Rochdale by-election: Controversial left-winger George Galloway wins after chaotic campaign
The maverick politician says no state has a right to exist as he defends the Palestinian “from the river to the sea” call, which critics argue means the eradication of Israel, while Labour claims he “stokes up division and fear”.
Tim Baker
Political reporter
Friday 1 March 2024 09:19, UK
George Galloway wins the Rochdale by-election2:34
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‘Keir Starmer, you’ll pay a high price’
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Controversial left-wing firebrand George Galloway has won the Rochdale by-election, declaring: “This is for Gaza.”
The former Labour MP and Celebrity Big Brother contestant, who was standing for the Workers Party of Britain, secured 12,335 votes, a majority of 5,697.
Independent candidate David Anthony Tully came in second with 6,638 votes, followed by Conservative Paul Ellison with 3,731.
Politics Live: George Galloway celebrates victory in Rochdale by-election
Labour had been expected to win the seat until its campaign was thrown into disarray after their candidate Azhar Ali was engulfed in an antisemitism row.
The party withdrew its support from Mr Ali, but by this time it was too late to remove his name from the ballot paper.
George Galloway has confetti thrown at him by Just Stop Oil protestors after being declared the winner. Pic: PA
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George Galloway has confetti thrown at him by Just Stop Oil protesters after being declared the winner. Pic: PA
He ended up in fourth place with 2,402 votes.
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Keir Starmer during a visit to Siemens Traincare in Three Bridges, Crawley.
Pic:PA
Sir Keir Starmer should be very, very worried after Galloway win
Workers party of Britain candidate George Galloway speaks to PA Media in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, ahead of the Rochdale by-election, which was triggered by the death of Sir Tony Lloyd. Picture date: Friday February 16, 2024.
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Mr Galloway had campaigned heavily on the Palestinian cause in Gaza to mobilise the Muslim vote in Rochdale.
In his victory speech he said: “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.”
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He added: “This is going to spark a movement, a landslide, a shifting of the tectonic plates in scores of parliamentary constituencies.
“Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak are two cheeks of the same backside and they both got well and truly spanked tonight.”
Speaking to Sky News later he said the Labour leader had “sold his soul to the Israel lobby” and said no state has a right to exist as he defended his “from the river to the sea” call.
This slogan has been used as a call for a Palestinian state between the Mediterranean and the River Jordan – and the effective removal of the state of Israel.
Mr Galloway said: “What is objectionable about people being free between a river and sea?”
Asked if he did not want Israel to exist, Mr Galloway told Sky News: “Well, no state has a right to exist.
“Not the Soviet Union, not Czechoslovakia, not the Zionist apartheid state of Israel.”
Mr Galloway also campaigned on local issues like the football club and NHS provision in the town.
He called for a “grand alliance” to be established to oust the current Labour-led council.
Labour’s deputy national campaign coordinator Ellie Reeves told Sky News: “Labour regrets that we couldn’t stand a candidate in this byelection and we apologise to the people of Rochdale for that.
“George Galloway is someone who stokes up division and fear and this isn’t how we would have wanted this to play out.”
Pressed on the likelihood of Labour taking back the seat at the general election, she added: “We fight for every vote, we are not complacent about anything.”
She declined to congratulate the new MP on his win.
George Galloway gives Sky News his view on the existence of states1:59
Play Video – ‘No state has a right to exist’
‘No state has a right to exist’
Tory former minister Tobias Ellwood said: “Many Britons will be waking up today asking themselves if George Galloway is the answer, we really don’t know what the question is.
“I read some of his literature – they are so full of hate. They are designed to rally fear, they are designed to cause division.”
Mr Ellwood added: “He plays politics very very well indeed, but he offers no political leadership.”
Rival candidate Simon Danczuk, representing Reform UK, ended in sixth place after the Liberal Democrats.
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Starmer should be very, very, worried after Galloway win
Who is George Galloway, the new MP for Rochdale?
He had previously represented the seat as a Labour MP but was barred from standing for the party in 2017 after apologising for “inappropriate” text messages sent to a 17-year-old girl.
Guy Otten, the Green Party candidate, also had party support withdrawn over comments made on social media but his name still appeared on the ballot paper.
Screenshot from Jason Farrell package on Rochdale Grooming scandal.
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Aerial view of Rochdale
Rochdale is one of the most deprived towns in England and has been the subject of grooming gang scandals in recent years, with a major report in January concluding that young girls were left “at the mercy” of paedophiles due to failings by senior police and council bosses.
Residents in the constituency likened the by-election to a “pantomime” and told Sky News they felt there were no credible candidates for what they called “the forgotten corner of England”.
The contest was triggered by the death of Labour stalwart Sir Tony Lloyd, who passed away in January following a battle with leukaemia.
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Don’t miss analysis of the Rochdale result this afternoon from Beth Rigby, Jess Phillips and Ruth Davidson in a new weekly podcast from Sky News
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The campaign was expected to be relatively straightforward for Labour until it emerged Mr Ali had suggested Israel was complicit in the massacre of its own people in the Hamas attacks on 7 October last year.
He apologised for the remarks, but further reports emerged that he had blamed “people in the media from certain Jewish quarters” for the suspension of a pro-Palestinian MP – prompting Labour to withdraw support for him.
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