George Galloway wants to stir up next week’s by-election in his Lochee home patch by throwing support behind an old pal from his youth.
The firebrand left-winger, now aged 70, thinks former pub and taxi firm owner John Reddy can profit from anger against the SNP and Labour locally next Thursday.
The two Lochee men knew each other in their younger years from the same socialist circles, but had not spoken in around 50 years.
Even though Mr Galloway left Dundee long ago, he hopes the city can spark an upswing of support for his Workers Party.
Victory next week is not likely, but Mr Galloway reckons the by-election will serve as a “baptismal contest” for his Holyrood ambitions in 2026.
Speaking to The Courier, Mr Galloway said: “John’s definitely in the mix.
“We might do better than we once would have done, mainly because John is such a well-known figure in the area.
“He was well-known when I last saw him 50 years ago. A lot of people know him and respect him. I’m hoping he’ll get a local vote.
He added: “It will be interesting, because of my own Lochee connections.
“Maybe some people that like me will give him a local vote because of that.”
Mr Galloway said he “saw the light of the day for the first time” in the Dundee area when announcing Mr Reddy’s candidacy recently.
He has regularly spoken about growing up on Atholl Street, in what he calls “Tipperary”, in reference to the Irish population living there when he was young.
Mr Galloway said Labour has had a “disastrous start” in government, and claimed the SNP has “not been in such bad order for many decades”.
Could that boost support for outsider candidates such as Mr Reddy?
“Maybe people will think there’s a chance of trying something else,” he said.
Mr Galloway admitted it was a trip down memory lane speaking to his old friend.
“I remember him exactly as he was back then,” he said. “He was quite the mover and shaker.”
Mr Reddy got to know Mr Galloway – who quickly became a senior Labour figure in Dundee – when he was involved in trade unions.
“He was always controversial,” he said. “He always had a cause in his life.
“You’ll get people saying they don’t like him, but it’s because he tells the truth. You either like him or don’t.”
Mr Galloway may be a figure of international renown who’s met Saddam Hussein and even starred on Celebrity Big Brother.
But his party’s Lochee candidate wants to keep his election fight rooted in local concerns, namely housing and crime.
Mr Galloway was hoping to join Mr Reddy on the campaign trail before the vote, but won’t be able to due to commitments abroad.
He says Dundee will be a key “target area” for the Workers Party in the 2026 Holyrood election where smaller parties can benefit from the proportional voting system.
Mr Galloway said he will definitely be in the city to campaign – especially because his mother still lives locally.
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