GEORGE Galloway has been detained at Gatwick Airport under the Terrorism Act, according to reports.
The former Labour MP, who now leads the Workers Party, was stopped by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command on Saturday as he returned to the UK, according to The Herald.
The 71-year-old was reportedly stopped along with his wife had arrived at Gatwick Airport on a flight from Abu Dhabi.
The pair had reportedly travelled from Moscow initially.
The Met confirmed that Galloway and his wife were stopped by officers, but were not arrested, and later allowed to continue on their way.
A Met spokesperson said: “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.”
Under Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, officers are allowed to stop, question, search and detain a person at a port or the border area in the UK and Northern Ireland for the purpose of determining whether the person appears to be a person who is, or has been, engaged in hostile activity.
The legislation also allows for the examination of goods for the purpose of determining whether they have been used in connection with a person’s engagement in hostile activity.
Last month, Galloway announced his political comeback as he intends to stand as a candidate in next year's Scottish Parliament election.
In an interview with The Herald, Galloway said his Workers Party would contest Glasgow’s Southside following Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement that she is stepping down in May.
He added that he will top the Workers Party list for next year’s Holyrood election and that his party are going to “put everything” into winning Glasgow’s Southside.
Yvonne Ridley, a former member of Alex Salmond's Alba Party and journalist, will also contest the Glasgow Pollok seat for Galloway's party following former first minister Humza Yousaf’s plans to step down next year.
