From 1h agoKey events8m agoGalloway claims Labour has ‘lost confidence of millions of their voters’ who backed them ‘generation after generation’1h agoReform UK leader Richard Tice claims byelection ‘not free and fair’ after his candidate comes sixth1h agoRochdale byelection: full results1h agoGeorge Galloway calls Rochdale win a ‘shifting of the tectonic plates’Filters BETAKey events (4)George Galloway (6)Azhar Ali (3)8m ago01.33 ESTGalloway claims Labour has ’lost confidence of millions of their voters’ who backed them ‘generation after generation’
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, picking up from Jonathan Yerushalmy.
Here is more from what George Galloway said in his victory speech at the count.
Keir Starmer – this is for Gaza. And you will pay a high price, in enabling, encouraging and covering for, the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza strip.
Rochdale town councillors, I put you on notice now, that I hope to put together a grand alliance …
At this point Galloway was interrupted by a heckler calling him a climate change denier. She was drowned out by Galloway’s supporters chanting his name. He went on:
The councillors have to go.
I want to tell Mr Starmer above all, that the plates have shifted tonight. This is going to spark a movement, a landslide, a shifting of the tectonic plates in scores of parliamentary constituencies.
Beginning here in the north west, in the West Midlands, in London, from Ilford to Bethnal Green and Bow, Labour is on notice that they have lost the confidence of millions of their voters who loyally and traditionally voted for them, generation after generation …
I’ve heard some of the narrative being spun around this election result this evening. Yes its true, that every Muslim is bitterly angry at Keir Starmer and his listing Labour party.
But you would be very foolish, if you did not realise that millions of other citizens of our country are too.
Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak are two cheeks of the same backside and they both got well and truly spanked tonight!
Galloway ended his speech saying: “God bless you. God bless Rochdale. God bless Gaza.”
We will be opening comments on the blog later.
Here are some images from the byelection count and Galloway’s victory speech:
2024-03-01 01:23:10
Original from www.theguardian.com