George Galloway’s Defeat in Rochdale Comes Just 4 Months After By-Election Triumph.

July 5, 2024 TruthUSA

In just four months after winning a by-election in Rochdale, George Galloway from the Workers’ Party has been defeated by Labour’s Paul Waugh.

Labour has reclaimed the seat in Rochdale from Workers’ Party leader George Galloway, who had won the seat in a by-election marked by the Israel–Hamas conflict in Gaza.

On Feb. 29, Mr. Galloway, a dedicated supporter of the Palestinian cause, secured the seat from Labour with close to 40 percent of the votes.

The by-election was triggered by the passing of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd, but it was later revealed that Azhar Ali, the replacement candidate selected by Labour, had expressed beliefs that Israel had allowed Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks to occur as a justification to invade Gaza.

Labour withdrew its support for Mr. Ali, who only garnered 2,402 votes.

However, Labour fielded political journalist Paul Waugh as their candidate for the general election and he successfully won back the seat, defeating Mr. Galloway with a margin of 1,440 votes.

New Rochdale MP: ‘I Won’t Let You Down’

Following his victory, Mr. Waugh expressed gratitude on the social media platform X, stating, “Many thanks to everyone who assisted us in reclaiming Rochdale for Labour.”

Mr. Waugh, formerly a political editor with the Huffington Post, added, “It’s a privilege to represent the town I hold dear. I promise to serve you well.”

Despite Mr. Galloway’s loss, several other independents who focused on the Gaza issue and criticized Labour’s position on the conflict claimed victory in areas with significant Muslim populations.

Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth was defeated by independent candidate Shockat Adam in Leicester South.

Mr. Adam stated on his website: “I will advocate for Leicester’s values of global peace and justice, which have been overlooked by the current administration. Our constituency MP declined to vote for a ceasefire to halt the violence in Gaza, leading to the unnecessary loss of thousands of innocent lives.”

Independent candidate Ayoub Khan overcame Labour’s Khalid Mahmood in Birmingham Perry Barr, while independent candidate Iqbal Mohamed defeated Labour candidate Heather Iqbal in Dewsbury and Batley.

In Blackburn, Labour’s Kate Hollern was beaten by Adnan Hussain, who resonated with Muslim voters on the Gaza issue.

Labour’s Jess Phillips retained her seat in Birmingham with a slim majority over Workers’ Party candidate Jody McIntyre.

In its manifesto, the Labour Party has pledged to recognize a Palestinian state, but leader Sir Keir Starmer faced criticism for his early stance on the conflict.

Sir Keir was also met with chants of “free Palestine” at his election count in Holborn and St. Pancras, where his vote share dropped by 17 percent.

The Labour Party suffered losses to independents in the local elections in May, especially in areas with sizable Muslim communities.

PA Media contributed to this report.

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