Bradford West MP George Galloway has confirmed he is 100 per cent with the Respect party and will not be rejoining Labour.

He confirmed he had met with the Labour leader Ed Miliband, as reported in a national newspaper, but said that it was a private meeting and had nothing to do with him joining Labour.

“It is nothing to get excited about,” he added. “I certainly am not rejoining the Labour Party and he (Ed) never asked me to and I am 100 per cent with Respect.

“It was a private meeting and not about me joining him. It was just a normal kind of political meeting that takes place in Parliament.”

It was reported that Mr Miliband faced a ‘backlash’ from Labour MPs over the meeting with Mr Galloway, who was expelled from Labour a decade ago.

Labour insisted there had been no attempt to bring Mr Galloway into the party.