Former diplomat and Alba Party cheerleader Craig Murray has been selected to represent George Galloway's Worker's Party of Great Britain at the upcoming general election.
The 65-year-old has been announced as the party's candidate for Blackburn, Lancashire, where he stood as an independent in 2005 when the seat was represented by Foreign Secretary Mr Straw.
Mr Murray, the former UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan, was previously jailed for eight months in 2021 for contempt of court over his comments on the trial of former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond for alleged sexual offences.
A member of the Alba party, he has also now been chosen as the Workers Party of Britain candidate for the upcoming election in Blackburn, which currently has one MP - George Galloway, who won the Rochdale by-election.
In 2005, Mr Murray came fifth out of seven candidates with 2,082 votes - five per cent of the total.
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A former Rector of the University of Dundee, he has supported Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's fight against extradition to the United States.
A statement on the Workers Party of Britain website said: "Murray’s very name carries the weight of credibility and conviction, renowned for his lifelong crusade against human rights abuses, obfuscation, and global injustice.
"He has fearlessly championed these sacred causes at every turn.
"During his tenure as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2002 to 2004, Murray courageously defied the party line to expose the Karimov regime’s grotesque crimes against humanity – braving the wrath of his Foreign Office masters.
"Such principled resistance to torture and tyranny stands as a testament to his uncompromising moral rectitude.
"His relentless pursuit of transparency in global politics and fervent advocacy for human rights epitomize the values championed by the Workers Party."
READ MORE: Jailed Salmond blogger Craig Murray no longer a member of the SNP, party says
It adds: "In him, the proud traditions of ethical economics, dignified labour, and equitable distribution find their modern voice.
"Rejecting the pernicious creeds of neoliberalism that have laid waste to our national fabric, Murray offers a bold, patriotic vision of Britain’s revival through the Worker’s Party’s planned, socially conscious governance.
"The Workers Party stands shoulder to shoulder with Murray, aligning with all those brave enough to defy the chains of this oppressive parliament.
"In Murray, Blackburn discovers its champion of the working class – a stalwart advocate who will relentlessly amplify the voices of the marginalised."
Polling aggregation website Electoral Calculus currently forecasts Labour having a 98 per cent chance of retaining the Blackburn seat.
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