, the manifesto promises.
Immigration
Recognise the ‘anxiety’ felt among working-class communities to mass migration but focus on the influx ’caused by our own actions’ through war, sanctions on developing countries and unfair trading practices.
The constitution
Referendum on the continued existence of the monarchy and proportional representation for elections.
Foreign policy
Put an end to ‘imperialist wars’, withdrawal from Nato, a ‘clear and present danger’ to UK security, and support for Palestine.
Welfare
Review pensions policy with the ‘aim’ of all workers having the option to retire at 60, free school meals for all children without means testing, free adult education, to be paid for by scrapping the UK nuclear deterrent.
His 10-point party programme begins with a pledge to end ‘imperialist wars’ and Nato withdrawal, a subject he returned to.
Mr Galloway claimed the BBC has been ‘working’ for Keir Starmer and Labour had been ‘made safe’ for ‘the establishment’ and the ‘Deep State’.
He added: ‘The fact that Starmer is going to take us to disaster potentially, existential disaster, is a national emergency.’
Mr Galloway said Britain had suffered decades of subservience to the EU and the US, making it a ‘vassal’ of Washington and a country, he said, being led by a ‘senile dementia patient’.
He claimed Royal Navy warships were in the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the South China Sea, ‘threatening others’ rather than protecting their own coast.
And he described Nato as a ‘war machine’ with the West led by leaders who want conflict while edging closer to a ‘game of nuclear bluff’ with Russia, China and North Korea and only the ‘woke armies of the West’ to defend itself.
Party pledges on cheap housing, free childcare, free adult education and public laundries would be paid for by scrapping UK’s nuclear weapons, which Mr Galloway said cost the country £12,000 every minute.
Polls suggest Mr Galloway will lose his own seat at the election, He clinched a stunning victory in the Rochdale by-election in February after one of the most divisive and chaotic contests in recent history.
Local voters chose the firebrand politician as their new MP to replace Sir Tony Lloyd, following the death of the veteran Labour politician in January.
Mr Galloway, who put a hardline pro-Palestinian stance at the heart of his campaign in a seat with a large Muslim population, ended his nine-year absence from the House of Commons.
‘Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza,’ the 69-year-old declared, as soon as he was announced as the winning candidate in Rochdale just before 3am.
The stunning victory came after Labour was forced to disown its candidate Azhar Ali over remarks condemned as anti-Semitic.
The party has chosen Paul Waugh, a journalist, to fight the seat this time around.
Mr Galloway sent an immediate warning to Labour that he would use his new platform in Parliament to berate Sir Keir Starmer over his position on the Middle East crisis.
The maverick returned to Westminster as a representative of a third different political party – the Workers Party of Britain – having previously been both a Labour and Respect MP.