Former MP George Galloway and his wife were detained at Gatwick Airport on Saturday by counter-terrorism officers but were later released without arrest, police have confirmed.
The Workers Party of Britain leader, 71, and his wife in her 40s were stopped under Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which allows officers to examine individuals at UK ports to determine whether they have been involved in hostile state activity. The party branded the detention “politically motivated intimidation” and demanded their immediate release.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed: “We can confirm that on Saturday, 27 September counter-terrorism officers at Gatwick Airport stopped a man in his 70s and a woman in her 40s under Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. Neither of them were arrested and they were allowed on their way.”
Party Demands Immediate Release
The Workers Party of Britain raised the alarm on social media platform X at 11am on Saturday, stating party officials had been informed by police that their leader and his wife had been detained at the airport. The party’s statement claimed they had received no further information about the couple’s wellbeing or the observation of their rights despite repeated attempts to contact police.
“Despite repeated attempts to gather further information, and despite repeated calls to the police, we have no further information on their wellbeing, nor on the observation of their rights,” the party stated. “There is no information on charges or alleged offences. Therefore we may conclude this is politically motivated intimidation.”
The party called on supporters to amplify their message and demand “the IMMEDIATE RELEASE of our leaders” before the couple were subsequently released. According to reports, the pair had arrived at Gatwick on a flight from Abu Dhabi, having initially travelled from Moscow.
Powers Under Schedule 3
Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 grants examining officers unique powers to stop, question, search and detain individuals at UK borders without requiring grounds for suspicion. The legislation was introduced following the 2018 Salisbury poisoning incident to strengthen Britain’s defences against hostile state activity.
Under these powers, officers can determine whether a person has been engaged in hostile activity, defined as involvement in acts carried out for or on behalf of a foreign state, or otherwise in the interests of a state other than the United Kingdom. Such activities might threaten national security or the economic wellbeing of the UK.
The powers allow for detention up to six hours, though most examinations take considerably less time. Individuals have a legal duty to answer questions during examination, and being detained under Schedule 3 does not constitute an arrest or caution.
Galloway’s Political Career
Galloway, who founded the Workers Party of Britain in 2019, briefly returned to Parliament after winning the Rochdale by-election in February 2024, though he lost the seat to Labour’s Paul Waugh at the general election five months later. The party stood 152 candidates in the 2024 election, garnering 210,194 votes nationwide but winning no seats.
The veteran politician previously served as an MP from 1987 to 2010, 2012 to 2015, and briefly in 2024, representing five different constituencies during his career. He was expelled from the Labour Party in 2003 over his opposition to the Iraq War and later led the Respect Party from 2013 to 2016.
Galloway has long courted controversy, particularly over his positions on foreign policy. He has faced criticism for meetings with Iraqi officials in the 1990s and praise for Saddam Hussein at a 1994 meeting, which he denied. More recently, his party has taken strong positions on the conflict in Gaza and opposed NATO membership.
Previous Border Incidents
This is not Galloway’s first encounter with border security measures. In 2009, Canadian authorities initially prevented him from entering the country, accusing him of supporting terrorism through alleged financial support to Hamas. Galloway maintained he had donated aid for Palestinian people in Gaza, not directly to Hamas.
A Canadian judge later ruled the decision was politically motivated, allowing Galloway entry. He subsequently threatened to sue the Canadian government for branding him a terrorist. The incident highlighted ongoing tensions around Galloway’s activism on Middle Eastern issues.
The Workers Party has been particularly vocal on Palestine, stating on its website that it is “unequivocal in its support for the Palestinian liberation struggle and opposition to Zionism as a violently racist ideology.” During Galloway’s recent by-election victory, a party delegation was participating in the World Festival of Youth in Russia.
Schedule 3 in Practice
The Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office oversees the use of Schedule 3 powers, which can include retention and examination of articles found during searches. Recent amendments through the National Security Act have streamlined procedures for handling confidential business material, allowing superintendent-level authorisation rather than requiring approval from the Commissioner.
Statistics show these powers are used thousands of times annually at UK ports. In 2023, a 21-year-old man was jailed for three years after a Schedule 3 stop at Gatwick revealed he had breached licence conditions following terrorism convictions. The powers are designed to be preventative, allowing authorities to gather intelligence about potential threats.
Civil liberties groups have raised concerns about the broad nature of these powers, particularly the lack of requirement for reasonable suspicion. However, authorities maintain the powers include safeguards and must not be used arbitrarily, being informed by current threats to UK security.
Political Reaction
The incident comes as Galloway’s party continues positioning itself as “the working-class patriotic alternative” to mainstream parties. At the party’s recent conference, Galloway announced he would be speaking at the Socialist China Conference in London, highlighting the party’s international connections.
The Workers Party has described itself as both socialist and socially conservative, opposing what it calls “fake woke anti-British ‘Labour’.” Galloway himself stated in 2025 that he “no longer wants to hear himself described as a leftist,” marking a shift in his political positioning.
Saturday’s detention is likely to fuel ongoing debates about the use of counter-terrorism powers at UK borders. The party’s immediate characterisation of the incident as “politically motivated intimidation” reflects broader concerns about the application of security legislation.
What Happens Next
Whilst Galloway and his wife were released without charge, the incident highlights the extensive powers available to authorities at UK borders. Schedule 3 examinations do not require arrests or criminal proceedings, being primarily intelligence-gathering exercises.
The Workers Party has not indicated whether it will pursue any formal complaints about the detention. Under the legislation, individuals can make representations about their treatment, though the examining officers’ decision to stop someone cannot be challenged if conducted within the law’s parameters.
For Galloway, who has built his political brand on challenging the establishment, the incident provides further ammunition for his narrative of political persecution. Whether this translates into electoral support remains to be seen, with the party having failed to win parliamentary representation at the last general election despite significant vote shares in some constituencies.
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Image Credit:
George Galloway — official portrait, cropped, licensed under CC BY 4.0
