Rochdale by-election: George Galloway is back again, marking trouble for Labour | The New Statesman

[@NewStatesman]

Watch next: Tory Islamophobia - "Reform UK is driving them demented," says Andrew Marr kzbin.info/www/bejne/rou3cpRqicyllc0

[@patrickbrowne3947]

He didn’t only speak to Muslims he spoke to people with some humanity… and it seems he connected with the latter … well done George 👏

[@alexpotts6520]

As they describe in the video, the leaflets he delivered in white neighbourhoods were *very* different to the ones he delivered in Muslim neighbourhoods; they didn't mention Gaza at all...

[@simoncox9689]

not acordsing to the people who voted for him @@alexpotts6520

[@fraseranderson217]

​@@alexpotts6520 all parties focus their propaganda lit to the particular sections of the electorate.

[@NapoleonSolo61]

Humanity ? He supports Putin, he kissed Sadams backside

[@patrickbrowne3947]

@@NapoleonSolo61 He tried to stop a war which had he succeeded would have saved tens of thousands of people’s lives … that’s humanity in action .

[@yp77738yp77739]

Much as the political class misunderstood Brexit, they misunderstand the disgust of a large number of the population with mainstream parties actively supporting ethnic cleansing of a colonised people and also our interventions in Ukraine. I’m not Muslim, I’m a middle class white graduate with kids of my own in the academy and I feel total disgust with our foreign policy and would vote accordingly. It’s not just me, it’s my children and spouse and parents that feel exactly the same way.

[@elliotlanceley7745]

What don’t you like about the interventions in Ukraine? I feel like you’re out on your own with being against that.

[@yp77738yp77739]

@@elliotlanceley7745my perfectly truthful and respectful response was deleted, just shows how much Zionist censorship we live under, but not a surprise to me.

[@christopherdoherty2925]

@@elliotlanceley7745logical consistency is hard to come by these days

[@aclark903]

@@elliotlanceley7745Nope. I’ve never supported Boris’s war with Russia either. When was the last time Russia was defeated militarily? You have to go back to at least a century ago by the Japanese, and that was the East coast, not the Moscow end.

[@anngilchrist8050]

But it's not anti semitic. Just because you don't agree with what Israel is doing, doesn't mean you hate Jews. Even groups of Jewish people disagree with what Israel is doing. This anti semitism is an excuse for covering up the fact that the politics of Israel is embedded in the politics of Britain and the US. It's all about money, business and control. And that's why Britain and the US are backing Israel. Labour has lost my vote because of this, and I've voted Labour all my life. I'm disgusted.

[@existentialvoid]

he is a well known Anti-Semite. . . and the inability of the British public to not see that is very concerning. And you yourself in your own comments made an allusion to some strong anti-Semitic tropes. . . so yah. . . you are blind to it too. He won because of Gaza. . . and it only diminishes UK influence in Israel. But it will make people feel empowered I suppose.

[@superted6960]

Have a look at why Galloway's deputy was thrown out of the Labour Party by Corbyn of all people. You really need to have a good, hard look at the pond these characters are swimming in.

[@LeftLib]

By all means criticise the government of Israel. But it is wrong and anti-Semitic to invent conspiracy theories based on prejudice rather than evidence. This is similar to what Lee Anderson did, showing his Islamophobia, proposing that Sadiq Khan is in cahoots with Islamists, again an opinion based on prejudice with no evidence.

[@archvaldor]

@@superted6960 We know why. For the reasons the OP described. Williamson is a principled man: if he is living in a pond you must be crawling around in a sewer.

[@1sostatic]

The poison in society today is when you disagree with someone, you become an "_______ist" or a "_____phobe"... its weak and peurile.

[@davidnettleton7084]

Galloway was the obvious winner from the start of the campaign. He might hold the seat at the general election.

[@richards9750]

😂😂😂

[@MrDeadhead1952]

Nonsense. If Labour had been running a candidate they would of won.

[@julianshepherd2038]

He is going to rip new ones all round especially Sir K and Mr S

[@nodgelyobo1]

@@MrDeadhead1952 🤣🤣🤣 Hush now!

[@MrDeadhead1952]

@@eightiesmusic1984 Regardless of my problem with syntax it still would have been a labour win.

[@janpetersen7440]

In a democracy, the candidate who gets the most votes wins. That's just how it is. 😉

[@Joekd6.1]

Not in America 😂

[@xvrays]

@@Joekd6.1 😄😂

[@TootlinGeoff]

Only in FPTP. In PR several candidates can succeed not just the one with the most votes.

[@henrydobson9419]

Someone should remind rishi of this fact

[@piccalillipit9211]

NOT according to Sunak last night. BAD VOTERS...!!! How dare you express your opinion in an election...!!!

[@Brisamars-q1c]

Why is he controversial? He's just doing his job. Rochdale has a new swagger.🎉

[@ollelarsson-xn2jh]

MSM in thieri world all then elits are controversial lol

[@Dylan-co2cl]

Nice one,George. You got the political establishment shitting bricks.Let's hope more Socialists/Independents follow.

[@anonnymous4684]

Don't kid yourself. Galloway is an establishment figure as much as the rest of them. See also other populists, like Trump and Farage.

[@NapoleonSolo61]

Galloway isn't a Socialist he's a poundshop Trump

[@Standupnow56]

Notice how these people talk about the feelings of the Muslim community, passions running high etc but not the actual injustices happening in Palestine.

[@bigdaz7272]

George Galloway MP. Love it :) George it has made my Day, my Month, my Year so far that you are once again elected as MP to speak your Truths to that cowardly and corrupted House once more. I could not be happier. Very well done :)

[@nutcracker2916]

The same liar who said he was going to sue Talk Radio when they sacked him!

[@creepycrawlything]

Definitely the best reflection on the Galloway win, that I've listened to today. Especially the lady journalist who reported on what she had seen when tracking the campaigning done by the Galloway team. Good journalism.

[@ErinStephanie-mf2qk]

I love the collective nervous breakdown the neoliberal establishment have, everytime someone outside their cosy class preserving consensus, produces an electoral outcome, the voter has the bare faced cheek (in their minds) to register.

[@daraorourke5798]

Yes. Knowing that women exist is a conservative talking point apparently. How to alienate 51% of the population.

[@Gary-le7dz]

Yes 3 opinion polls out today showing labours already poll lead increasing , 22,24 abs 26% …. How awful for them

[@piccalillipit9211]

Yeah but NO ONE is voting FOR Labour. We are all voting to get the tories out. And so are you! dont lie. NOTHING about Labour or Starmer excites you, you just want the pain to stop.

[@lestrem11]

Just when you thought politicians couldn’t get more slimey….

[@freddistenbrain8287]

You mean the candidate Labour had to disown?

[@paulcini5849]

Your analysis is flawed. A lot of non Muslim people will not vote Labour tactically or otherwise because of Labour’s stance on Gaza

[@jimreilly6933]

Well done Mr. Galloway ! get down to London and keep those dolt's in the Conservative and Labor parties honest ! if that is indeed possible.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

A big middle finger to Keir

[@richards9750]

Yeah, such a middle finger when there was no Labour candidate

[@SonOfExcess]

Not really. It’s literally because of the specific circumstances in Rochdale. The seat will return to Labour in a few months when the General election is called.

[@nazb1982]

@@SonOfExcesskeep dreaming the independent is more likely to get the seat and deservedly so. Starmer or Tory both are horrible choices

[@richards9750]

@@nazb1982 no they won’t. Labour will win. Stop with your hard left ideology nonsense. Labour literally won two by-elections two weeks ago with a massive swings - they’ll win Rochdale later this year.

[@richards9750]

@@eightiesmusic1984 definitely self inflicted. However, it took 36 hrs to remove support. Hardly “took time”. They won two By-elections two weeks ago with huge swings. I believe Labour will win Rochdale later this year and Galloway the grifter will move on to his next grift cosying up to other authoritarian leaders, and asking Nick Griffin (former BNP) or Farage for support.

[@thomaskelly1911]

The reference to outer hydrides is insulting, this constant low remarks by political commentators about Scotland and Scottish people is tiresome

[@asiaone999]

controversial politician? in what way? by not supporting genocide?

[@alexpotts6520]

He actually does support genocide though; have you ever heard him say a bad thing about the explicitly genocidal Hamas? The actual Labour Party position is of calling for a ceasefire and working towards a two-state solution is way less genocidal than George Galloway's hankering for the destruction of the State of Israel.

[@davidalderson4980]

Not saying a bad word does not equal support, either in general or on specifics. Also, he supports a secular, multi-ethnic one-state solution, which is not at all a genocidal position. Argue with what people believe or look a fool. In many ways, I'm a critic of Galloway, by the way.

[@alexpotts6520]

@@davidalderson4980 "Not saying a bad word does not equal support." In normal circumstances, yes. However, when you're George Galloway and your career has been dogged by these allegations, you'd think he'd have clarified the situation at some point if he felt they weren't true. We must take his speechlessness for consent.

[@frankhofmann5819]

It seems to me here that The New Statesman is Labour's party newspaper.

[@nicks4934]

😂 and quoting a labour vote? What vote?

[@alexpotts6520]

I mean yes, it has never been shy about that. Why can't the Labour Party have its own journal? Surely it is important for the internal dialogue of the party about to govern us to be transparent to ordinary voters?

[@neilokeefe3955]

Labour’s version of the spectator

[@greghill7759]

Your assumption is more or less correct, Frank. (Although it is a magazine that was first published before the first World war.)

[@geraldbutler5484]

Something to counter the Mail, the Telegraph, the Express and the bird cage liner(Sun).

[@TootlinGeoff]

Lets get this straight. Labour did NOT come fourth. The pulled their candidate, so they were not in the campaign. Their name was only on the ballot because they pulled out to laye to remove their candidate so the candidate had to remain on the ballot.

[@nicks4934]

@@eightiesmusic1984still didnt stand 😂

[@jeffreyharris3887]

Galloway got 12000 votes from a zero start ,so it arrogant to suggest Labour had it in the bag ​@@eightiesmusic1984

[@TootlinGeoff]

@eightiesmusic1984 Labour shot themselves in the foot over Rochdale, true but they are NOT Red Tories or any other sort of Tory. (Note I used capitals again - specially for your benefit 😉)

[@nutcracker2916]

@@eightiesmusic1984 Yes, it's a shame. But I think more people will definitely vote Labour under Starmer. The silent majority who are fed up with all this Pro Palestine stuff.

[@richmaniow]

It won't do Labour any harm and if anything it acts as a warning to Labour candidates in safer seats that if they go "off message" they could lose their golden ticket to an £85k per year job..

[@stringer-ik1pc]

Back for the third time 😂😂😂don't worry he'll be back on reality TV in his leotard soon.

[@anneeq008]

It's been something like 20 years, so I don't know why you think it's going to happen soon. Unless you want it to happen soon 🤷‍♂️😬. But all the same, get over it already 🙄. I'd rather someone embarrassed himself in a leotard than give their blessing to war crimes and genocide. Specifically in the case of Kid Starver approving medieval siege tactics of collective punishment and stopping food, water and sanitary necessities reaching a whole population. But I suppose I'm a looney lefty 🤷‍♂️

[@maciekzajac8181]

Congratulatiom Mr. Galloway , go , go , go !

[@Cataclysm123]

Haha 😂, ain’t it always the way with the New Statesman: flatter to deceive…they always show their mainstream establishment colours sooner or later. Won’t be tuning into your channel again, so predictable 😂

[@neilbarker3873]

“Having it both ways” you are not kidding when you say that is putting it crudely.

[@lheureexquise140]

The New Statesman's politics are clueless at times, but Anoosh seems to grasp the importance of the result and the weakness of Labour more generally. She acknowledges that they lost Scotland and the red wall without really expecting it and that they could be losing many more core voters over Gaza, not just Muslims. Still surprised how much Labour loyalists believe in polling and how confident they are of getting a landslide.

[@lewis123417]

Be prepared to eat your hat at the next election

[@alexpotts6520]

FWIW I'm not a Labour loyalist and I also expect them to get a landslide. (I'm also constantly baffled by the rhetoric which makes it sound like Palestine is being bombed by the Labour Party directly!? In truth, Labour has negligible influence over, and zero responsibility for, the current unfolding tragedy.)

[@Wulfuswulferson]

​@@alexpotts6520you're right about the coming victory, the Tories are so unpopular labour are gonna coast in. On your other point I disagree completely, opposition parties move governments all the time. If Labour backed a ceasefire (along with 71% of the population at the last poll) that pressures the government to do something.

[@alexpotts6520]

@@Wulfuswulferson It pressures the *British* government to do something. The Israeli government doesn't care.

[@johnrichards2508]

Any ‘not-the-Tory-party’ is almost guaranteed a landslide. It’s what happens when continuity-Tory lets us down that bears analysis.

[@julianshepherd2038]

Long live Palestine

[@xalivt]

i am happy for him

[@khar12d8]

The next Labour govt is already looking in trouble if the middle east continues to be such a big issue.

[@SirKeefyKeef]

The grooming gang issue is not only about the actual perpetrators, it also contains those in authority who were found to be suppressing, ignoring and dismissing these events for years…. So maybe we will see some further action there.

[@SirKeefyKeef]

I refer from 05:00

[@Nazlairdie]

Watching this is a good example why people don’t trust journalists its extremely annoying, it always feel like journalists are sneering at communities outside of London for needing more than lip service paid to them, for starter’s Gaza isn’t just a Muslim concern its a massive concern for anyone who is paying attention, yet again, like the Iraq War under Blair the establishment is ignoring the wishes of many people here so stop pretending its just one Community. I can’t stand Galloway at all but its clear he ran a campaign here that LISTENED to people’s needs, thats how it should be, I don’t for a second think he will do anything about these issues in reality but politicians should run on issues that matter to the local community & actually do something about it & people have the right to vote for the person they think will do that whether its convenient for either of the parties in charge, it would be really helpful if journalists remembered that.

[@SamMerchant-vn4or]

indeed rhisi panel don't get it

[@Manx123100]

i'm pretty sure you are missing that George would have won regardless of them pulling out, intentionally or not

[@HughWilson-sj4xd]

I notice that among all these establishment commentaries there is not a single Yorkshire accent. The southern dominant vocative is an overwhelming presence. When the provinces, particularly in the North, find their voice to represent their own heartfelt views, it never fails to enrage the Southern elites. The Spirit of the North has old, deep roots which even modernity cannot silence. But the elites will not listen. For them denying the voices of those they are entitled to rule and direct is their existential reality for it is those beliefs and views , their very own and necessarily unchallenged, which must prevail. Their overlord propaganda is a deeply entrenched cultural presence reaching back centuries. Galloway understands this. The man is a Catholic Scot, after all. Gaza matters because Justice matters. I recommend a (re-)reading of "The Road to Wigan Pier" , authored by George Orwell, by these southern commentaries for them to glimpse the modern origins of Northerners collective experience of suffering and thus their ready sympathy with those currently suppressed unjustly, anywhere. Starmer does not understand the reality of this. Labour has forgotten it. Westminster has been deliberately constructed to stifle any opinion but that of the South. George will not have an easy time of it when he arrives back in London & will ultimately fail. But the elite will be forced to listen, by the terms of their own rules! For that, excellent.

[@nicks4934]

Pretty sure Rochdale is in Greater Manchester formerly Lancashire😂

[@alexpotts6520]

This sounds a lot like discriminating against people on the basis of an immutable characteristic. Southerners cannot control where they are born.

[@SamMerchant-vn4or]

even this commentary seems to not quite understand this

[@EastLancashireJohn]

Excellent article by Anoosh.

[@FranzBieberkopf]

The Hon. Member for Gaza Central will be on the dole after the GE. Rochdale voters will be able to ask themselves two questions in the GE campaign. 1-Did he move progress to a Gaza ceasefire one millimetre forward? 2-Did he do anything about the NHS, unemployment, poor housing, improve life in Rochdale at all? The answer to both questions will be "No". Galloway loves by-election campaigns but has nil interest in constituency affairs. Just ask people in Batley and Bow.

[@jzilla1234]

Next vote for ceasefire, is now guaranteed one more vote from rochdale

[@captainpugwash7174]

Meeeeowwww

[@FranzBieberkopf]

@@jzilla1234 I'm sure there'll be dancing in the streets of Gaza knowing that.

[@alexpotts6520]

Some of the pledges he made were crazily undeliverable. Like, opening a Primark? Does he realise that Primark is a private business and the government, let alone an opposition backbencher, has no control over where it puts its shops?

[@MichaelBray-v1s]

Brilliant result - go for it George - stuff Kid Starver - Stuff the Tories - stuff Israel and the Jewiish Chronicle - stuff Andrew Marr and the New Statesman - stuff Blair abd Manfelson - save Gaza - save the children of Gaza - stop the genocide

[@Alexander-uj5pb]

Galloway is intellectually challenged, he is and always has been a rabble rouser. He picks topics which are controversal but safe enough to be touted to rouse public awareness.

[@user-gu1un7pb7k]

Galloway is many things, mostly negative, but intellectually challenged is not one of them. He knows what he's doing

[@khar12d8]

Areas like Rochdale are such an issue because you have towns that are just economically pointless, the old industries have long gone, and then you throw a load of diversity into the mix. Muslims moved there in the 60s and 70s to work in factories and then you had industrial decline and now you've got all these people shoved together living in a relatively poor place. I live in outer West London, fairly big muslim population, but you don't get stuff like this I think because we have more general economic prosperity which kinda keeps people rubbing along better, no matter your background.

[@nutcracker2916]

He got the Muslim Vote in Bethnal Green & Bow as loads of them there. Soon voted "Respect" out though. Like Galloway was voted out in Bradford the next time around. He's just full of hot air!

[@johnrichards2508]

I’m often critical of you all, so let me say how impressed I was with this. The best mainstream reportage I’ve seen. You would do the Labour establishment a great service if you started reporting Palestine, not with handwringing, but with the same clear-eyed acknowledgment of the facts on the ground. They might listen to you. They’re not listening to anyone else.

[@allonwne]

You guys were surprised by this!

[@matriputra2624]

I think Galloway is dead right in saying that he will destroy the Labour party's hold on the Muslim+Left who have traditionally supported it. Unlike Tice, Galloway is not someone who changes his views depending on who is in the audience. Intellectually, he is far ahead of Farage. So in the general election he will get many of the people disillusioned with both the Tories and Labour

[@alexpotts6520]

"Galloway is not someone who changes his views depending on who is in the audience". Did you even watch the video? They literally showed two campaign letters from Galloway targeted at different demographics and pointed out how different they were.

[@mznxbcv12345]

" The first time the phrase “human animal” was recorded in history was by himmaliar, in The Posen speech to SS officers (6 October 1943) - On the 7th, it is crucial to understand that there were no direct attacks on civilians, only collateral damage. Out of the 1148 total names on haaret dataset, 473 military and 675 were civilians. Ratio of civilians to military personnel killed on the 7th was 1 . 4 : 1 - lower than any of the iTf "mowing" operations, which has a ratio of 7 : 1 According to UN OCHA data from 2008 to 2022; The collateral damage on the 7th was significantly lower than any of the ITf "mowing" operations, which had a ratio of 7:1 with 1,023 military personnel out of 6,541 total. On the 7th, with 473 military (418 were iTf military personnel, 55 belonged to the police) out of 1148 total, the ratio of civilians to military personnel was a mere 1.4:1 When including all casualties, not just deaths, the collateral damage ratio of the "mowing" operations is a staggering 162:1 From the 161,233 accumulated civilian casualties over only 14 years of "mowing" operations. A 162 :1 ratio means that for every 162 civillians, 1 military personnel is a casualty. The 7th had a ratio of 1.4:1, more than a hundred times lower. The 473 are - 55 soldiers, 13 privates, 59 corporals, 200 sergeants (45 of whom were sergeant majors), 48 commanders, 32 lieutenants, 5 lieutenant colonels, 6 colonels, 37 officers, 10 inspectors, 6 intendents, and 2 Lance Corp. This was a military defeat, and they are taking it out on the rest. The reported ages of the victims are as follows: 0-4: 2 civilians 5-12: 8 civilians 13-17: 14 civilians 18-25: 132 civilians 26-40: 119 civilians 41-60: 55 civilians 61+: 40 civilians Active duty military personnel: 18-25: 258 active duty military personnel 26-40: 60 active duty military personnel 41-60: 17 active duty military personnel 61+: 1 active duty military personnel haaretz datasheet titled title: xsraxl's Dead: The Names of Those Killed in Hxmxs Attacks, Mxssxcres and the xsrxel-Hxmxs Wxr There is a more detailed report of of oct 7th titled "I scrapped the information about 1096 of the 1460 killed on 7th of October Attack. Children Less than 1%" -Yocheved Lifshitz account - 'they treated us well' -Yasmin Porat account - 'i.T.f kxilled my husband' Civilians were taken to have swaps for the civilians rotting in prisons without charge on the other side. An excess of ten thousands, all before the seventh UN Human Rights Office (UN OCHA) PA Civilians 2008-2023: 2008 - 2,325 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 1,440. 2012 - 3,992 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 255. 2014 - 17,533 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 1,492. 2018 - 31,259 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 300. 2019 - 15,491 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 138. 2020 - 2,581 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 30. 2021 - 19,183 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 349. 2022 - 10,345 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 191. 2023 up to September - 8,508 Wounded Civilians, Deaths 227. civilian deaths on the other side - 2008: 3 , 2012: 6 , 2014: 73 , 2018: 9 2019: 10 , 2020: 0 , 2021: 9 , 2022: 26 Total; 2008 up to September 2023 - 161,233 PA Civilian Casualties, 1,023 military personnel. Wounded includes: amputees from the deliberate targeting of knees by snipers, white phosphorous third degree body burns, etc The "Costs of War" study by brown in 2021 has these figures for the past 20 years of engagement of US policy: indirect deaths 4.5-4.7 million, direct 905-940,000 ; in other words 6 Million Deaths and 38 million displaced. This is relevant because of the Yinon Plan.

[@rocksonwilson4314]

Some people can continue now to cry wolf... However, this is what happened when the two main parties refused to read and answer to the current pulse of the nation, that has now given birth to George Galloway.

[@nutcracker2916]

Who's George "Gallaway?"

[@writtenenglish]

Labour came fourth? No Labour didn't have a candidate.

[@user-xu5vl5th9n]

But what will the "Right Honourable Member for Gaza" do for the people of Rochdale?

[@nazb1982]

Probably not a great deal but no less than a Starmer Labour or Tory MP would do

[@Mcgiver699]

More than the honorable member for Tel-aviv

[@daraorourke5798]

Dreadful convolutions from Rachel and Anoosh here. Amusing in a weird kind of way.Trying to pick the bones from it - we can't blame Labour for selecting Ali. After all he is a Blairite. He is close to important Jewish Labour people. And anyway practically everyone in Rochdale agrees with his take on Israel. Oh and its awful of Galloway to cash in on his deselection by occasionally intersecting with reality. Thank you and goodnight. I look forward to your next podcast on issues where you are less anal.

[@peterwakemanfreespeech]

Why not interview the new MP?

[@giovanni8304]

New Statesmen speaks about a fractured country. The fracture is between the people and their supposed representatives.

[@dh1380]

A little time away has probably done Galloway some huge favours in terms of people forgetting what a piece of work he is

[@andrekeefer2034]

The IS needs someone like George Galloway.

[@freddistenbrain8287]

Not the least bit chaotic, except perhaps Labour's self-inflicted wound. Otherwise, democracy at work. The candidate who won effectively addressed more of the concerns of the citizens of Rochdale.

[@noserialkiller3596]

I liked your analysis. No Serial Killer.

[@BigFoot-w4d]

Long Live Galloway!!! May he be the Prime Minister of Britain!!! ❤❤❤

[@nicks4934]

Labour did not stand. How can you quote their result??

[@alexpotts6520]

The Labour Party candidate was suspended after nominations closed, so he was listed as the Labour candidate on the ballot paper and considered that way in terms of the official result. However, he would not have been considered a Labour MP if he had been elected, and would instead have sat as an independent.

[@MrDeadhead1952]

Labour didn't fall as they didn't have a candidate by the time of the election, the votes listed as for Labour where for the ex-labour candidate.

[@Lamilton82828]

The fact that the won't talk about what he actually said is interesting.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

The right person won

[@stringer-ik1pc]

😂😂😂😂 the third time he's won. Don't worry he'll be back on reality TV in his leotard soon

[@redbeard3923]

Mossad

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

​@@redbeard3923he's pro Palestine

[@redbeard3923]

@@TihetrisWeathersby you think

[@buzzukfiftythree]

It needs to be looked at as a freak result and not over-hyped. Galloway’s stay in parliament will be short-lived. Had the Labour candidate not opened his gob before putting his brain in gear, he’d now be the MP.

[@jeffreyharris3887]

More arrogance , assuming Galloway doesn't retain the seat

[@beachboy0505]

9:59 Labour Party betrayed the people of Rochdale. They withdrew their candidate at the last minute, leaving the town of ROCHDALE rudderless. Doesn't Rochdale need an MP ?

[@vapeymcvape5000]

Folks, you can dislike the Eton educated political class and also acknowledge the fact that George Galloway is a greasy huckster.

[@peteratkin3788]

How does this mark an issue for Labour, he got in because both of the main parties had to withdraw their support of their candidate, it's still ludicrous it got in, granted, he's ever more clearly a grifter than Boris or Fararge.

[@23merlino]

well, it's high time labour got their act together then and campaigned for political reform including proportional representation at the next general election... and while they're at it show some real courage and begin the process of rejoining of the EU... and nobody tell me that's not what the majority of british citizens want after 14 years of the toe-rag tory's...

[@jamieeddolls5605]

ridiculous

[@alexpotts6520]

My genuine opinion on the European question is that it feels like a second-term project. Part of the problem with Brexit is that it paralysed all other political decision-making for three and a half years. There is a really, really high opportunity cost to that, the country is in dire straits and will need the incoming Labour government to have all hands on deck resolving domestic problems. Perhaps rejoining the single market is something that could hopefully unlock some extra GDP that Britain desperately needs to start paying off the damage; but I think full accession would take up too much parliamentary bandwidth what with have to go through all the chapters and that whole mountain of bureaucracy.

[@23merlino]

@@alexpotts6520 - agreed... however the bureaucracy would be handled for the most part by civil-servants and it's not as if we haven't been there before...

[@alexpotts6520]

@@23merlino Yeah, this is fair. The fact that the Conservatives kept cutting Civil Service jobs at the same time they were pushing through the single biggest job the Civil Service has ever had to undertake is utterly bonkers.

[@donrayjay]

If the whole country had the chance to vote for Galloway then Labour and Tories would both be in a lot of trouble

[@nutcracker2916]

No, way. He only gets in , in huge Muslim areas.

[@spartacusforlife1508]

Galloway's election will only be trouble to Labour if the left coalesce by supporting independents around the country. Unlike Galloways previous wins there is the opportunity here for change given that Labour is no longer a broad church. That they have expelled many Labour members that many members have just left. That right wing labour policies have upset the muslim vote, the youth vote and that starmer himself doesn't excite the Labour base, personally and policy wise

[@gileschance952]

A disaster for Starmer who has been very stupid and wooden-headed about the Israel issue, putting personal issues above humanity. He will pay for it big-time and it could lose him the next election.

[@zackjalamani]

Galloway would have beaten the best Labour candidate even if Labour did not withdrew support for their candidate or brought in the best of their candidates as an alternative. Do not claim that Galloway won because Labour withdrew their candidate. Rochdale does not trust Labour or the Tories, regardless

[@TheBezaleel]

Mr. Galloway has been elected by British public, SUNAK hasn't.

[@nicks4934]

Ask the ppl of Richmond 😂

[@ThomasBoyd-tx1yt]

Awesome . Brilliant news. That only area Rochdale bye election vote George Galloway win as British MP yes.

[@blehoo1]

Gorgeous George - the Alex Higgins of politics. It won't be long until we're calling him the peoples champion😴

[@nutcracker2916]

He's full of bull. He said he was going to sue Talk radio for sacking him but never did.

[@TheBezaleel]

sir 'KID STARVER' is the Tory's greatest asset,

[@nicks4934]

😂 he will be next pm ❤

[@SamUploads420]

Says a lot about our media elite when they are literally told who the runner up is going to be by the favourite and dont even look into it. This whole MP safety thing really stinks or an orchestrates line. Helps that half our MPs have a spouse who works for a media comoany.

[@tomd5678]

You get the government you deserve.

[@kerrynewnham8946]

George primarily will be a loud voice and a stark contrast with Keir Starmer , who seems to be moulding himself as a conservative PM, with a narrative that only by acting like the tories - on the economy, on the Middle East , can labour or any party come to and derserve power. It will undoubtedly show Keir Starmer in a worse light but it seems he can still Get a majority as tories so unpopular and many conservatives are supporting labour for now.

[@nutcracker2916]

I was wavering about Labour and Starmer. Now seeing the odious Galloway getting elected. I'll definitely be rooting for Labour under Starmer.

[@jakel8627]

Well, I guess a positive way to look at this if you're centre-left, far-left, or in between is that at least Rochdale doesn't even consider right-wing candidates. I would prefer we just united behind Kier Starmer and Israel is held to account for its crimes.

[@caloricphlogistonandthelum4008]

Saddam Hussein's fanboy is only here until the election.

[@anthonybrown4874]

I have some bad news for the people of Bradford, the only thing Gallowsy is for is himself and his famed notoriety he has won on a single issue and capitalised on that much like the Tories did with Brexit. He doesn't condemn Hamas despite them poking the best on this one and causing this tragedy it shows a lack of understanding and compassion. It's important the local Bradford politicians get their act together for the general election and get the electorate engaged with what kind of government they want and Galloway will not be part of that as he is all about populist policies to get that horrid part of the population voting that can be scared into voting for him.

[@owencrompton3713]

HES A ONE MAN BAND .LOVES A WAR ONLY WAY HE CAN SURVIVE IN POLITICS.GUYS A PRAT

[@jamesfincham6653]

Why don't Galloway make trouble for the government instead

[@alexpotts6520]

The government is making more than enough trouble for itself tbh.

[@michealhunt6607]

Starmer has had the easiest ride of any opposition politician in my lifetime. He's literally just had to sit back over the last two years Whilst he has just about u-turned on everything, like Labour has just half assing it because they know they'll be in power. About time they felt more pressure from the left

[@alexpotts6520]

@@michealhunt6607 I would suggest that the U-turns demonstrate excessive caution, rather than overconfidence that they're going to win whatever they do.

[@woldtop8922]

What dreadful diction from the first two commentators.

[@toreeliasson9467]

We love George, KID STARVER will never get our votes.

[@stringer-ik1pc]

He doesn't need your votes. Galloway is on his third attempt to be an MP. He'll soon be back on reality TV in his leotard 😂😂😂

[@MacTheSeraph]

@@stringer-ik1pcAnd this is possibly your umpteenth attempt to tell people he’ll be gone come the next GE. Please do shut up.

[@TM1337FalconPunch]

The only thing that Labour should be taking from this is that they need to be vetting their candidates way more seriously. The idea that electorally this result represents anything at all about the strength or weakness of their position in the polls is wild, because nobody could actually vote for a Labour candidate here. Trying to imply anything by that is engaging in pure fantasy. Moreover, Galloway was pretty much the only notable candidate actually campaigning. Ali lost his entire political machine, the Tory guy was on holiday, the Lib Dems fielded a paper candidate, and the Greens also had to retract their candidate. Voters were essentially left with a choice of Galloway, some local independent guy, and Simon Danchzuk, their old MP who's a nonce. Of course he was going to win.

[@alexpotts6520]

The Lib Dems should have targeted this seat way harder once the Labour candidate pulled out. Thousands of voters with moderate progressive centre-left values had absolutely nobody to represent their worldview here.

[@ferdinandimposter691]

Hats off to George

[@tobiastrier]

Why do people vote for that madman?

[@OutRAjious]

Love George…

[@honeyho9890]

British are a confused lots. This grifter represent gaza not Rochdale? My toes laughing 😂

[@goddesssalem4842]

Grifter ???. Do you even know the meaning of the word ??

[@pachamamarecords]

​@@goddesssalem4842obviously they don't 😅😅

[@goddesssalem4842]

@@pachamamarecords Exactly, A grifter is someone who changes his opinions to suit his narrative. Galloway never been a grifter, his opinions have always stayed the same.

[@daveblack5109]

You make a lot of assumptions based on a turn out 20% down on average. Interesting to hear your views though.

[@piccalillipit9211]

*NO ONE IS VOTING FOR STARMER* they are voting to make the pain go away...

[@Dragonsitter]

Not really much challenge lpl

[@qaisabuqamar747]

❤❤❤

[@yescharliesurfs]

Meowww!!! Meowww!!!!!!

[@kerryfry1857]

Labour didn't have a candidate running FFS!

[@tropics8407]

Naïveté

[@wilfhenderson1962]

Poor analysis

[@khar12d8]

The issue about the left and Labour getting distracted by Gaza is that it just reminds a load of centrist white voters how weird the left and Labour can be. Many white, fairly centrist, voters just don't care about Gaza that much. And when you see people on the left becoming so obsessed with it, it just makes them look rather strange compared to "people like us".

[@danielmccorkindale766]

Novara media

[@yescharliesurfs]

Meeeeowwwww

[@Mr---mr4ll]

Good on you Galloway…. The enemy is literally going crazy on your win……. 🤡🇮🇱🤡

[@nutcracker2916]

I think it will just increase the Labour lead. The silent majority and all that!

[@PolskaWilliam]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤