The left-wing populist George Galloway, 69 years old, the same who defends the achievements of China and Cuba, the one who works as a contributor to Russian and Iranian television channels and praises Vladimir Putin and the Ayatollah regime, returns to Westminster after winning a seat in yesterday’s Rochdale election Intermediate exams. The victory of the most disruptive figure in British politics in recent history in this northern English district reflects the extent to which the war in the Middle East is shaking Westminster and posing a challenge, especially to Keir Starmer. Labor scores more than 20 points Advantage ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for this fall. But nothing can be taken for granted.
“Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza,” Galloway insisted yesterday after securing 40% of the vote in a city where this was the case 30% Muslim population. “You will pay a heavy price for the role you played in enabling, encouraging and even covering up the catastrophe unfolding in occupied Gaza today,” the new Workers’ Party leader added.
Labor was expected to easily retain the seat when the Rochdale district election was called after MP Tony Lloyd died of cancer. But last month Starmer suspended his candidate. Azhar Ali, after the revelation of statements made after the Hamas attack in which he stressed that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu He had decided to lower his guard despite being warned of the impending offensive.
The party leadership initially settled the matter with the candidate’s apologies. But just 42 hours later, Ali was suspended as an investigation was launched. However, according to the electoral rules, the deadline for withdrawing candidates had passed, so the strange scenario arose that Ali ended up presenting himself as the Labor option, despite not having the support of his own party.
When Starmer took over the leadership of Labor in 2020, he stressed that he was beginning a new era, a far cry from his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, whose turn to the far left saw the party achieve its worst results since 1935 in 2019. In addition, Starmer moved to suspend him after the Equality and Human Rights Commission published a long-awaited report revealing that the Labor Party had been responsible for illegal harassment and discrimination against Jews and that attempts to There have been “serious failures” in taking action against it. The problem. Anti-Semitism.
But the Gaza war is now posing serious problems for the Labor leader, who is walking a tightrope in search of a balance that seems almost impossible. Your first petition with a claim “Humanitarian pause” instead of “ceasefire” After the October 7 Hamas terror attack and the subsequent Israeli response, he sparked widespread criticism among Britain’s Muslim population, a key part of his electorate, and sparked an uprising within his own ranks that resulted in nearly a dozen resignations.
Labor’s position has shifted recently, with calls for a “humanitarian pause” leading to calls for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”. But that doesn’t seem convincing either. Almost four million Muslims live in the United Kingdom. Of those who vote, more than 70% support Labor, as was seen in the 2019 general election. And many of them are irritated by the attitude of the party leadership.
And here the controversial Galloway saw another opportunity. The victory in Rochdale marks his fifth entry into the House of Commons, where he has previously served for different constituencies and different parties: twice for Labor (from which he was expelled after his harsh criticism of the Iraq War) and on two other occasions. with the Respect Party, another party he founded.
His election campaign in Rochadale was marked by the colors of the Palestinian flag and chants of “From the river to the sea”, which some see as anti-Semitic as they believe it implies that a Palestinian state would destroy Israel’s territory. However, he also focused on the district’s problems with the lack of a maternity hospital, the football club’s terrible financial situation and support for small businesses. Therefore, it also has the potential to be competitive when it comes to protectionist, white, working-class British Brexiteers who have had enough of the economically liberal political establishment.
The way the British electoral system works, his victory in this by-election does not guarantee that he will retain his seat in the general election scheduled for November. But there is now grave concern in Westminster that his populist speech will further deepen divisions between communities and exacerbate tensions already rife in Parliament with threats against MPs.
Labor ended up in fourth place with a drop of 44 support points, its worst result in a by-election since the Second World War. The Conservatives, who came third behind independent candidate David Tully, fared no better. They secured just 12% of the vote, their worst by-election result in a Labor seat so far this term.