George Galloway's dirty battle in bid for Bradford West seat

Touring Bradford West on an open top bus dressed in his trademark black fedora, dark glasses and triumphant grin, George Galloway looked as though he had already won. His confidence continued through the evening as the ballots looked set to be counted long into this morning.

He called his 2012 by-election win the Bradford Spring. But this time Galloway’s battle for Bradford West was more of a fist fight.

In one of the scrappiest campaigns of the election, the Respect candidate made repeated personal attacks on his Labour opponent Naz Shah. He promised it would be a “clean fight”, but his supporters have been accused of beating up a Jewish journalist trying to report on a Respect rally - as well as leaving a dead crow on Ms Shah’s doorstep and smearing her reputation.

The tactics seem to have done little to put off Galloway’s core voters, who were out in force, their cars covered in red and green posters.

Jamil Ahmed, 59, does not speak much English but has enough to convey who he wants. “Galloway is good,” he says.

The problem for Naz Shah seems to be one of recognition as much as anything. “I don't know much about the Labour girl” says Zahir Azam, 38, on his way to vote in Manningham ward in the north of the constituency. “It's not an easy decision, I think neither of them would do much but Galloway has a voice and is more experienced.”

Nahida Parveen, 35, says she is voting Labour because she “always has,” but admits she knows almost nothing about the current candidate.

In what may have been a contravention of the law preventing the early publication of exit polls, Galloway reposted a Twitter message saying “early exit polls suggest 2 votes for @georgegalloway to every 1 for @nazshah”. He later deleted the tweet and the account it came from appeared to have been taken down.

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A spokesman for Galloway denied their tactics had been underhand. “Shah has made it personal from the beginning,” he said.

Bradford West is dominated by the politics of biraderi - kinship-based bloc voting that is traditional in Pakistan and has been adopted by some British Pakistanis. When Galloway won the by-election in 2012 it was supposedly by rejecting this system and appealing to young voters. But now his supporters admit it is useful to them.

Back in 2012 Galloway beat Labour’s Imran Hussein, who was supported by a clan which held sway over the local Labour party. Hussein was expected to win in the neighbouring seat of Bradford East. He was seen embracing Galloway three times at a recent event in the Pakistani Consulate and was unopposed by the Respect Party in what is understood to be a clan agreement.

Shah has called Galloway a “one-man messiah” that the city can do without. Nabib Hussein, 32, would most likely agree with her assessment but Shah has still not done enough to persuade him. “I’m not voting,” he says. “My polling card is still in the car. It’s all about clan in Bradford and I’m sick and tired of it. Galloway is taking Asians for a ride.”

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Galloway’s core support is made up of young Muslims, many of whom are in thrall to his campaigning on Palestine and forgive him the abysmal commons attendance record.

This week, however, there was a suggestion that the youthful exuberance of his fans can turn to something darker. A journalist for European Politico claimed that he was assaulted by Respect supporters, blocking his way into a rally for Galloway. Ben Judah wrote that a man shouted “get out, you fucking Jew” before another punched him in the head. He has reported the incident to police.

He said that Respect officials witnessed the incident but “looked away”, and that he has "no doubt" that the men who allegedly attacked him were Respect supporters.

Galloway said via his spokesman "I deplore anti-Semitism and racism and any member of Respect using the words you allege would be immediately expelled”. But he added that the alleged attack was “quite clearly a stunt” and “a deliberate provocation” by Mr Judah.

If Galloway wins the seat the former Labour MP could end up holding disproportionate power in this close-run election since Labour might need him in a coalition. The thought has not escaped him and he told the BBC’s Andrew Neil earlier in the campaign: “You are probably talking to the man with the casting vote in the next parliament, at least I hope so.”