Labour accuses George Galloway of ‘stoking fear and division’ after he wins Rochdale by-election

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Labour has lashed out at George Galloway as somebody who’s “only interested in stoking fear and division” after he stormed to victory within the Rochdale by-election.

The get together apologised for not having the ability to subject anyone to face towards the controversial politician after dropping its personal candidate for making antisemitic remarks.

“Rochdale deserved the chance to vote for an MP that would bring communities together and deliver for working people,” a Labour spokesman mentioned after the end result.

They added: “George Galloway is only interested in stoking fear and division. As an MP he will be a damaging force in our communities and public life.”

Mr Galloway’s Workers Party of Great Britain gained with slightly below 40 per cent of the vote, a majority of 5,697 over second positioned David Tully, an area businessman and impartial candidate.

In his victory speech, Mr Galloway mentioned: “Keir Starmer, that is for Gaza.”

He added: “You have paid, and you will pay, a high price for the role that you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip.”

Critics have warned of the pervasive influence Mr Galloway’s return to parliament will have.

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “George Galloway is an inflammatory firebrand with an atrocious record of baiting the Jewish community.

“His endurance in our public life serves to exploit extremist sentiment and divide communities.”

Left-wing pressure group Momentum described Labour’s Rochdale by-election results as “self-inflicted”. A spokesperson for the group mentioned: “This was a needless and self-inflicted loss for Labour.

“First, (Labour leader Sir Keir) Starmer’s utterly factional selection processes resulted in a candidate who was clearly unfit for office. Then the Labour leadership tried to defend him as one of their own.

“Finally, Keir Starmer’s failure to stand with Gaza in its hour of need left the door open for George Galloway.

“To avoid any more damaging repeats, Starmer should end the factional abuse of Labour’s selection processes and stand up for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

The Rochdale marketing campaign has been mired in controversy and claims of intimidation and divisive ways.

Labour withdrew help for its candidate, Azhar Ali, after a recording emerged by which he claimed Israel was complicit within the terrorist assaults of October 7, seeing Mr Galloway change into the agency favorite for the seat.

Mr Ali remained listed because the Labour candidate because the get together’s resolution got here too late for poll papers to be modified.

Labour mentioned it “will quickly begin the process to select a new Labour candidate for the general election”.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK additionally suffered a poor end result within the seat, gaining simply 6 per cent of the vote, a lot decrease than its nationwide ballot ranking of round 10 per cent. Leader Richard Tice claimed his candidate, former Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, had obtained a dying risk throughout the marketing campaign and mentioned his get together’s marketing campaign staff had been topic to “daily intimidation and slurs”.