George Galloway and Wife Snagged by UK Counter-Terror Police at Airport
Couple Stopped Under Counter-Terror Border Laws
Former MP George Galloway and his wife, Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, were stopped by counter-terrorism officers at a UK airport last Saturday morning, the Workers Party of Britain (WPB) has revealed. The pair were returning to Britain from abroad via Abu Dhabi when authorities detained them under Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.
This law lets police at UK ports search and hold travellers suspected of hostile acts. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We can confirm that on Saturday, counter-terrorism officers 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 were arrested and were allowed on their way.”
Workers Party Hits Out: ‘Political Intimidation’
The Workers Party of Britain slammed the stop as an intimidation tactic aimed at silencing voices promoting diplomacy over conflict. The party blasted:
“There was never any chance of an offence. We were obstructed from providing legal support, and the conduct of the affair has been designed to intimidate political opponents of the drive towards war with Russia and China.”
No Charges After Detainment, Details Still Foggy
Galloway and his wife were released the same day without any charges. The WPB insists no crime was committed during the stop. It’s still unclear if police demanded access to the couple’s phones or passwords during the detention.
From Labour MP to Workers Party Leader
George Galloway, 71, was a Labour MP until 2003 before serving terms as an independent and Respect Party MP from 2003 to 2015. In March 2024, he snagged the first MP seat for the Workers Party of Britain in a Rochdale by-election but lost his seat in the most recent general election.
