Veteran British politician and Workers Party leader George Galloway remains in self-imposed exile abroad, moving between countries in the ”rising East” while continuing his media work and political activities from afar.
The seven-time parliamentarian has not returned to the UK since his high-profile detention by counter-terrorism police at Gatwick Airport in September 2025, an event he describes as politically motivated.
Galloway, who has long been a vocal critic of UK foreign policy on issues including Ukraine, Palestine, and Iraq, says the incident, in which he and his wife were stopped upon returning from Moscow, prompted him to remain overseas.
Authorities seized devices and questioned him for hours, actions he links to his dissenting views.
”In exile in the East after sitting in parliament across five decades,” he posted on X in June 2026. ”Stopped by armed police under the Terrorism Act at a London airport. All because of my views, once commonplace, now running the risk of persecution or worse. Welcome to the West.”
In exile in the East after sitting in parliament across five decades. Stopped by armed police under the Terrorism Act at a London airport. All because of my views, once commonplace, now running the risk of persecution or worse. Welcome to the West. https://t.co/lOPn5lJ4gc
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) June 26, 2026
He has operated from locations including Malaysia, visited Russia for events, and recently broadcast from China, including posts showing everyday scenes in Shanghai and Nanjing.
His popular show MOATS (Mother of All Talk Shows) now frequently airs from these bases, allowing him to reach audiences while avoiding what he calls an increasingly authoritarian environment at home.
In a recent episode tied to the UK’s proscription of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a national security threat, Galloway highlighted growing restrictions on expression. ”Return from exile? No thanks!” he declared on July 17, 2026.
”I’m not allowed, on pain of arrest, to utter a positive word about Iran’s IRGC… I can’t praise the Lebanese resistance, or the Palestinian. And I can’t hold up a placard about another group.”
Galloway has repeatedly framed his situation as a defense of free speech. He argues that opinions he once shared with mainstream figures are now treated as threats, forcing him abroad to speak openly.
Despite this, he has expressed willingness to return if elected or given assurances against further detention, famously stating he could even contest elections ”from China” if needed. He positions his Workers Party as offering an alternative vision, praising elements of the Chinese economic model while rejecting what he sees as Western decline.
As of mid-2026, Galloway shows no immediate plans to end his exile, continuing to influence UK politics remotely through social media, podcasts, and occasional election bids (such as his candidacy in Scottish parliamentary lists). His case has sparked debate about the balance between national security and political expression in Britain.
Related and sources
- The Times: George Galloway stopped at Gatwick airport under terrorism law
- Sky News (2025): George Galloway and wife detained ’for hours’ by counter terror police at Gatwick airport
- BBC: George Galloway stopped by counter-terror police at Gatwick
- BBC: UK bans support for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
- WRired Gov: The IRGC, IMCR, and the GRU Volunteer Corps have now been formally designated as threats to national security under new state threats powers
- Galloway on X:
- Galloway on X: 26 juni 2026, In exile in the East