The key message George Galloway delivered for his by-election winning campaign in Rochdale had “nothing to do” with the local people, according to ex-Tory special adviser Charlie Rowley.
Speaking on GB News, Rowley said the determining factor of the vote was international and foreign affairs.
Galloway focused a lot of his campaign on the Israel-Gaza conflict and even opened his victory speech by addressing the issue.
He also warned Sir Keir Starmer 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”.
Charlie Galloway is concerned for Rochdale constituents
GB NEWS / GETTY
“It’s a cause for concern because the election itself, as George Galloway said in his victory speech, was an election based on international and foreign affairs”, said Rowley.
“It had nothing to do with the people of Rochdale.
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“I do fear for those people who are clearly worried about the cost of living.
“They’ve got a member of Parliament now for a number of months is just going to be focused, it seems to me, on international affairs and not delivering for what’s right for the people of Rochdale.”
The by-election, triggered by the death of Labour MP Tony Lloyd, was expected to be a comfortable victory for Starmer’s party but its campaign was thrown into disarray by a leaked recording of candidate Azhar Ali making infammatory remarks about Israel.
Galloway then became the firm favourite for the seat, with Ali listed as the Labour candidate as the party’s decision came too late for ballot papers to be changed.
Keir Starmer took a blow in the Rochdale by-election
PA
George Galloway built his campaign around the Gaza conflictPAAfter the by-election result, a Labour spokesperson said: “We deeply regret that the Labour Party was unable to field a candidate in this by-election, and apologise to the people of Rochdale. George Galloway only won because Labour did not stand.”
Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator, told Sky News: “George Galloway is someone who stokes up division and fear. This isn’t how we would have wanted this by-election to play out.”
Mr Galloway’s majority of 5,697 votes amounted to 18.3 per cent of the total, on a turnout of 39.7 per cent, a little higher than the two recent by-elections in Wellingborough and Kingswood.
The surprise runner-up was David Tully, a local businessman and independent candidate, who secured more than 6,600 votes.
Galloway said he is hopeful that he will be introduced to the Commons by Conservative former minister Sir David Davis and the ex-Labour leader, and now independent MP, Jeremy Corbyn.
The Rochdale campaign was beset by controversy and claims of intimidation and divisive tactics.
Galloway denied his supports had engaged in any intimidation.