GEORGE Galloway has been condemned by an anti-racism group over his "toxic campaign" for his Workers Party in the Batley and Spen by-election.

Hope Not Hate praised Kim Leadbeater, the sister of murdered MP Jo Cox, for winning the seat for Labour despite polling indicating a Tory win.

But Hope Not Hate said Galloway's vote share of nearly 22% shows "there is no room for any complacency" in fighting the far-right.

The by-election saw Labour’s majority reduced from 3525 to 323.

The Conservatives had been hoping to secure a second by-election win in the north of England following their historic success in Hartlepool earlier this year.

Galloway, fresh from his failed Scottish Parliament bid with All for Unity, stepped in to the seat to capitalise on discontent with Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership.

The contest saw his Workers Party clash with Labour supporters on issues like Kashmir and Palestine as the parties sought to secure votes from the area’s Asian communities.

The final results, announced yesterday, had Leadbeater on 13,296 (35.3%), the Conservatives Ryan Stephenson on 12,973 (34.4%) and Galloway on 8264 (21.9%).

READ MORE: George Galloway: I'll challenge Batley and Spen result in the courts after Labour win

Convicted racist Jayda Fransen, who also sought publicity in the Scottish Parliament election by running in Nicola Sturgeon’s Glasgow Southside constituency, won just 50 votes.

The contest was triggered when the region’s former Labour MP, Tracy Brabin, was elected West Yorkshire mayor.

Brabin said she was leafleting with "colleagues, volunteers, campaigners" in the Whitaker Street area of Batley on Sunday when they "were followed, verbally abused and physically assaulted by a group of young men".

The mayor said: "The group I was with included young people and the elderly. I witnessed them being egged, pushed and forced to the ground and kicked in the head".

Speaking after the count, Galloway said he would be taking legal action. He claimed his election effort had been damaged by a “false statement” that he laughed while Leadbeater was abused on the campaign trail.

Nick Lowles, CEO of Hope Not Hate, said: "This was a toxic campaign. While the far right have been humiliated, George Galloway’s attempts to use the politics of division to win office fortunately fell short.

"This campaign should be another stain on his reputation. His negative, angry and aggressive campaign created a toxic climate on the ground, with Labour Party campaigners chased, abused and even physically attacked on the streets."

Lowles went on to say to say that Galloway campaigned on an "anti-woke" agenda which attacked LGBT rights, the trans community and sex education in schools.

A group of Muslim women from Batley and Spen wrote an open letter condemning “shameful” behaviour that has brought the community “into the limelight for all the wrong reasons” on the eve of the vote.

“We cannot claim to be championing the cause of Palestine whilst ignoring the [Muslim practice] of peace and tolerance,” the letter said, criticising those who “belittle or capitalise on this issue to boost your own egos”.

Galloway, who is pro-Palestine, put the anger and disillusionment felt towards Labour on the issue at the centre of his campaign.

Batley and Spen was a former BNP stronghold, with the party having a councillor in the area and receiving 3685 votes in the constituency, a 7.6% share, in the 2010 General Election. Lowles said he is therefore not surprised at Galloway's share of the vote.

He added: "Division, suspicion and mistrust runs deep locally and has even been hardened during this campaign.

"But we can at least move forward hoping that the comprehensive rejection of far right extremism, coupled with the popular revulsion for Galloway’s divisive campaign (as best exemplified by the open letter put out by Muslim women on the eve of poll), will give confidence for more people to speak out more publicly."