Dundee’s George Galloway proved he’s the political come back king after a shock by-election win in Rochdale.
Nearly a decade since he left parliament, Lochee-born Mr Galloway beat the Conservatives and Labour to victory in the election, called after the death of incumbent Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd.
He secured a majority of 5,697 over the second place candidate, independent David Tully, with the Conservatives third, Liberal Democrats fourth and disowned Labour candidate Azhar Ali fifth.
Mr Galloway declared his win a “victory for Gaza”, with the Palestinian cause one he has long supported
In a rousing victory speech, he said Labour and the Conservatives were “two cheeks of the same backside”, and told Sir Keir Starmer he would pay a high price for the role he had played in “enabling… the catastrophe currently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip”.
His campaign had relentlessly targeted his old party, with leaflets featuring images of Mr Galloway in his trademark fedora and slogans such as “For Rochdale, For Gaza”.
One leaflet read: “This election is a straight choice between George who will fight for Palestine and the people of Rochdale and Keir Starmer, who will fight for Israel.
The result is likely to prompt an internal post-mortem by Labour, who were tipped to win the by-election.
But the party effectively stood down when their candidate was caught in a storm of antisemitism allegations over comments he made saying Israel was complicit in Hamas’ October attack which left 1,200 people dead.
Labour has apologised to voters in the constituency, saying Mr Galloway would use his election to stoke “fear and division”
George Galloway: Comeback king
Mr Galloway’s return to parliament is only the latest in a long list of come backs for the divisive politician, who started out his life on the production line at Michelin tyres before politics took over.
In a long career, Mr Galloway – who was once nicknamed “Gorgeous George” – has often been a controversial figure with his views coming under heavy criticism.
He has been branded an “apologist” for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, telling him during a meeting in 1991: “Sir, I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability…”
Expelled from Labour in 2003, he went on to join the anti-war party Respect before coming to more mainstream attention as a Celebrity Big Brother contestant.
For many, the lasting image of Mr Galloway came during a bizarre moment on the programme when he pretended to be a cat, purring as he “licked” milk out of actress Rula Lenska’s hand.
He recovered from the incident, securing election to parliament in 2005 and again in 2012.
After losing his seat in 2015, many political commentators assumed his long career in elected politics had come to an end.
In 2021, when his All For Unity party stood on the regional list for the Scottish Parliament, his party registered fewer than 1% of the votes cast.
An opponent of the SNP and Scottish independence, he surprised some by endorsing a vote for the Scottish Conservatives in constituencies.
His victory in Rochdale marks a hattrick of victories over Labour for the Celtic fan, who has overturned significant the party’s majorities several times since he was expelled from the party.
Mr Galloway – who was born in 1954 and educated at Charleston Primary and Harris Academy – has long been a supporter of Palestine.
On his return from a 1977 visit to Beirut, Lebanon, he described making a pledge, “in the Tavern Bar in Dundee’s Hawkhill District, to devote the rest of my life to the Palestinian and Arab cause, whatever the consequences for my own political future”.
He was closely involved in Dundee’s twinning with Nablus in the Palestinian West Bank, and supported the council in its decision to fly the country’s flag over the City Chambers.
But his support for the occupied state has also seen him accused of straying into antisemitism in his criticism of Israel – a charge he has strongly denied.
His victory in Rochdale has caused concern, with Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator, saying: “George Galloway is someone who stokes up division and fear. This isn’t how we would have wanted this by-election to play out.”
Dundee firebrand George Galloway will NOT stand in by-election despite £12k Crowdfunder
Speaking after the win, Mr Galloway defended the “from the river to the sea” call, which critics argue means the eradication of Israel.
A spokesperson for the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism said Mr Galloway has an “atrocious record”.
They added: “Given his historic inflammatory rhetoric and the current situation faced by the Jewish community in this country, we are extremely concerned by how he may use the platform of the House of Commons in the remaining months of this parliament.”
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