Rochdale voters choose antisemitism

[Tristan]

Well this is depressing: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68443430

Galloway is a cancer on politics who has no interest in the actual needs of the people of Rochdale. He’s open about this and the voters of Rochdale chose him anyway.

[headshot]

I doubt he’ll retain the seat at the general.

[TopBadger]

I expect most of them probably think they've chosen to be pro-Palestinian, and that Galloway was their only option to express that.

But yes, depressing.

[Tristan]

That doesn’t let the voters of Rochdale off the hook. It’s very clear what Galloway is and it’s clear a lot of people in Rochdale are fine with that.

[lpm]

Say what you like about Galloway, at least he is utterly committed to the cause he cares about. He is passionate, determined and successful. Such dedication should be admired.

OK, the cause he's dedicated to is himself. But you can't have everything.

[TopBadger]

That doesn’t let the voters of Rochdale off the hook. It’s very clear what Galloway is and it’s clear a lot of people in Rochdale are fine with that.

it also doesn't let the other parties off the hook who could and should have presented a better alternative to them. It's somewhat staggering to blame the voters for the least sh.t option being presented to them to express their views being George f.cking Galloway.

[Tristan]

Galloway wasn't the least sh.t option though.

[headshot]

Just listening to R4 and they were interviewing voters, some of whom voted for Galloway because they felt he was the person most interested in Rochdale’s issues - such as hospital provision and businesses shuttering - and also the one most likely to do something about it.

I mean…they do deserve *some* of the blame, surely?

[philbo]

Surely if they had really wanted to choose antisemitism, they'd have voted for the Labour candidate?

Galloway had the advantage of name recognition, and can sound really convincing if you're not previously aware that he is capable of stating absolute bollocks with total conviction. People have either forgotten, or more likely never really knew, that he had got people to vote him in as an MP once before, and in that time he did literally nothing for anyone except himself.

He was only elected because of the Labour own goal with their candidate, and will only be an MP for a few months. Could be much worse.

[geejaytee]

And Danczuk managed to finish sixth in a two-horse race*, so there's that.


*self-proclaimed

[philbo]

And Danczuk managed to finish sixth in a two-horse race*, so there's that.


*self-proclaimed

Danczuk has kinda proved that Reform UK has the same lack of quality filter that UKIP had.

[Martin Y]

And Danczuk managed to finish sixth in a two-horse race*, so there's that.


*self-proclaimed

Danczuk has kinda proved that Reform UK has the same lack of quality filter that UKIP had.

It is to be hoped that Labour has not just proved the same thing of itself.

[Herainestold]

The people of Rochdale have indicated that they think the issue of Gaza and genocide is important and that the major parties should show more attention to that matter.

[Tristan]

The people of Rochdale have indicated that they think the issue of Gaza and genocide is important and that the major parties should show more attention to that matter.

By electing an outright racist. We wouldn’t make excuses for electing Tommy Robinson is he was campaigning for something that wasn’t getting enough traction. Why make excuses for Galloway or the people who chose him?

[Bewildered]

The people of Rochdale have indicated that they think the issue of Gaza and genocide is important and that the major parties should show more attention to that matter.

By electing an outright racist. We wouldn’t make excuses for electing Tommy Robinson is he was campaigning for something that wasn’t getting enough traction. Why make excuses for Galloway or the people who chose him?

I think pretty much anyone voting for Tommy Robinson would be doing so because they have a problem with either Muslims or Islam regardless of where in the continuum that of very different degrees and behaviours and levels of unreasonableness that connects Douglas Murray, Sam Harris, Donald trump, Tommy Robinson and far right thugs who go p.ki-bashing.

I am pretty sure many of the people voting for Galloway will brave done so because of genuine concern for innocent Palestinians and a desire to put someone into parliament who will speak for them (some others admittedly maybe have voted out of genuine support for his socially conservative views and pro-brexit crap).

[noggins]

So if Yaxley-Lennon attached himself to a genuine cause that the main parties were mishandling, voting for him would be ok.

[noggins]

.

[Tristan]

Galloway is no better than Robinson. He’s a racist POS. If you wouldn’t make excuses for voting for Tommy Robinson then you can’t for voting for Galloway.

[jimbob]

Galloway is no better than Robinson. He’s a racist POS. If you wouldn’t make excuses for voting for Tommy Robinson then you can’t for voting for Galloway.

Except that for those who don't pay so much attention, he's remembered for Big Brother and being against wars*


*His lack of opposition to some wars being less obvious

[monkey]

Galloway is no better than Robinson. He’s a racist POS. If you wouldn’t make excuses for voting for Tommy Robinson then you can’t for voting for Galloway.

Except that for those who don't pay so much attention, he's remembered for Big Brother and being against wars*


*His lack of opposition to some wars being less obvious

If you lived in certain postcodes, you might not even have noticed he was campaigning on Palestine, because you would have got a letter from him that didn't mention it. (It looked similar to a right wing populist campaign)

Other postcodes was only Palestine.

[dyqik]

Galloway is no better than Robinson. He’s a racist POS. If you wouldn’t make excuses for voting for Tommy Robinson then you can’t for voting for Galloway.

He's not famous for racism in the same way, so it's different.

[Stranger Mouse]

Astonishing video where Galloway serves up a smorgasbord of conspiracy theories

https://x.com/postleftwatch/status/1764 ... 40186?s=61

[bob sterman]

Astonishing video where Galloway serves up a smorgasbord of conspiracy theories

https://x.com/postleftwatch/status/1764 ... 40186?s=61

Is that video from after the by-election? I don't think his support for Russell Brand was a big part of his Rochdale campaign

[cvb]

Astonishing video where Galloway serves up a smorgasbord of conspiracy theories

https://x.com/postleftwatch/status/1764 ... 40186?s=61

Insane bollocks.

[philbo]

And Danczuk managed to finish sixth in a two-horse race*, so there's that.


*self-proclaimed

Danczuk has kinda proved that Reform UK has the same lack of quality filter that UKIP had.

It is to be hoped that Labour has not just proved the same thing of itself.

IMHO there is a bit of a difference between not checking everything a candidate has retweeted (though these days one would have thought that was essential) and choosing a candidate who had previously lost his job as an MP for being extremely inappropriate with a 17-year-old girl in the same constituency, so it's not like his behaviour was unknown. He tried standing as an independent, and got MRLP levels of support, so the people of Rochdale obviously didn't like him personally. Whoever looked at his record and thought "yep, that's the guy we want to represent us in a by-election" really doesn't have the tiniest clue.

Side note: very disappointed by MRLP showing in Rochdale. If ever there was a seat they had a chance of winning, it was this one. You'd think they just don't want to put the work in...