George Galloway has made clear he’s not trying to make associates as he returned to Parliament as a newly elected MP on Monday.
The controversial left-wing firebrand, who gained Rochdale’s by-election final week, is because of be sworn into the Commons this afternoon after being ousted as an MP in 2015. As he was stopped by reporters on his drive into Westminster, he mentioned he had all the time “loved the building” of Parliament earlier than including: “The people in it, not quite so much.”
Asked how he was feeling, he advised Sky News: “Nice to see you again. I’m feeling good thank you. The sun is shining.” Pressed on what it felt wish to be again, he mentioned: “Well I’ll tell you once I’ve been inside. I’ve always loved the building. The people in it, not quite so much.”
Mr Galloway, who was expelled from Labour after being discovered to have introduced the celebration into disrepute in 2003, declared “this is for Gaza” as he gained the Rochdale by-election within the early hours of Friday. The ex-Labour and Respect MP, who now leads the Workers Party of Britain, vowed to disrupt Labour’s bid for energy and threatened to face candidates in opposition to it in as much as 50 seats throughout the nation on the normal election.
The Rochdale by-election was triggered following the demise 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 celebration withdrew its assist 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.
Mr Galloway, 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.
A Labour spokesman apologised to the folks of Rochdale and mentioned they “deeply regret” having not discovered a candidate for the by-election. They mentioned Mr Galloway “is only interested in stoking fear and division” and mentioned he “only won because Labour did not stand”.