A VICTORY FOR FEAR AND HATE
Galloway threatens Labour on MP return
GEORGE Galloway has vowed to disrupt Labour’s bid for power on his shock return as an MP.
The left-wing firebrand declared “this is for Gaza” as he won the Rochdale by-election in the early hours yesterday. He threatened to stand candidates against Labour in 50 seats at the general election.
Mr Galloway, 69, said: “This is going to spark a movement, a landslide, a shifting of the tectonic plates in scores of constituencies.”
He was handed victory after Keir Starmer withdrew Labour’s support for candidate Azhar Ali after he suggested Israel allowed its citizens to be killed so it could invade Gaza.
A Labour spokeswoman said: “George Galloway is only interested in stoking fear and division.
“He will be a damaging force in our communities and public life.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews called it “a dark day” for the UK’s Jewish community.
It added: “George Galloway is a demagogue and conspiracy theorist who has brought the politics of division and hate to every place he has ever stood for Parliament.” The Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “He has an atrocious record of baiting the Jewish community.”
Mr Galloway, who famously pretended to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother, was expelled by Labour in 2003 in a row over the Iraq War.
He now leads his Workers Party of Britain and won 12,335 votes in the by-election, almost double any of his rivals. It was triggered by the death of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd.
Labour said it “deeply regretted” it was unable to field a candidate.
It is the fifth constituency that Mr Galloway has represented.