Rochdale by-election

[two sheds]

"I want to be clear here I never wanted the water cut off. I want to be very clear that I thought the interviewer had said 'mortar'."

slight correction from the speech writer

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

It’s possible that, loathsome that Reform are too, a win for them here could have a silver lining - if it gives momentum to Reform they could decimate the Tory vote in a GE and lead to them being wiped out.

Looks like I need to change the letterbox before the next general election then. I've had some tape across the flap for the 20+ years I've lived here. Started out 'No BNP leaflets thanks' then I changed it to 'No BNP or UKIP leaflets thanks' then 'No BNP or UKIP or Brexit leaflets thanks' so I guess it's due for an update now.

On one level, I feel sad that it's necessary, but on another it feels good to record the adversely changing fortunes/demise of yet another right-wing party/group, albeit through self-combustion/reincarnation in this instance.

Cue music: * Dum dum dum * Another one bites the dust.

 

[Dystopiary]

Looks like I need to change the letterbox before the next general election then. I've had some tape across the flap for the 20+ years I've lived here. Started out 'No BNP leaflets thanks' then I changed it to 'No BNP or UKIP leaflets thanks' then 'No BNP or UKIP or Brexit leaflets thanks' so I guess it's due for an update now.

On one level, I feel sad that it's necessary, but on another it feels good to record the adversely changing fortunes/demise of yet another right-wing party/group, albeit through self-combustion/reincarnation in this instance.

Cue music: * Dum dum dum * Another one bites the dust.

BIB: I'm thinking this about the Labour Party.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I'm hardly going to blame Corbyn for this madness, but it does bring to the fore the failure of Momentum and the left to do anything with the structure of the party or develop deep roots in communities. Individual membership rose to something just short of 600,000 under Corbyn, but what happened to all of those (presumably) left minded members? A lot of them have just left, but there was a failure to build something that would survive or, particularly, something that would organise on the ground. A failure of political imagination and a failure of politics. And here we are. There's no organised voice in the party saying 'fuck, your policy on Palestine is hideous' to Starmer.

I have some friends who joined in the Corbyn era, left-wingers who were swept along on the tide of optimism.

After Corbyn was ousted some became disillusioned and left quite quickly, others held on, perhaps hoping that they could cling on/change the party through sheer weight of numbers. But eventually most left.

Some had been members in the sense of paying their dues, others had been very actively involved, becoming involved in their local CLP, campaigning and canvassing locally or further afield.

I think even those who were hoping against hope that a Labour government could be electable and could make a difference became increasingly disillusioned with Starmer and his centralised authoritarian regime that brooks no dissent. I think that they despaired over Starmer trying to match or outdo the Tories re immigration, crackdowns on benefits claimants, making favourable noises towards business rather than the workers, speaking out against striking NHS workers, etc.

 

[GarveyLives]

Jewish activist, Louise Ellman, who issued a statement on social media saying that she had known Azhar Ali for over twenty years as an ally and while she was appalled by his comments he should have the opportunity to work with the Jewish community to restore trust, appeared on Channel Four news yesterday evening to opine on the Rochdale by-election:

​

 

[PTK]

I have some friends who joined in the Corbyn era, left-wingers who were swept along on the tide of optimism.

After Corbyn was ousted some became disillusioned and left quite quickly, others held on, perhaps hoping that they could cling on/change the party through sheer weight of numbers. But eventually most left.

Some had been members in the sense of paying their dues, others had been very actively involved, becoming involved in their local CLP, campaigning and canvassing locally or further afield.

I think even those who were hoping against hope that a Labour government could be electable and could make a difference became increasingly disillusioned with Starmer and his centralised authoritarian regime that brooks no dissent. I think that they despaired over Starmer trying to match or outdo the Tories re immigration, crackdowns on benefits claimants, making favourable noises towards business rather than the workers, speaking out against striking NHS workers, etc.

Why, oh why, oh why, though, did these people not form a coherent oppostional faction?

 

[GarveyLives]

George Galloway has announced he is running

Galloway is a different issue. He'll do his shameless schtick and go round barging into the Mosques and Palestine demos, pretty much his usual thing.

But yeah, Galloway will do well, and eat into Labour's majority significantly.

I think Galloway was 5-1 when I looked last night, I was considering a flutter. The turnout will be dire, if it drops below 30% GG could do it.

According to the 2021 Census, 29.6% of those in the constituency self-describe as "Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh"; 62.7% describe themselves as "White". 30.5% of those in the constituency describe their religion as Muslim.

Galloway is just a pure chancer these days isn't he (you can debate how much that's always been true). He'd be a socialist if it suited him.

John Sweeney calling for a Lib Dem vote in Rochdale with a story that is bound to have an impact there

What the polling and demographics says:

"Much may well depend on whether George Galloway can also win over non-Muslim Labour supporters in Rochdale who are unhappy about the scenes from Gaza that we are seeing nightly on our television screens ..."

Muslims alone are unlikely to hand George Galloway victory in Rochdale

 

[The39thStep]

What the polling and demographics says:



Muslims alone are unlikely to hand George Galloway victory in Rochdale

What's that got to do with me posting John Sweeney urging a vote for the Lib Dems because he had an obscure encounter with Galloway in a post-Soviet State?

 

[steeplejack]

Galloway channels his inner Saddam & also postures ludicrously with a pair of boxing gloves, the world’s least threatening superannuated flyweight.

 

[chilango]

Just like in any other seat I suspect that if the voters don't see their material interests represented by any candidates (and where outside the leafy m/c seats can that possibly the case?) They will either stay at home or vote tactically to give themselves the largest possible collective "fuck you" voice they can.

Trouble is that's often a very unpleasant vehicle like Galloway or Garage.

 

[The39thStep]

Galloway channels his inner Saddam & also postures ludicrously with a pair of boxing gloves, the world’s least threatening superannuated flyweight.

I think Starmer weighed in at paperweight when he did his punch bag effort.

 

[hitmouse]

Galloway channels his inner Saddam & also postures ludicrously with a pair of boxing gloves, the world’s least threatening superannuated flyweight.

I suppose Anne-Marie Waters' lot have wound up now, so Galloway doesn't need to worry about them suing him for nicking his slogan.

 

[GroovySunday]

Galloway channels his inner Saddam & also postures ludicrously with a pair of boxing gloves, the world’s least threatening superannuated flyweight.

Red/Brown-tastic

 

[Dom Traynor]

Galloway channels his inner Saddam & also postures ludicrously with a pair of boxing gloves, the world’s least threatening superannuated flyweight.

Didn't he used to be quite a decent boxer? Iirc.

Still wouldn't vote for the scumbag.

 

[bluescreen]

Anyone gambling-savvy know why oddschecker is no longer showing odds for the gorgeous grifter? Earlier today at the same link he was favourite across the board. Is no one taking bets any more for fear of having to pay out, or what? Are they just updating? Skybet are showing him odds on. (It's the only one I cross-checked just now.)

https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/british-politics/rochdale-by-election/winner

 

[The39thStep]

Anyone gambling-savvy know why oddschecker is no longer showing odds for the gorgeous grifter? Earlier today at the same link he was favourite across the board. Is no one taking bets any more for fear of having to pay out, or what? Are they just updating? Skybet are showing him odds on. (It's the only one I cross-checked just now.)

https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/british-politics/rochdale-by-election/winner

Dunno but Ladbrokes have Galloway 4/7 and Labour but not Labour 6/4

 

[Pickman's model]

Didn't he used to be quite a decent boxer? Iirc.

Still wouldn't vote for the scumbag.

He should have been sent to the knackers years ago

 

[belboid]

Anyone gambling-savvy know why oddschecker is no longer showing odds for the gorgeous grifter? Earlier today at the same link he was favourite across the board. Is no one taking bets any more for fear of having to pay out, or what? Are they just updating? Skybet are showing him odds on. (It's the only one I cross-checked just now.)

https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/british-politics/rochdale-by-election/winner

I noticed that straight after Labour dumped Ali. It is rather bizarre, maybe he threatened to sue if they didn’t make him odds on.

Edit: that link doesn't give me any odds at all, defaults to the British Politics page

 

[likesfish]

tbf any rotherham councillor who was serving before 2013 should be kicked out for being a nonce enableing scumbag

 

[Penfold01]

Galloway channels his inner Saddam & also postures ludicrously with a pair of boxing gloves, the world’s least threatening superannuated flyweight.

Weak stuff compared to this classic with Lee Jasper:

"It's the MPs they should be stopping and searching.... and even some of the Po-lice!"

 

[DotCommunist]

I see GG is taking legal action against a few presenters/guests off some morning politics show. If the man loves anything as much as himself and by elections, its his day in court.

 

[BusLanes]

I see GG is taking legal action against a few presenters/guests off some morning politics show. If the man loves anything as much as himself and by elections, its his day in court.

He's very big on scary letters and demands for £ at an affordable rate. Not sure if he's actually sued people properly for a while tho

 

[PR1Berske]

He's very big on scary letters and demands for £ at an affordable rate. Not sure if he's actually sued people properly for a while tho

He threatened one returning officer while standing next to them, and claimed he was going to launch an electoral court case against the Batley and Spen result. It's part of his schtick.

 

[hitmouse]

Galloway channels his inner Saddam & also postures ludicrously with a pair of boxing gloves, the world’s least threatening superannuated flyweight.

Having got around to watching the wretched thing, there really are some impressive Ba'athist vibes at about 5 seconds in:

 

[steeplejack]

Yeah that's exactly where the Saddam observation came from.

 

[The39thStep]

I wonder what became of Galloway's threat of legal action against Paul Mason?

 

[hitmouse]

Yeah that's exactly where the Saddam observation came from.

Yep, that comment definitely made more sense once I got around to watching it.

I wonder what became of Galloway's threat of legal action against Paul Mason?

I think that, seeing as both of them are such staunch socialists, they shouldn't be relying on the bourgeois legal system. Surely a Worker's Tribunal of Revolutionary Honour should be the way to go here? As a neutral third party, I reckon u75 posters would be well-qualified to make up the jury.

(ETA: I remembered that the ICC (not the famous one) were very keen on doing Juries of Honour, but I'd completely forgotten until looking it up just now that they had to form one to expel people for allegedly making up a secret network of Freemason infiltrators. Amazing. )

 

[The39thStep]

Yep, that comment definitely made more sense once I got around to watching it.

I think that, seeing as both of them are such staunch socialists, they shouldn't be relying on the bourgeois legal system. Surely a Worker's Tribunal of Revolutionary Honour should be the way to go here? As a neutral third party, I reckon u75 posters would be well-qualified to make up the jury.

(ETA: I remembered that the ICC (not the famous one) were very keen on doing Juries of Honour, but I'd completely forgotten until looking it up just now that they had to form one to expel people for allegedly making up a secret network of Freemason infiltrators. Amazing. )

I'm sure that sometime ago in the 1980s some Trot party took legal action against someone/something and this unleashed a few articles about workers and bourgeois courts all based on Marx suing or not suing someone.

 

[steeplejack]

Amateur-hour skullduggery from anti-Galloway poster-ripper weaponised by the WPB.

Relieved to hear that George's friends in the Militia/ MVD were very soon on the scene to despatch the vandal to the gulag.

 

[danny la rouge]

Amateur-hour skullduggery from anti-Galloway poster-ripper weaponised by the WPB.

Relieved to hear that George's friends in the Militia/ MVD were very soon on the scene to despatch the vandal to the gulag.


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Just as long as they have valid tax and MOT.