Ex-Labour and Respect lefty George Galloway has dropped a bombshell on Twitter - he will vote Conservative in the upcoming Holyrood elections. Although he is standing for Alliance 4 Unity, Galloway says he will vote tactically in support of the Union, ensuring that his local Tory incumbent gets re-elected.
Scots get two votes in May - one to elect their constituency MSP (first past the post) and one for their regional MSP (proportional representation). Galloway is hoping to get elected via the regional list and will vote for his own party with his second vote.
Galloway launched Alliance 4 Unity last year in an attempt to unite Scottish Unionists under one banner and help bring down the SNP. However, the three main parties opposed to the SNP rejected Galloway's call for an alliance. The Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats refused to stand aside and as a consequence it's unlikely that his party will make a significant impact in May, leaving Sturgeon to romp home yet again.
George's decision to put aside political differences for the greater good may have raised a few eyebrows, but he has form for this. With Brexit under serious threat he publicly backed the Brexit Party at the 2019 European elections.
The Alliance 4 Unity party boasts a diverse field of candidates, including UKIP founder Dr Alan Sked and libertarian columnist Jamie Blackett.
