Labour warn Galloway will ‘make a circus of himself’ at Westminster

GEORGE Galloway will bring a circus to Westminster after being elected following heavy campaigning on the issue of a ceasefire in Gaza, according to Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary.

MP Ian Murray claimed the Dundee firebrand politician will use his victory in the Rochdale by-election as a platform for his own interests rather than helping local people.

Mr Galloway, leader of The Workers Party of Great Britain and a former Labour MP, won with 12,335 votes – more than 5,000 votes over second placed independent David Tully – after focusing much of his campaign on the plight of Palestinians.

Prime Minster Rishi Sunak described the result as “beyond alarming” as he warned UK democracy is being targeted during the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

But Mr Galloway hit back at Mr Sunak, saying the Conservatives were “crushed” during the vote and he is now the one with a democratic mandate.

Mr Murray said that he does not expect to engage with the Workers Party MP and claimed he offers nothing to Parliament.

He said: “The problem is that he’s supposed to be a Member of Parliament for Rochdale.

“He’s as much a member as every other MP and he’s got a job to do.

“I suspect he’s not going to do that job and will just use the platform for his own interests. That is the real disappointment about the election result.

“He will make a circus of himself. He did it before when he won in Bethnal Green, and in Bradford.”

Labour warned Mr Galloway will stoke “fear and division” and claimed he only won because it dropped candidate Azhar Ali for suggesting Israel was complicit in Hamas’ October 7 attack.

Mr Galloway used his victory speech to take aim at leader Sir Keir Starmer.

He hung up the phone after being approached for comment and did not respond to further attempts to make contact.

See also page 17.

George Galloway has become new MP for Rochdale.