Rochdale by-election: George Galloway claims victory as controversial new MP declares win 'is for Gaza'

George Galloway has claimed victory in the contentious and, at times, controversial Rochdale by-election after securing almost 40% of the vote.

The Workers Party of Great Britain leader's campaign team had claimed victory earlier the evening, with the count confirming Galloway's comfortable victory. Galloway, who had campaigned on a pro-Gaza stance, said in his victory speech: “Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza. You have paid, and you will pay, a high price for the role that you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip.”

The new MP secured a majority of 5,697, on a turnout of 39.7%. The surprise runner-up in the election was local businessman David Tully, who ran as an independent and gained more than 6,600 votes. Climate protesters also interrupted Galloway's speech, with demonstrators throwing orange confetti at him while branding him a "climate change denier".

Labour, which held the seat previously until the death of Sir Tony Lloyd in January, withdrew its support of candidate Azhar Ali, after he became embroiled in a controversy when a recording of him claiming Israel was complicity in the terrorist attack of October 7 was leaked. Ali, who placed fifth, still featured on the ballot paper after the party was too late to withdraw him from the election altogether.

There were also allegations of threats from other candidates. Reform UK leader Richard Tice claimed that the party's candidate, Simon Danczuk, who previously served as MP for the area, had received a death threat while campaigning and had been subjected to "daily intimidation and slurs".

Tice said: “This by-election and result should act as a serious wake-up call to those in power and indeed to the entire electorate. We are supposed to be a beacon of democracy, this shameful contest has been more characteristic of a failed state.”

Tice also questioned the validity of postal votes in the election. Danczuk, who served as an MP before the party barred him from standing after he admitted to sending "inappropriate" messages to a 17-year-old girl, won 6% of the vote.

Independent candidate William Howarth agreed with the allegations. He claimed that there had been an "element of intimidation" during the campaign.

Galloway denied that any of his supporters had engaged in any form of intimidation towards the other candidates. In his victory speech, Galloway pledged to campaign for the return of Rochdale's maternity ward, help the local football team, and "clean up the town hall" during the local elections in May.

A controversial figure during his time in politics, there has been reaction from campaign groups. A spokesperson for the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “George Galloway has an atrocious record of baiting the Jewish community.”

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.”