George Galloway Wins Rochdale By-Election in Resounding Victory

Former MP George Galloway has secured a landslide victory in the Rochdale by-election, overtaking mainstream candidates with a resounding win. Galloway, campaigning on the Gaza conflict as a prominent theme, garnered 12,335 votes – a significant lead over his competitors.

During his victory speech, Galloway directly addressed Keir Starmer, attributing his win to the situation in Gaza and emphasizing the consequences Labour faces for their stance. Independent candidate David Tully, a local businessman, secured second place with 6,638 votes, further underscoring the electorate’s dissatisfaction with traditional party candidates.

The Conservative candidate Paul Ellison trailed in third place with 3,731 votes, while Labour’s former candidate Azhar Ali, who faced backlash for anti-Semitic remarks, landed in a disappointing fourth place with 2,402 votes.

Notably, former Labour MP Simon Danczuk‘s bid under the Reform Party fell short, securing fifth place with 1,968 votes in a blow to the party’s aspirations.

Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain, formed in 2019, demonstrated a remarkable 41% swing against Labour in the by-election, marking a historic moment in his political career with parallels drawn to Winston Churchill‘s record of representing multiple constituencies.

Galloway’s victory speech also shed light on the dissatisfaction among Muslim voters towards Labour and broader public disillusionment with mainstream politics, signaling potential tectonic shifts in traditional voting patterns.

The decline of major party votes in Rochdale, as analyzed by pollster Joe Twyman of Deltapoll, reveals a stunning change in the electorate’s preferences, underscoring a message beyond this specific contest.

Labour’s decision to withdraw support for Azhar Ali mid-campaign due to his controversial comments on Israel further stirred the election dynamics, sparking debates on candidate selection and due diligence within political parties.