George Galloway Wins Rochdale By-Election Overturning Labour Majority

George Galloway, leader of the far-left Workers Party of Britain, has won the Rochdale by-election overturning Labour's 9,668 majority.

The former MP for Labour and Respect parties, and one-time Celebrity Big Brother contestant won comfortably in the previously Labour safe seat with a majority of 5,697, securing 12,335 votes overall.

The by-election was triggered when veteran Labour MP and former interim Manchester mayor, Tony Lloyd, died in-post at the age of 73 in January. 

Independent candidate David Anthony Tully came second with 6,638 votes, followed by Conservative candidate Paul Ellison with 3,731.

Councillor Azhar Ali, had been Labour's chosen replacement before the party formally withdrew its support after a leaked recording revealed him claiming MP Andy McDonald had the Labour whip removed due to "people in the media from certain Jewish quarters". Running as an independent candidate, he came in fourth with 2,402 votes.

In his victory speech, Galloway told the attendees "Keir Starmer: this is for Gaza –  and you will pay a high price, in enabling, encouraging and covering for, the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza strip.

"Rochdale town councillors, I put you on notice now, that I hope to put together a grand alliance." 

After being interrupted by a heckler, Galloway continued. 

"The councillors have to go. I want to tell Mr Starmer above all, that the plates have shifted tonight," said Galloway.

"This is going to spark a movement, a landslide, a shifting of the tectonic plates in scores of parliamentary constituencies.

"Beginning here in the north west, in the West Midlands, in London, from Ilford to Bethnal Green and Bow, Labour is on notice that they have lost the confidence of millions of