George Galloway takes the stage

This’ll be interesting.

I watched PMQs this week and it was like two schoolboys slagging off one another in the playground, while disgraced prefect Hoyle hid round the back of the bike shed. Galloway could liven things up.

I think his time in Westminster may be very shortlived. Not sure if he’ll survive the General Election.

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He’s nothing more than a rabble-rousing grifter. Always has been and always will be.

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Flash in the pan - he’s a serial by-election botherer, having stood in six different constituencies since he was chucked out of the Labour Party.

His win was more about Labour’s candidate imploding, plus a protest vote against the government, rather than widespread support for his point of view.

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Agreed. I can’t imagine Labour were particularly surprised nor perhaps even bothered by this result. It’s not indicative of them snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at the next GE like they did in 2015.

Possibly the more interesting takeaway from this by-election is the poor result for the Reform Party. That must have pleased the Conservatives somewhat.

If Labour get their act together probably not.

Yes, these days he’ll be in good company in Westminster, or maybe even the White House. Rabble-rousing is an increasingly key skill for politicians.

It would appear that this victory just brings him level with Winston on the number of constituencies represented, and he did get chucked out of Labour for objecting to the Iraq war.

I think he’s a nutcase and a loose canon but I do hope he livens up the dying days of this paralysed Government. Nothing is happening as Richi treads water and prays for a miracle.

As an aside, did you see Mini me Mogg had a pop at Hancock… :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

Thought the Catholic Church was getting rid of those :wink:

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Yes, them too. :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

I look forward to Galloway following up on this pledge:

“Rochdale has become associated with child sexual exploitation and grooming - something that was an issue at the ballot box, with William Howarth standing as the Parents Against Grooming UK candidate.

Mr Galloway pledged to crack down on the issue which has blighted the town.

He said: “There will be no grooming gangs on my watch.”

His comments came a month after a damning report on the failure of Greater Manchester Police and Rochdale Council to deal with child sexual exploitation between 2004-13.”

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Aside from Galloway the most encourageing thing for me was that an Independant came 2nd and, apparently, in doing so, polled more than Labour and Conservative combined.

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To be pedantic, Labour didn’t have a candidate.

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He may not have continued to campaign, and he may no longer have been the official cabdidate, but he was still the Labour candidate and his name could not be taken off the ballot, so in theory he could have been returned as an independant MP. So there must have been votes for him nevertheless.

I am not entirely convinced that his remarks were wholly anti-semitic, a term much over, and mistakenly, used these days and if I was a Labour voter preferring him over all the others, he would have got my vote.

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Oh yes they did John :joy: one they selected and then tried to disown. But he’s theirs alright.

It seems to have come down to voters having to decide between the party that says it not anti-semitic anymore and the party that says it’s not Islamophobic. Meanwhile, back in the real World…

Lost it… and Starmer’s no better.

Not really even Conservative territory either.

Reform is calling foul about the bye election in true Trump style and needless to say the Tories have jumped on the bandwagon.

I’m really looking forward to Galloway taking on the main parties. They’re clearly terrified and he got off to a great start by telling the Sky News bloke he despised Rishi Sunak.

Like him or loathe him, he’s going to shake things up.

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I agree. Nutcase as he is, he’s still a breath of fresh air compared to lying Sunak and opaque Starmer. Both of them need a kick up the arse :slightly_smiling_face:

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I suspect the average working class British voter struggling to pay the bills and waiting months to see any healthcare professional couldn’t give a fig for what’s happening in the Middle East unless their husband/brother/son is being sent out that way to be maimed or killed for nothing at all.