Bradford West MP George Galloway has denied claims that he converted to Islam at a secret ceremony more than a decade ago.
The Respect MP took part in the "shahadah" conversion ceremony, attended by members of the Muslim Association of Great Britain, at a hotel in Kilburn,London, it was reported.
But the MP, who has repeatedly refused to answer questions about his faith,dismissed it as "totally untrue".
His response follows an article written in the New Statesman by Jemima Khan, who herself converted to Islam, which begins "George Galloway, MP for Bradford West, is a Muslim."
Mr Galloway claimed the article was littered with "deliberate falsehoods" and "schoolgirl howlers".
George Galloway has blamed a tweet about Blackburn instead of Bradford on his feed this morning on a hacker. The tweet read: "Welcome to the 6000 new followers. I will try to live up to your expectations. Shattered but happy after the Blackburn triumph."
The by election is expected to take place on the 29th March. Former Green party member Sonja McNally has announced that she will be standing as a candidate for the UK Independence Party.
The former Respect MP George Galloway has announced he's to stand in the Bradford by-election. He's giving a press conference outside the city hall this afternoon - and hoping to replace the MP Marsha Singh who's retiring due to ill health.
