George Galloway’s sole motive is to incite fear and create division.
The party offered an apology to the residents of Rochdale regarding the byelection outcome. They acknowledged the lack of a suitable candidate, as the candidate initially chosen, Azhar Ali, was rejected by the party due to his anti-Semitic remarks after the Hamas attack on Gaza. However, nominations had already closed and it was too late to make any changes, resulting in Ali’s name still appearing as the Labour candidate on the ballot. According to a Labour representative, this was a regrettable situation.
We apologize to the people of Rochdale for not being able to present a candidate in this byelection for the Labour party. George Galloway only emerged victorious due to the absence of a Labour candidate.
Revised: The citizens of Rochdale deserved the opportunity to elect an MP who would unite communities and prioritize the needs of working individuals. However, George Galloway’s focus lies solely on inciting fear and creating divisions. As a member of parliament, he will bring harm to our communities and public discourse.
The Labour party will promptly initiate the procedure of electing a new Labour candidate for the upcoming election, and will be putting in great effort to provide the necessary representation and a chance for a new beginning for the people of Rochdale.
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When asked about their preferred candidate for Labour, she stated that the decision should ultimately be left to the voters in the constituency.
She stated that the party would choose a nominee for the upcoming election who can bring people together. When questioned about her confidence in Labour regaining the seat, she responded that the party was not taking anything for granted.
At the conclusion of the interview, Reeves was prompted to extend her congratulations to George Galloway. Her response was, “I believe we’ve said enough on the matter.”
During his appearance on the Today programme this morning, Allen Brett, who was once the Labour leader of Rochdale council, expressed doubt that the byelection would have a significant impact on a national scale. When asked about his vote, he chose not to disclose it, but stated that it was not for George Galloway. Brett also expressed his belief that Galloway is more concerned with his own interests rather than those of Rochdale.
Brett expressed admiration for Dave Tully, the independent candidate who placed second. He described him as “a wonderful man.”
If he had received better guidance initially, I believe he would have achieved greater success. He was unaware that he could distribute leaflets to everyone through the mail.
According to him, if the Labour party had a suitable candidate, Galloway would not have emerged as the winner. He further stated,
Locally, it is important for the Labour party to reflect on the reasons for their poor performance in this election.
Nima Omer provides thorough analysis of the outcome of the Rochdale byelection in her First Edition briefing. Below is a portion of her report.
When the results were announced, the atmosphere in the room was a mixture of emotions. Both inside and outside, there were many supporters of Galloway. Josh Halliday, the Guardian’s correspondent for the north of England, stated that dozens of people had been present for hours on a freezing cold night in Rochdale, practicing their chants. This group of supporters was a small representation of the passion and energy behind Galloway’s campaign.
During the campaign, there were significant divisions that were highlighted and could be felt. As Galloway got ready to go up on the winner’s stage, Josh overheard other campaigners making comments such as “terrorist sympathiser”, “the people of Rochdale are unintelligent”, and “Rochdale is doomed”.
Galloway clearly expressed his belief that his win has implications for the Labour party, which may face further defeats in the future general election. He aims to rally support in regions like Rochdale and believes that his success in this election could have a ripple effect. He also sees this victory as a potential catalyst for a new and powerful movement.
Josh acknowledges the impressive victory on Galloway’s side, but urges to maintain perspective. He reminds us that this is only a byelection, with a smaller turnout compared to a general election. Furthermore, Labour did not put up much of a fight in the final weeks of the campaign. If they were to actually compete in a general election, the outcome would probably be much tighter. However, Galloway could still potentially secure another win.
The complete article can be found below.
Lewis Goodall, host of the News Agents podcast, recently shared a thoughtful thread on X discussing the importance of Galloway’s success in Rochdale. The thread can be found here.
What is the significance of Galloway’s win?
There is a limited impact on the general election from this unique by-election. However, it does have some influence on the political landscape before and potentially after the election.
Here are a few of his main ideas.
In a wider sense, the success of Galloway’s election will motivate and invigorate certain individuals on the left, while also infuriating those on the right. They will use it as evidence to support their fears of a growing radical Islamist party. They may claim it to be a warning of future events.
Currently, this is simply excessive chatter. In terms of elections, it will not have any significant impact. It is likely that Labour will regain the seat in the upcoming general election. The majority of the party’s members of parliament strongly dislike Galloway. Starmer is likely anticipating a speedy negotiation to reduce some of the political tension.
It is undeniable that Starmer and the Labour party are not garnering as much support from Muslim voters compared to the time when Corbyn was leader. This trend was observed even before the recent events in Gaza and has only intensified since then. However, this is currently not a major concern for Labour as they still maintain a significant lead in the polls.
However, following an election and the commencement of governing, it is possible to fully understand the situation where it could potentially become an issue. The advantage in the polls disappears and there are suddenly numerous seats at stake, such as Rochdale, where the Muslim vote may not be significant but could be crucial.
The Conservative party, on the other hand, must be pleased that while their candidate’s performance was terrible, Reform did not fare much better. All their attention is focused on Blackpool, but this is ultimately a tale of mishandling by the Labour party. It was a disaster.
Momentum, the leftist faction of the Labour party, has labeled the party’s loss in Rochdale as a result of their own actions. A spokesperson for the party stated:
Labour suffered an unnecessary and self-imposed defeat.
Initially, Starmer’s highly divisive screening methods led to the selection of a candidate who was evidently unsuitable for the position. Following this, the Labour Leader attempted to stand by their choice. Ultimately, Keir Starmer’s lack of support for Gaza during a critical time allowed for George Galloway to enter the picture.
In order to prevent further harm, Starmer must put an end to the divisive mistreatment within Labour’s candidate selection procedures and advocate for an immediate and lasting truce in Gaza.
Nicholas Watt, a reporter from Newsnight, spoke with George Galloway as he was exiting the vote tally. Galloway informed him:
If you think Keir Starmer truly wants to stop the violence in Gaza, then I have a bridge in London that I could sell to you.
The Labour party accuses George Galloway of having a sole focus on fueling fear and creating division.
The party released a statement regarding the outcome of the byelection, expressing regret to the residents of Rochdale for not having a suitable candidate. (Azhar Ali, who was chosen as the Labour candidate, was disavowed by the party after the nomination deadline due to revelations of his anti-Semitic remarks following the Hamas attack on Gaza. However, the party was unable to alter the nominations in time, resulting in Ali being listed as the Labour candidate on the ballot.) A spokesperson for the Labour party stated:
We deeply apologize that the Labour party was unable to present a candidate for this byelection and offer our regrets to the people of Rochdale. George Galloway’s victory was solely due to the absence of a Labour candidate.
Rochdale deserved the chance to vote for an MP that would bring communities together and deliver for working people. George Galloway is only interested in stoking fear and division. As an MP he will be a damaging force in our communities and public life.
The Labour party will promptly start the procedure of choosing a new Labour candidate for the general election, and will actively campaign to provide the representation and new beginning that Rochdale deserves.
At 5:39 am, Galloway stated that Tice had made an attempt to persuade him to run as a candidate.
It seems that Mr Tice and Mr [Nigel] Farage may have become a bit unsteady in their positions. I would like to remind Mr Tice that I possess a message on my phone from him, extending an invitation for me to be the Reform UK candidate for a recent by-election.
I would rather not release this, but if he continues spreading false information about me, I will be forced to share the truth about him.
When asked if his followers had exhibited unacceptable actions, Galloway responded:
Not a single one. Inquire with the police and ask if any of our supporters have been apprehended or questioned by them.
Helen Pidd and Ben Quinn have provided a profile of George Galloway.
Gaza.”
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Unfortunately, Tony Lloyd passed away on January 17 due to leukemia. However, the campaign faced chaos when it was revealed that their candidate, Azhar Ali, had expressed repetitive anti-Israel ideas regarding the Hamas attack on October 7.
The Labour party was eventually compelled to distance themselves from Ali and gave up their campaign just one week into the competition. Even though Ali’s name remained on the ballot, it was too late to choose a different candidate, so Labour halted all election activities in the town almost three weeks ago.
Galloway, conversely, was energized. The politician wearing a fedora toured Rochdale with a megaphone, stating that the byelection was equivalent to a vote on Gaza and an opportunity to demonstrate against Labour.
His team, backed by an army of volunteers from across the country, managed to capture the vote of a significant number of Muslim people, who make up about 30% of the town’s population, with many angry about Labour’s position on Gaza.
Galloway, a former member of the Labour party, has successfully defeated his former party in three elections and will now return to parliament to represent his fourth constituency in a span of 37 years.
A source from Reform UK informed The Guardian that the party did not meet expectations due to logistical issues. The recent Rochdale by-election was their third in three weeks, with the party also devoting attention to their conference in Doncaster last weekend.
Richard Tice, the head of Reform, spoke at the vote tally and stated that the election in Rochdale was not conducted freely and fairly.
The events that took place here were extremely concerning. Our candidate and campaign staff have received death threats and despicable racist comments, faced barriers at council debates, and had to be moved for their own protection.
We are meant to represent democracy, but this embarrassing competition has resembled that of a failed government.
Earlier in the week, a 23-year-old male was taken into custody for allegedly sending a threatening message to Simon Danczuk, the Reform candidate. As a precaution, Danczuk hired security guards for the last two days of his campaign.
Galloway’s campaign staff asserted at the beginning of the evening that the ex-Labour and Respect representative would emerge victorious with ease, and this was indeed the case.
Galloway secured a surprising victory with 12,335 votes, which accounted for 39.7% of the total votes. This result was much more significant than anticipated, resulting in a majority of 5,697 votes for Galloway.
A surprising second place finisher was David Tully, a business owner from the area running as an independent candidate, who received over 6,600 votes.
The complete findings from PA Media show a reported increase for the Workers Party of Britain (WPB), which is led by Galloway, over Labour.
VIEW
LabVIEW generates a gain for WPB.
George Galloway (WPB) 12,335 (39.65%)
David Tully (Ind) 6,638 (21.34%)
Paul Ellison (C) 3,731 (11.99%, -19.21%)
Azhar Ali (Lab) 2,402 (7.72%, -43.86%)
Iain Donaldson (LD) 2,164 (6.96%, -0.02%)
Simon Danczuk (Reform) 1,968 (6.33%)
William Howarth (Ind) 523 (1.68%)
Mark Coleman (ND) 455 (1.46%)
Unable to reword.
Michael Howarth (Ind) 246 (0.79%)
Ravin Rodent Subortna (Loony) 209 (0.67%)
WPB maj 5,697 (18.31%)
Electorate 82,615; Turnout 31,107 (37.65%, -22.48%)
The outcome of 2019 was a Lab majority of 9,668 (20.38%) with a turnout of 47,447 (60.13%).
5,808 (12.23%)
Lloyd, from the Lab party, received 24,475 votes (51.58%); Shah, from the C party, received 14,807 votes (31.21%); and Green, from the Brexit party, received 5,808 votes (12.23%).
3,867 (8.15%); Kelly (LD) 3,312 (6.98%); Croke (Green) 986 (2.08%)
George Galloway emerged victorious in the Rochdale byelection, encouraging voters to express their strongest disagreement with the Gaza conflict.
At approximately 1:45am, after being declared the winner, Galloway addressed the gathered audience at the ballot counting location. He stated:
Keir Starmer – this is for Gaza. And you will pay a high price, in enabling, encouraging and covering for, the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip.
During Galloway’s speech, a woman interrupted by accusing him of being a “climate change denier”. However, her outburst was quickly silenced by chants of “Gall-o-way! Gall-o-way!”
Galloway continued:
I would like to emphasize to Mr. Starmer that significant changes have occurred tonight. This will undoubtedly trigger a widespread movement and cause a dramatic shift in numerous parliamentary districts.
The Labour party removed its candidate, Azhar Ali, from their list due to his controversial remarks about Israel. Despite Ali still being listed on the ballot, the party had halted all campaign efforts in the area approximately three weeks prior, ultimately resulting in a fourth place finish with 7.7% of the vote.
Josh Halliday and Aneesa Ahmed have written an article about Galloway’s win.
Source: theguardian.com
