Monty Panesar quits George Galloway's Workers Party - one week after England cricketer is unveiled as candidate
8 May 2024, 14:51 | Updated: 8 May 2024, 15:16
Monty Panesar has quit George Galloway's Workers Party just a week after announcing he was standing as a candidate for MP at the next general election.
Mr Galloway just last Tuesday revealed to LBC's Nick Ferrari that the two-time Ashes winner would stand for his party in Southall.
Mr Panesar then appeared alongside the Workers Party of Britain leader later that day in front of the Houses of Parliament as he unveiled 200 candidates.
But the former left-arm spinner said he no longer intends to stand in Labour-held Ealing Southall as he needed "more time to listen".
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Writing in a post on X, Mr Panesar said: "So today I am withdrawing as a General Election candidate for The Workers Party.
"I realise I need more time to listen, learn and find my political home, one that aligns with my personal and political values.
"I wish The Workers Party all the best but look forward to taking some time to mature and find my political feet so I am well prepared to deliver my very best when I next run up to the political wicket."
It follows a somewhat calamitous interview with Times Radio in which he appeared to become confused about the Workers Party's policy pledge to leave the Nato military alliance.
The former Essex spinner suggested Nato's role was related to immigration policy and that British membership was making it harder to control its border.
"I think the reason our party is saying it is because we don't really have control on our borders," he said.
"We have illegal migration and then what ends up happening is some of these illegal migrants go into the poorer, deprived areas, and then the resources get strained. And it affects, you know, the ordinary people, our working people in this country.
"I think that's one of the reasons, you know, our party wants to maybe, you know, have a debate about is it really necessary to be in Nato or not."
He was then asked if he understood what Nato is, responding: "I don't have a deep understanding of Nato."
Mr Galloway said he has 500 candidates already lined up to fight a general election - which is expected later this year and must be held in January at the latest.
Mr Galloway's party is seeking to put pressure on Labour in the same way Nigel Farage was able to target the Conservatives.
It comes as Mr Galloway hung up on LBC's Lewis Goodall after being asked about remarks in which he said he did not think gay relationships were "normal".
The Rochdale MP was asked about the remarks he made in the interview with Novara Media where he said: "I don't want my children prematurely sexualised at all, I don't want them taught that some things are normal when their parents don't believe that they're normal."
Mr Galloway responded: "This is a clip of a clip. It is an edited clip of an edited clip."
He also claimed that the radio station was "ambushing" him claiming that a wider point he had made about gender identity had been lost.
"I have got a simple answer. Listen to the whole thing tonight."
Mr Galloway then threatened to hang up the phone, telling LBC: "More fool me thinking that your request that I come on and talk about the elections was genuine."