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Rochdale by-election

It's not but I think this has now turned into a three way fight between Galloway, the Independent and Labour. No longer a safe seat.

Labour’s vote went down 46% last night due to there being no Labour candidate. In a GE that’s not going to be fought on Gaza but on the economy, NHS, Education etc - and where Labour will pour resources in to the seat - the indie and Galloway will be irrelevant
 
The people of Rochdale have or will gain fuck all from Galloway. Nothing will change.

I’ll predict that the recent concerns that’s he’s expressed on local issues will melt away faster than the Labour campaign as his real concern - the promotion of George Galloway - takes centre stage.

I don't think many will have voted for him on his record as an MP or his self modesty to be honest. There must be some other reason why they did.
 
Not putting up a Labour candidate at all shows Starmer up as even more useless than those stats would suggest :)
 
Galloway is really quite a fascinating character and also makes me feel quite hopeless about the prospect of positive political change.

The man has a clear talent for oratory and also a certain political nous, at least in identifying divisions that he can exploit. Don't think that there is any other figure who has been elected as an independent/minor party MP in 3 different constituencies.

But yet it is, like Trump, his narcissism which enables his successes - a certain shamelessness and machiavellianism. The humility of minor left groups like TUSC or whatever seem to be what prevents then from effective campaigning, even as Galloway has demonstrated repeatedly that it can be done.
 
In fact, those who voted Labour this time could arguably be said not to be supporting Labour, since the official Labour position was not to vote!
Was that actually an official party position; I'd heard Nandy say as much but did the party explicitly say that?
 
Was that actually an official party position; I'd heard Nandy say as much but did the party explicitly say that?
That’s what I’ve heard. I’m not in Rochdale but, Labour withdrawing support for their candidate means a vote for that candidate is not a vote for Labour.

It simply makes nonsense of the stats.

Instead, shall we claim that the majority of Rochdale electors that didn’t vote at all, are Labour supporters? That would also be nonsense.
 
That’s what I’ve heard. I’m not in Rochdale but, Labour withdrawing support for their candidate means a vote for that candidate is not a vote for Labour.

It simply makes nonsense of the stats.

Instead, shall we claim that the majority of Rochdale electors that didn’t vote at all, are Labour supporters? That would also be nonsense.

Already Labour faithful on Twitter saying just that.
 
Was that actually an official party position; I'd heard Nandy say as much but did the party explicitly say that?

It was more than just Nandy, I heard at least 3 or 4 Labour politicians say it during the morning media rounds, so it must have been official messengering.
 
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