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It seems he's going to win - yuck; a reason for sunak to call an early GE - to get galloway's voice out of his ear.
Richard Tice making claims of intimidation and threats of violence have been made against the Reform candidate and support staff.
What a mess.
Yeah, Galloway looking very smug. Looks like it's in the bag. 😐
Richard Tice making claims of intimidation and threats of violence have been made against the Reform candidate and support staff.
TBH that was pretty much a forgone conclusion from that party. They were bound to invent something to make up for their low voting base.
He'll be there for about 5 minutes and hoofed out at the GE but still, yuck.
Russia must be delighted to see one of their more useful idiots back in the spotlight.
and i suspect itll be closed before long
I’m sure the usual suspects will be along soon enough to drag the thread in to the gutter as they always do.
Rochdale deserves so much better than Gorgeous George
Rochdale clearly disagrees with you.
Why did the labour guy not get voted for when he seems to hold the same views as Galloway?
Shows how disillusioned people are with the mainstream parties, with a local independent coming second.
People really are desperate for change*, there's a real danger that the likes of Galloway and Reform will tap into that, split votes for both main parties and leave us with a very unexpected result at the GE.
*what an opportunity if the Monster Raving Loonies got it together!
Why did the labour guy not get voted for when he seems to hold the same views as Galloway?
They didn't field a candidate. Which is an interesting side story in itself.
Edit: that's a bit weird, the bbc story says Labour didn't stand but there's a labour candidate listed in the results.
OK, having actually read the article... Labour withdrew support for their candidate due to antisemitic comments.
I don't know why people voted for Galloway, if I had been a Rochdale resident I would probably have voted for Azhar Ali. I suspect that Galloway is seen as more eloquent and more likely to make a noise in the Commons.
The one thing I agree on with Galloway is that this was about Gaza, an issue which is having a profound effect on national and global politics.
I don't think that Galloway and Ali have that much in common beyond that TBH, although Ali wasn't Starmer's preferred choice I think he is probably a Labour establishment figure.
Galloway and Reform will tap into that, split votes for both main parties and leave us with a very unexpected result at the GE
If there was a real chance of that happening Reform would step aside like they did last time.
Apart from the No.1 task of keeping Farage in blazers and fags, Reform exists to to push the Tories further to the right, pushing them to the right won't do much good if they're out of power.
For all the talk of rivalry they're 2 heads on the same hydra.
The guy listed for Labour had the whip removed (or was booted out) for something, but it was after the submissions, so he had to stay on the ballot as Labour. If he had won, he would have had the whip removed as soon as the result was announced.
I _think_ that is relatively accurate, I could be wrong.
You’re bang on @willard. He was booted out for repeating antisemitic conspiracy theories, but too late to change the ballot. A complete farce.
Rochdale was always going to be an absolute circus, so it’s only fitting that they elected a clown.
He won’t be around for long, which is lucky for his new constituents as history shows (from his previous by-election ‘victories’) that once the cameras have gone, so has George
Handy pay day for a few months, and a bunch of publicity.
He'll liven up debates, he's not suffering Starmer's strictures, Labour will have to take a bit less for granted. Galloway has a bit of charisma, most MPs these days I haven't even heard of (and I'm quite interested in politics). Well done Gorgeous George!
If there was a real chance of that happening Reform would step aside like they did last time
Not this time. Never underestimate how bitter and vengeful Farage and Tice are. They’re fuelling their present surge on their ‘Great Brexit Betrayal’ narrative
They were stitched up like kippers by Johnson last time around and they want their revenge. More fool then for trusting a snake like him, you might say, but no way will they be standing down this time. They’re positively relishing inflicting massive losses on the Tories with the ultimate aim of replacing them
That’s not actually now as mad as it sounds. Some polls have them on 13% with the Tories at 20%. Our electoral system means that probably won’t translate into any actual MPs but they’re going to create chaos at the general election and are presently rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect
I still bet reform will stand down in tory seats once they have forced the tories into an even more extreme position. Couple of key reform demands in the tory manifesto and their work is done.
They won’t this time Uncle Jezza. It’s not for any particular principle other than bitterness, but that the continued well funded grifting of Farage and Tice relies on them putting their money where there mouth is this time around.
If you see Tice interviewed, he’s obviously relishing the prospect of sticking it to Rishi and Co.
It’s going to be a joy to watch the nutters split the racist pensioner vote to deliver Labour and Lib Dem victories
that may have worked last time, but I get the impression that Reform aren't looking to the Tories to enact their policies, they're looking to replace the Tories.
that suit on a contestant is amazing,
Labour withdrew support for their candidate due to
antisemiticanti-Israeli comments.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html
Shows how disillusioned people are with the mainstream parties, with a local independent coming second.
Exactly. Neither of the two main parties appeal to me, and, going by the continuing Keir Starmer thread, the same sentiment is shared by others. The Tories are useless, Labour should be 90 points in front at the polls, but people dont trust them either.
The whole lot needs reform from top to bottom, did you hear PMs questions this week? It’s just a joke to the MPs, jeering and laughing at each other, it’s like a peed up night out with the stupid arguing, few of this current lot get any respect from me, and this by-election shows how other people feel about it too.
But voting in GG? Surely the bloke in 2nd was better by a long way, but if the main parties are so bad, this is what we’ll get.
Labour withdrew support for their candidate due to
antisemiticanti-Israeli comments.
Well he repeatedly voiced the conspiracy theory that the Israeli government was complicit in the Hamas killings of its own citizens
Whether you class that as antisemitic or not, it’s clearly absolutely mental, even if you’re wearing your best tinfoil hat
I don’t know why people voted for Galloway,
Because he talks a good game (and like it or not, he is a good public speaker) plus everyone is really disillusioned with the mainstream parties so they're voting for independent candidates.
Worrying trend because if that continues, this supposed Labour landslide won't materialise and instead we'll get a hotch potch of independents with extremist views (far left or far right).
Humiliation for Reform is the best thing to come out of this.
Shame Ravin Rodent Subortna didn't get in. A 99p coin would be a great idea.
https://www.loonyparty.com/5017/8563/rochdale-by-election/
Worrying trend because if that continues, this supposed Labour landslide won’t materialise and instead we’ll get a hotch potch of independents with extremist views (far left or far right).
IMO that would be a desirable result, tories get a shoeing, Labour get a majority but a significant show of dissatisfaction with the current direction that labour are taking to hopefully bring them back to their roots as a party that represents working people.
Well he voiced the conspiracy theory that the Israeli government was complicit in the Hamas killings of its own citizens
The Hannibal Directive, for example, is not simply a conspiracy theory it is a recognised fact.
As is the fact that there were warnings from both Israeli intelligence, and possibly Egypt, that Hamas was about to plan something big. Although Netanyahu's government could not have predicted just how big.
Saying that isn't anti-semitic, it is critical of the Israeli government.
Best GE outcome for me would be tories annihilated, labour just short of a majority, greens, SNP and independents by the bucketful which would force labour into some essential policies such as constitutional reform and return to the EU to get co operation from parties that are actually on the green / leftish side
Labour would probably shoot themselves in the other foot by working with the tories instead 🙂
Politics aside, I could never vote for anyone wearing a hat like Galloway.
I wouldn’t read much into the result of this particular circus.
The demographics of Rochdale aren’t repeated in very many places and there aren’t many independents with Galloways profile
In most seats it’s going to be a straight scrap between the main 2 parties, as always.
Yep, criticising Israel or backing any conspiracy theories about Israel is not anti-semitic in any way whatsoever. I criticise Isreal all the time but I have zero problems with Jewish people - would you believe one of my best friends was Jewish 🙂
Saying that isn’t anti-semitic, it is critical of the Israeli government.
Whilst I agree, let's not take this thread down the same rabbit hole as others.
Please.
Oh, here we go…
I dont think you can learn too much from the result. The only things you can say with any certainty is:
There's a big pro-palestine vote in Rochdale (Its top 20 for Muslim populations among constituencies)
The conservatives, reform and Lib Dems did badly
Even then it's hard to say how badly those three did. Would they have done much better in any other circumstance? Had labour have been in the race I think they'd have a good chunk of the indy's votes, plus the 2000 something they got, plus a chunk of Galloway's and a few from the others. GG Still could have made it over the line though - it would be down to how many votes he lost. By my reckoning about 20-25% would have swung it to labour but it would have been close run.
Deleted, ignored my own advice
I have a feeling that Rochdale is the sort of community that lots of us in less complicated parts of the country really struggle to get our heads around. The last thing the place needs is a populist.
Labour hopefully will get their act together and select a sane candidate with both charisma and the ability to clearly represent the whole community for the GE and this will be a very temporary appointment.
Politics aside, I could never vote for anyone wearing a hat like Galloway.
All he needs is a stripy multi coloured scarf, and he's a serious contender for the Tom Baker look-a-like contest.
Gorgeous George. The cat that got the cream.
Sure, he'll be out on his ear by next year but results like this are fantastic for ruffling a few establishment feathers. Whilst a self serving egomaniac, he's got more gravitas and savvy than most and, if the Speaker lets him, he'll be handing out arses on plates for the next few months.
This is what happened the last time the 'establishment' underestimated him.
Wow, a thread about George Galloway starts, and within one page we've dived into Israeli conspiracy theories.
Because acusations of conspiracy theories against the ex labour candidate are a significant part of the story that lead to Galloway being elected.
Whilst a self serving egomaniac,
This is the fundamental point. He will do nothing for the people of Rochdale.
He will do nothing for the people of Rochdale.
They'll never see him again, once the cameras have gone today
When it comes to the general election, the first thing on everyones list of priorities won't be the NHS, education, inflation, government corruption, housing, immigration or the cost of living crisis, it'll definitely be Palestine. Without a doubt.
Won’t be long before the politburo censors close this thread, but before they do it’s not absolutely mental to suggest Netanyahu was complicit in the murder of his own citizens. He may not have had any hand in the Hamas attack, or known much about it, but the conditions which led to the attack were a direct result of his policy of enabling the Hamas govt in Gaza because it was useful to undermine the power of Fatah in the West Bank, and ultimately prevent the two state solution which he has always opposed. He has done everything in his power to prevent a solution to the “Palestinian Problem” and everything that’s happened is a result of that.
Whilst what you say looks quite clearly true, that's not what the conspiracy theory that got the labour candidate de-selected believed in and publicised. It's believing in that theory that Binners thought absolutely mental - and he's right.
It'll put the spotlight on Bow and Bethnal Green where a credible pro-Palestinian (solicitor) is standing against the present incumbent. GG did it there in the past, anything's possible, I imagine Streeting's got to watch his back too. Blimey, Labour MPs losing their seats over supporting apartheid, who'd a thunk it?
I don’t know why people voted for Galloway
I think we often underestimate the "shits and giggles" component of the electorate, especially as there's going to be a GE in a few months, so installing a serial bellend via a rather flawed by-election is just a bit of a diversion rather than anything that meaningful.
it’ll definitely be Palestine.
For millions of muslim voters in this country it absolutely will be the number one issue. It probably should be for the rest of us too, because our govt and politicians are enabling and turning a blind eye to genocide. The deliberate murder and starvation of an entire population is an issue that is far more important than whether you can get a doctor's appointment.
When it comes to the general election, the first thing on everyones list of priorities won’t be the NHS, education, inflation, government corruption, housing, immigration or the cost of living crisis, it’ll definitely be Palestine. Without a doubt
Agreed, shame there's no real push for any of those things.
The deliberate murder and starvation of an entire population is an issue that is far more important than whether you can get a doctor’s appointment.
You forgot the "should be". For many people who need a doctors appointment that trumps their immediate concern on anything Israel is doing. We are in a privileged enough position to have it as a priority, lot of people really are not.
Will it make a difference if there is some kind of ceasefire by the time of the GE I wonder?
He will do nothing for the people of Rochdale.
He will, because as demonstrated by the vote a good proportion of the people of Rochdale clearly want their voice heard on the Gaza issue. They know perfectly well voting in GG is a temporary deal, and no MP would have the chance to make any real headway on anything with long lasting local impact, so better (for the people voting for GG) to have this one single issue aired time and time again in parliament for 6 months, than a local MP who might be out on their arse in 6 months anyway.
Completely understandable outcome in Rochdale, hence why I think it would have been close/still GG even if Labour was in the race.
I think we often underestimate the “shits and giggles” component of the electorate, especially as there’s going to be a GE in a few months, so installing a serial bellend via a rather flawed by-election is just a bit of a diversion rather than anything that meaningful.
Unfortunately, that's also the thinking that got us Brexit - a significant minority of folk going "yeah whatever, WTF, it's all a bit of a laugh and we just want to be a bit contrary for the sake of it".
See also the Boaty McBoatFace vote.
The deliberate murder and starvation of an entire population is an issue that is far more important than whether you can get a doctor’s appointment.
You forgot the “should be”. For many people who need a doctors appointment that trumps their immediate concern on anything Israel is doing. We are in a privileged enough position to have it as a priority, lot of people really are not.
Agree - whilst politicians views on global issues is something that goes towards the charachter of our elected officials, its just self-indulgent words, its not like they can actually do anything about things like Palestine.
This one issue is not something I'd be basing my vote on.
Theres also the tiny issue that maybe at a general election most voters would like their elected representatives to concentrate their efforts into issues they can actually effect, rather than throwing their shoes at the clouds to protest against rain.
George Galloway is only interested in one thing - which is promoting George Galloway.
He's a self serving narcissist who has no place in British politics.
Theres also the tiny issue that maybe at a general election most voters would like their elected representatives to concentrate their efforts into issues they can actually effect, rather than throwing their shoes at the clouds to protest against rain.
If Keir Starmer doesn't end the conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, etc, end world hunger and reverse global warming then what the hell is the point in voting for him!
George Galloway is only interested in one thing – which is promoting George Galloway.
He’s a self serving narcissist who has no place in British politics.
There will be a lot of 'everybody look at me' Grandstanding in parliament at every available opportunity for the next couple of months, but if anyone is expecting anything more than that then prepare for dissapointment
I'd imagine this represents the feeling of most voters in Rochdale over the last miserable few weeks
‘We don’t deserve this’: Rochdale voters left cold by byelection chaos
My vote will have nothing to do with the situation in Palestine or the rest of the Middle East.
There's not a lot any UK government could do to effect it.
its not like they can actually do anything about things like Palestine.
If Netanyahu didn't have the support of western states he wouldn't be doing what he is now. It's that simple. Funny how there's nothing we can do about Israel but loads we can do about other international situations. It's very easy to shrug our shoulders and pretend we're powerless but doing so just makes us willingly ignorant apologists for it.
loads we can do about other international situations.
Like what?
It’s very easy to shrug our shoulders and pretend we’re powerless but doing so just makes us willingly ignorant apologists for it.
Well thankfully dazh, we have people like you that have really been the drivers of change in global politics over the last few years.
If Netanyahu didn’t have the support of western states he wouldn’t be doing what he is now.
Who's supporting him, pretty much the entire west have pushed for ceasefires, and continue to push the two state solution, which Netanyahu is opposed too, i can't think of any country who are supporting Israel in their current war in Gaza, yes they have been supported after the terrorist attack, and the right to defend themselves, but not for what they're doing now.
I don't know why people voted for Galloway
Celebrity. It should have no place in politics, but increasingly does. By elections are all too often about sending a message/making a stand. And disinterest/disengagement.
Long term support Argee leading Netanyahu to believe and indeed know he can get away with this.
Where is the blockade on arms sales?: Where are the sanctions?
Long term they've been working on the peace agreement and two state solution, hence why David Cameron was using the threat of the UK formally recognising Palestine.
As for sanctions, i've said that many times, why all the dancing around about a ceasefire bill that does nothing, when sanctions would show the UK physically doing something.
When it comes to the general election, the first thing on everyones list of priorities won’t be the NHS, education, inflation, government corruption, housing, immigration or the cost of living crisis, it’ll definitely be Palestine. Without a doubt.
This would be a reason people would have voted for the Labour Party in other circumstances but the current leadership‘s positions on health, education, housing and the economy are such that it risks handing voters on a platter to the likes of Galloway. I see Reform as a likely beneficiaries in many constituencies.
Where is the blockade on arms sales?:
What would that achieve?
Israeli have quite a substantial arms industry of their own.
They export more than they import.
They build their own MBT's, drones, missiles etc.
I don’t know why people voted for Galloway
Celebrity.
I think it's probably a combination of this and Gaza, but honestly I'm still a bit depressed and baffled by the size of his win.
Anyway, putting aside my dislike for him, if this does move Gaza up the agenda a bit - then that's positive.
Like what?
Eh? You have a very short memory.
South Africa
Iraq/Kuwait
Yugoslavia
Kosovo
Syria
Ukraine
All situations where the west has used it's unparalleled economic, political and military power to intervene in the interests of people who were being oppressed or murdered by an aggressor nation or government.
George Galloway is only interested in one thing – which is promoting George Galloway.
He’s a self serving narcissist who has no place in British politics.
+ 1. GG is a good orator and disruptor but he's just another farage-like grifter. G.G enjoys the limelight and whoever gives him that platform. Didn't he enjoy a regular slot on Putins Russia Today until quite recently?
Like farage, Gorgeous George has never had to take responsibility for what he shouts or deliver for his constituents. He has demonstrated that he'd rather appear on a TV reality jungle/ice/dance show rather than work hard for the people that voted for him.
Sadly, Galloway is just another Dorries, Hancock & farage. It's a shame that some folk are suckered in by his populist rhetoric.
P.S - Unsurprising, it appears that certain regular STW contributors to these types of threads are doing their best to get yet another political discussion stopped by the Mods.
Completely understandable outcome in Rochdale, hence why I think it would have been close/still GG even if Labour was in the race.
It'd very much depend on who the labour candidate was. There's plenty of traditional labour supporters who wouldn't vote for a Muslim candidate, especially considering Rochdales history. It's the same reason the Lib Dems have no chance. It's telling that an independent came second.
Unsurprising, it appears that certain regular STW contributors to these types of threads are doing their best to get yet another political discussion stopped by the Mods.
LOL, you want to talk about George Galloway's win in Rochdale and not talk about Israel and Gaza?
Whilst a self serving egomaniac, he’s got more gravitas and savvy than most and, if the Speaker lets him, he’ll be handing out arses on plates for the next few months.
This is true imo. It is truly tragic that Galloway's obvious talents and powers of persuasive should be overshadowed by his even greater ego.
But yeah we can only hope that he wakes up the House of Commons and stale British politics, in a good way obviously.
So, galloway has said 'his party' will stand 59 candidates in the GE, all in the greater manchester area.; if this happens, they will be focussed on hoovering up the muslim vote.
Reform have stated their intention to stand candidates in every constituency.
I have doubts about galloway's claim but am certain that Reform will do as they have said.
The GE was lining up to be really ugly - now it's about to get significantly worse.