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George Galloway, the leader of the Workers Party of Britain, is touted to win the upcoming Rochdale by-election scheduled at the end of February after the Labour’s MP, Azhar Ali, lost party support.
Until recently, the former Lancashire county councilor, Ali, was destined to bring victory to the Labour Party in the Rochdale by-election. According to the Guardian, the Asian community stood in favor of Azhar Ali unconditionally. However, the Mail report published on Sunday, February 11, turned the tables.
Mail’s report contained remarks of the former Labour MP, stating that the Israeli Government deliberately allowed its 1,139 citizens to be massacred in October to give a “green light” for military action. The leaked statement compelled Keir Starmer – a leader with a zero-tolerance approach to claims of antisemitism about them - to withdraw his support for Ali and disown him.
As the Labour Party has clarified that Azhar Ali would no longer sit as a Labour Party MP even if he wins the by-election, Workers Party’s George Galloway is next in line to win the Rochdale by-election.
George Galloway was a former MP in both Labour and Respect Party
George Galloway, born on August 16, 1954, is a British politician, broadcaster, and writer from Scotland, who became the youngest-ever chair of the Scottish Labour Party in 1981. The 69-year-old has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for four different constituencies in his political career – two from the Labour Party and the other two from the Respect Party.
George Galloway joined the Respect Party in 2004 and served as the party leader from 2013 to 2016, when the party was finally dissolved. As a member of the party, Galloway had also won the Bethnal Green and Bow Constituency seats in 2005.
George Galloway’s term at the Respect Party was followed by his expulsion from the Labour Party in 2003. As an MP of the Labour Party, Galloway had represented Glasgow Kelvin and Glasgow Hillhead between 1987 and 2003.
According to the Guardian, George Galloway was running for the upcoming by-election by focusing his campaign efforts solely on Rochdale’s Muslim community, which makes up 30% of the constituency’s local population. With Ali now out of the picture, the Workers’ leader is expected to move his campaign team nearer to the front.
Nick Griffin, the former leader of the British National Party, spoke to the Guardian about Galloway, saying:
“The man’s not perfect, but he’s streets ahead of any other possible winner.”
Whether Galloway overthrows the Labour Party in their former constituency in the by-election following the death of Labour MP Sir Tony Lyod remains to be seen. The results of the Rochdale by-election are expected to be announced in the early hours of March 1, following the election held on February 29.
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