[Tubby Isaacs]

I'm biting EM's hand off.

[Abernathy]

Sort of to be expected in the circumstances I guess (if it transpires), but yes, I’d definitely take that result. I think the twat in the hat (Garglewax) may well have been turning more voters off than on, loathsome slug that he is.

Labour will be able to claim that they can even win a by-election without running a campaign (though they won’t). Ali, of course, if he takes his seat, will be denied the Labour whip, at least initially, though I suspect he may have burned his bridges by doubling down on speaking out against Starmer. Don’t fancy his chances of being the Labour candidate at the GE in Rochdale when it comes.

[davidjay]

If ever there should be a 'None of the above' option.

[The Weeping Angel]

The bastard has won.

[The Weeping Angel]

[Youngian]

The political fallout for Labour endorsing Ali would be more far reaching and damaging than having to put up with Galloway mouthing off for a few months.

[Yug]

Netanyahu must be quaking in his boots now. He knows the game is up. He's going to have to disarm his troops, and then resign and ask Hamas to form a government. The people of Rochdale have spoken.

[Killer Whale]

"The first by election under a Starmer government"

[Andy McDandy]

Well, he's made some promises he won't have to keep. Nothing major, just build a hospital and save a failing football club from liquidation. Two things he has neither the power or intention to do.

Cunt.

[Abernathy]

At least we will only have to endure the Twat in the Hat as an MP for just a few months.

Fucking narcissistic chancer.

[davidjay]

Just for once Twitter got it right:

Fairly confident whatever the result tonight in Rochdale it’s lasting term impact will be in political trivia questions rather on the electoral landscape.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think this could be more serious than it looks. He doesn't have to do any work. He can travel around campaigning against Labour full time.

[Youngian]

On the bright side, Reform are fuming despite a Putin friendly Unionist Brexiter winning. Already wheeling out tropes about cheating Asian postal voters. They'll also be fuming at the respectable second place vote for an independent local character who didn't campaign on culture war crap.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Remember when it was a "smear" to call this man out as wrong un? Good socialist, wasn't it?

Galloway's ally Chris Williamson provokes outrage by failing to condemn Hamas's massacre of Israelis on 7 October
In his Today programme interview Chris Williamson, George Galloway’s ally and deputy leader of the Workers Party of Britain, Galloway’s party, declined to condemn the Hamas massacre of Israelis on 7 October.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Williamson was outrageous in an interview with Sky, who tried to calm his rhetoric down, but he was having none of it.

Mad as a box of frogs.

How is anyone taken in by someone as obviously and patently self-serving as Galloway? I suppose all those people to whom Palestine is a fetish.

[Abernathy]

How is anyone taken in by someone as obviously and patently self-serving as Galloway?

For Galloway, read Trump. One of the great mysteries of our time. They both also seem to get a pass card from the "Bloody politicians - all just in it for themselves" lazy trope.

[Andy McDandy]

The same as Johnson, and in his case, it was down to 2 words - "My friends". Draw the crowd in. Hug them. All the better for picking their pockets and stabbing them in the back.

In all cases, here's the gist of their rhetoric:

"My friends, you have been betrayed and abandoned by the establishment/deep state/man/system, that you thought was there to protect you. How do I know this - because they betrayed and abandoned me too! Look how they persecute me for trivialities! If it can happen to me, it can happen to you, and you don't have expensive lawyers like me. They have forgotten you, but I haven't. I speak to you using words you understand. I agree that those people over there are getting something that's rightfully yours. You didn't decide to share - you were forced, and that's the same as giving things away. Are you stupid enough to just give things away? They all think you are, but I don't. And you know what? They're laughing at you. Well, we'll be laughing at them. Give 'em a taste of their own medicine."

[Watchman]

Is Galloway basically a "Leftie" Farage; makes a lot of noise and shit stirring about a certain topic, ingratiates his way in with those who are likely to support him, funding from an unknown souce......................and likely to do fuck all, take no responsibility

[Spoonman]

The same as Johnson, and in his case, it was down to 2 words - "My friends". <snip>

Meanwhile, two words Galloway will never say - "No Comment".

[Andy McDandy]

Is Galloway basically a "Leftie" Farage; makes a lot of noise and shit stirring about a certain topic, ingratiates his way in with those who are likely to support him, funding from an unknown souce......................and likely to do fuck all, take no responsibility

You got the first two words the wrong way round.