From the Liveblog of
Friday, March 1, 2024
‘This is for Gaza’: George Galloway wins UK seat after campaigning against Israel
LONDON — Veteran left-wing political maverick George Galloway, known for his heated anti-Israel rhetoric, wins a vote to become the new lawmaker for the English town of Rochdale after a chaotic campaign which saw the main opposition Labour Party withdraw support from its candidate.
After running a pro-Palestinian campaign, Galloway won over many of Rochdale’s Muslim community by attacking both Labour and Britain’s governing Conservatives for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas, making a foreign conflict the major issue — unusual in a by-election when local concerns usually dominate.
Elected to parliament for the seventh time, Galloway will be an irritant to Labour, a party he once belonged to before being ejected for criticizing then-prime minister Tony Blair over the Iraq War. He even went so far as saying the assassination of Blair would be “morally justified” for Britain’s involvement.
His victory underlines the divisions in Britain over the Israel-Hamas war, which is in its fifth month and has brought protesters onto British streets in support of both sides.
With the national election later this year, Galloway’s return to parliament will be short-lived but explosive. He has accused Labour leader Keir Starmer of being in the “pocket of Israel.”
Galloway won 12,335 votes compared with 6,638 for second-placed David Tully, an independent candidate. The former Labour candidate, Azhar Ali, came fourth after the opposition party pulled its support from him after his claims that Israel allowed the brutal Hamas-led October 7 massacres.
“(Labour leader) Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza,” Galloway says in his victory speech.
It will be the first time Galloway’s left-wing Workers Party of Britain has been represented in parliament.
“Keir Starmer. This is for Gaza.”
George Galloway victory speech. He says his victory is a warning for Keir Starmer that Labour has lost the confidence of their voters. #RochdaleByElection pic.twitter.com/wNPMs96cwN— Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) March 1, 2024
