George Galloway has vowed to disrupt Labour’s bid for energy as he made a shock return as an MP.
The controversial left-wing firebrand declared “this is for Gaza” as he received the Rochdale by-election within the early hours of this morning. Mr Galloway threatened to face candidates towards Labour in as much as 50 seats throughout the nation on the basic election.
“This is going to spark a movement, a landslide, a shifting of the tectonic plates in scores of parliamentary constituencies,” he stated.
Mr Galloway, 69, was handed victory after Keir Starmer withdrew Labour’s help for candidate Azhar Ali after a recording emerged of him suggesting Israel intentionally allowed its residents to be killed so it might invade Gaza. Mr Galloway, who famously pretended to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother, was expelled from Labour in 2003 amidst a row over the Iraq War.
The politician, who now leads his personal Workers Party of Britain, received the by-election after securing 12,335 votes, which was nearly double any of his rivals. The shock runner-up was David Tully, a neighborhood businessman and unbiased candidate, who secured greater than 6,600 votes.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews stated it was “a dark day” for the UK’s Jewish neighborhood. “George Galloway is a demagogue and conspiracy theorist who has brought the politics of division and hate to every place he has ever stood for Parliament,” the body added.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “George Galloway has an atrocious file of baiting the Jewish neighborhood… Given his historic inflammatory rhetoric and the present scenario confronted by the Jewish neighborhood on this nation, we’re extraordinarily involved by how he might use the platform of the House of Commons within the remaining months of this Parliament.”
Chris Williamson, the Deputy Leader of Mr Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain, yesterday refused to condemn the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel. The ex-Labour MP, who left the party following a row over tackling anti-Semitism, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “You cannot anticipate to dwell in a scenario the place individuals have been oppressed for 75 years and never anticipate a response.”
Labour said it “deeply regretted” that it was “unable to field a candidate in this by-election and apologise[d] to the people of Rochdale”. A spokeswoman added: “George Galloway only won because Labour did not stand. 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 quickly begin the process to select a new Labour candidate for the general election, and will be campaigning hard to deliver the representation and fresh start that Rochdale deserves.”
The Rochdale by-election was triggered following the death last month of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd.
It is the fifth constituency that Mr Galloway has represented. He was elected for Labour as the MP for Glasgow Hillhead in 1987, before the seat became Glasgow Kelvin a decade later. In May 2005, he won Bethnal Green and Bow for the Respect Party. He returned to Parliament in 2012 when he won the Bradford West by-election for the same party.
Mr Galloway has said he hopes to be introduced to the Commons by Conservative former minister Sir David Davis and ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Monday.