George Galloway To Run For Mayor Of Tower Hamlets?

Via @JohnRentoul, we come across this entry, posted on the Socialist Unity website, which suggests that George Galloway has decided to return to London politics and make a run for mayor of Tower Hamlets.

The east London borough voted earlier this year in favour of a directly-elected mayor, a decision that has provoked waves of dodgy manoueverings which led ultimately to controversial Labour candidate, Lutfur Rahman, being kicked off the ballot by his own party. The Respect party are now saying that, in protest of Rahman's defenstration, they may run a candidate in October's vote, and Galloway would be one of the nominees.

The Tower Hamlets mayoral contest is already a messy business, and Galloway's return to the frontline would hardly stabilise matters, but he has form here. In 2005 he sensationally beat Oona King for the Labour-held Bow & Bethnal Green seat, under the Respect banner. The garrulous Scot may, however, have already burned his toast with Tower Hamlets residents: he was thorougly trounced when he contested the Poplar & Limehouse seat in the General Election earlier this year.