Galloway recruits for ballot showdown

GEORGE Galloway (pictured) is recruiting campaigners in Rochdale where he is hoping to become the next MP.

But the party that he leads has denied hiring paid interns – despite a job advert for the minimum wage roles appearing online.

The advert for ‘campaign interns’ offering £10.42 an hour was posted on the w4mp website last week. It offers an ‘excellent opportunity’ to ‘directly support’ Mr Galloway’s parliamentary campaign in the Rochdale by-election.

But, sharing the job advert on social media, some have questioned why the Workers Party of Britain is offering to pay staff less than the living wage. The far-left party’s 10-point programme promises voters ‘secure’ jobs ‘with living wages’.

The real Living Wage, which is voluntary and not set by the government, is currently £12 an hour outside of London. But the National Living Wage – which is the minimum an employer can legally pay anyone aged 23 or over – is

£10.42.

The Observer approached the party to ask about the job advert. The party did not deny posting the advert, but said that any suggestion that it has recruited interns or is seeking to appoint paid interns is false.

A Workers Party of Britain spokesperson said: “Our party is not recruiting any paid interns and has never had any previously. We welcome all the offers of help and are very grateful to those hard-working members who are taking time off work to help the campaign during the week, or give their weekends.”

The job advert on the w4mp website appears to have been posted by the party on January 30. It uses the party’s branding and says that, “George Galloway and the Workers Party of Britain are looking to recruit Campaign Interns.”applicants are asked to email the party on its main email address. Applications closed on Tuesday (February 6). The by-election was triggered last month by the death of Sir Tony Lloyd who represented Rochdale since 2017 and held several political posts in Greater Manchester over the last 45 years.

There are 11 candidates standing in total:

●●Azhar Ali

●●Mark Coleman

●●Simon Danczuk

●●Iain Donaldson

●●Paul Ellison

●●George Galloway

●●Michael Howarth

●●William Howarth

●●Guy Otten

●●Ravin Subortna

●●David Tully The by-election is taking place on February 29.

●●CANDIDATES ready for ballot showdown - see pages 6 &7