George Galloway’s former campaign chief is providing parliamentary assistance to four of the new independent MPs elected on a pro-Gaza platform.

Since Galloway’s defeat to Labour’s Paul Waugh in Rochdale at the general election, James Giles has become chief of staff to Ayoub Khan, who won Birmingham Perry Barr off Labour’s Khalid Mahmood.

Adverts for caseworkers for Khan and new Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain appeared on the W4MP jobs website and both list Giles’s email address.

He told the Telegraph, “I’m advising all four independent MPs on setting up their offices – my role is adviser to the four newly-elected MPs … Whilst they’re all very much independent in their own right, where they agree on matters they will co-operate. And not just among themselves, but with other parties as well.”

Independent Shockat Adam won Leicester South off Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth and Iqbal Mohamed won the newly created seat of Batley and Dewsbury. 

Giles was reportedly in charge of strategy during Galloway’s successful victory in the Rochdale by-election earlier this year. He had previously worked for Galloway during his campaign for the Batley and Spen by-election in 2021.

Promotional signs for Workers Party candidate George Galloway (Photo: Getty Images)

In November last year, the JC reported that Giles was accused of “bullying” and threatening behaviour by several councillors after he had threatened to publish the names of councillors who refused to sign a letter that he helped organise calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

At the time, he said: “We will also be publishing the names of those who have been invited to sign but choose not to, in the interest of accountability.”

But he was later to understood to have clarified that only signatories who provided their express written consent in support of the letter would be identified.

Giles currently serves as a local councillor in the London borough of Kingston for the Kingston Independent Residents Group.