The tantalising prospect of George Galloway standing against Jack Straw at the next General Election was raised last night as the leader of the anti-Iraq war Respect Party contemplates his future at Westminster.

The London MP's aide told The Herald that Mr Galloway, 52, was likely to make his decision "by the end of this month" and that he was actively considering his options. Standing again in Scotland "was not ruled out".

The primary option, how-ever, appears to be a challenge to Mr Straw, now Justice Secretary and who was Foreign Secretary at the time of the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

"Speculation about him standing against Jack Straw is real. He has been approached by people in Blackburn, mainly Muslims but not only Muslims.

"Wherever George stood, we would see one hell of a fight but, of course, it would be a bigger scalp if he stood against a Cabinet minister," said the aide.

He explained how when Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, visited Mr Straw in his Lancashire constituency Mr Galloway took part in and spoke at local protests.

The London MP also called on Mr Straw to resign over his comments last year about Muslim women wearing the veil. However, a challenge to the Secretary of State would be a formidable one.

Mr Straw came under intense political fire in 2005 but managed a comfortable win with a majority of 8009 albeit down from 9249 in 2001 and from 14,451 in 1997.

At the time of his election to Bethnal Green and Bow, Mr Galloway made clear to constituents that he would only serve one term.

Although he has contemplated not standing for Westminster again - he is expected to stand for the European Parliament in 2009 - it seems he has now decided to fight another General Election.

An alternative option is to fight the neighbouring London seat to his current one, which under boundary changes will become Poplar and Lime House. It is at present Poplar and Canning Town and the seat of fellow Scot, Jim Fitzpatrick, a transport minister.

The third choice is for Mr Galloway to stand again in Scotland; he was a Glasgow MP for 18 years, representing Hillhead and Kelvin, all but 18 months of which was as a Labour MP.

The aide said:"George is now a columnist in Scotland, which has raised some Labour hackles.

"Standing again north of the border is not ruled out."

The aide pointed out how last month during the Respect leader's answer to the MPs' decision to suspend him from the Commons over the standards commissioner's report on his links to Iraq, Mr Galloway teased any future opponent by saying he must watch out and the person he would stand against was "in the building".

"The main things for George to consider who he stands against are: his chances of winning and whether his opponent his someone who has broken from Old Labour and deserves their comeuppance, which is what Respect is all about," he added.

Mr Straw was unavailable for comment last night.