George Galloway says ‘that is for Gaza’ as he wins Rochdale by-election

George Galloway has made a shock return as an MP after profitable the Rochdale by-election the place Labour ditched its candidate.

In a chaotic victory speech, the ex-Labour and Respect MP, who now leads the Workers Party of Britain, declared “this is for Gaza” earlier than criticising Keir Starmer and vowing councillors within the Labour-run city corridor “have to go”.

The maverick politician’s speech was interrupted by a heckler who accused him of being a “climate change denier” and threw confetti over him earlier than she was drowned out by shouts of “Gall-o-way! Gall-o-way” from his supporters.

The Rochdale by-election was triggered following the loss of life final month of sitting Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd, who had a majority of 9,668 votes on the final election. But Mr Starmer’s occasion withdrew its help for its new candidate Azhar Ali after a recording emerged of him suggesting Israel intentionally allowed its residents to be killed so it may invade Gaza. It meant there was no Labour-endorsed candidate for whom Rochdale constituents may vote. Mr Galloway was expelled from Labour after being discovered to have introduced the occasion into disrepute in 2003.

The politician, who famously pretended to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother, gained the by-election with a majority of of 5,697 votes, after scooping up a complete of 12,335 seats. Mr Ali, who was nonetheless listed as Labour’s candidate on poll papers because it was too late to edit them, gained a complete of simply 2,402 votes.

The shock runner-up was David Tully, an area businessman and unbiased candidate, who secured greater than 6,600 votes. The Tory candidate Paul Ellison got here third with 3,731 votes. The turnout at polling stations on Thursday was 39.7%, somewhat greater than the 2 current by-elections a fortnight in the past in Wellingborough and Kingswood.

Former Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who stood because the candidate for the Reform UK , which was based because the Brexit Party by Nigel Farage, got here in sixth place on the by-election. The ex-Rochdale MP, who was suspended from the occasion in 2015 after sending specific messages to a 17 year-old woman, was the primary well-known politician to change to the occasion.

Reform UK’s chief Richard Tice claimed Mr Danczuk had obtained a loss of life menace through the marketing campaign and mentioned his occasion’s marketing campaign crew had been topic to “daily intimidation and slurs”. Independent candidate William Howarth agreed with Mr Tice that there had been an “element of intimidation” through the marketing campaign. Mr Galloway denied his supporters had engaged in any intimidation, and has since claimed Mr Tice requested him to face for Reform UK within the by-election.

In his victory speech, Mr Galloway informed Mr Starmer he “will pay a high price, in enabling, encouraging and covering for, the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip”. He mentioned he would put Rochdale councillors “on notice” that he meant to type a “grand alliance” to “clean the town hall up” on the native elections in May, earlier than pledging to marketing campaign for the return of a maternity ward to Rochdale and to assist save the city’s troubled soccer membership.

The new Rochdale MP later added that he hoped former Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn, who now sits as an unbiased MP, will introduce him within the Commons. Mr Corbyn was suspended from Labour after an antisemitism row.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has mentioned it’s “extremely concerned” about how Mr Galloway will use his platform after profitable the Rochdale by-election. A spokesman for the charity mentioned: “George Galloway has an atrocious record of baiting the Jewish community.”

Mr Galloway closely campaigned on the Palestinian trigger and Gaza, with the hope of gaining the votes of hundreds of Muslims. During the by-election marketing campaign, he referred to as Israel as an “apartheid” state and chants equivalent to “from the river to the sea”, that are thought of antisemitic, have been allegedly heard at rallies. Mr Galloway denies he’s antisemitic however was criticised by Jewish teams through the marketing campaign. Director at Public Affairs for the Board of Deputies of British Jews Daniel Sugarman final month described him as “perhaps the most hideous individual in politics”.

Mr Galloway has beforehand been investigated by police over feedback he made declaring Bradford an “Israel-free zone” in 2014. He was later cleared of the allegations. In 2019, he was sacked from talkRADIO after praising Liverpool’s win in opposition to Tottenham within the Champions League, earlier than including: “No #Israel flags on the Cup!” He mentioned he tweeted it after claiming he noticed Tottenham followers with flags of Israel. The soccer membership mentioned it was “astounding in this day and age to read such blatant anti-Semitism published on a social platform by someone who is still afforded air time on a radio station”.

Mr Galloway served as a Labour MP from 1987 to 2003, earlier than being expelled from the occasion. He then served as an unbiased MP, earlier than becoming a member of the now dissolved left-wing Respect Party, for which he served as an MP between 2005-2010, and once more in 2012-2015. He went on to discovered the far-left Workers Party of Britain, which he now leads.

He was expelled from Labour over his criticism of the Iraq conflict. Mr Galloway claimed the conflict was unlawful and urged British troops to not comply with “illegal orders”, and referred to as then Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair after which US President George Bush “wolves”.

Outside of politics, Mr Galloway is recognised by many as having appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 the place he role-played being a cat and licked the hand of fellow contestant, actress Rula Lenska. In an interview with the Telegraph in 2022, she described the scene because the worst second of her profession.