“The corporate media are do everything in their power to undermine George Galloway’s by-election victory – but failing miserably (and laughably). Now, an incredibly awkward video has shown BBC staff holding a markedly uncivil conversation in Rochdale.
At one point, a man is seen pointing at his camera viewer and asking:
“Galloway’s win will also embolden other independent groups supporting prospective candidates. It’s going to be vicious and feel as though Labour has lost its grip, which simply isn’t true. We just need to strengthen our messaging.” Compass, said Labour could be facing a slow collapse in support like that seen in the “red wall” and Scotland.
The Guardian's correspondent Peter Walker has the perfect summary of the aftermath of the #Rochdale by-election:
"Overall, this was something of a depressing spectacle for a town facing significant deprivation and numerous other problems barely addressed by many of the 11 men who vied to become its representative.
The Galloway circus has once again swept in, declared a revolution and will most likely slink out again, this time in a matter of months. The 69-year-old has another political scalp to brag about. And what has Rochdale got? For now, it seems, not much."
(Oh, I checked - "11 men" is a completely accurate description of the candidate field. How very depressing.)
#Labour took a minus 44% swing having suspended their own candidate over comments on #Israel & #Gaza.
#Galloway won by campaigning on Gaza ceasefire discontent and dissatisfaction with Labour's lack of socialist policies mostly, but also campaigned against trans rights wokeness etc in parts of the constituency. Showing a much more sophisticated micro targeting & granular political machine than most independents can ever muster/afford.
Nominally pro-gaza pro-Muslim Galloway also received support from radical islamaphobe, far right white nationalist Nick Griffin. Which makes absolutely no sense what so ever.
Unless you put stock in factoring they are both the sort of extremist divisive agitators that #Moscow & #Putin seeks to support in driving wedges in to democracies.
The sad loss for the people of Rochdale was decent local independent #DavidTully with a normal independents low level election machine and backing only came in second place. After being entirely ignored by mainstream media, as a decent not inflammatory candidate with integrity that doesn't bait clicks.
Galloway, called a divisive grifter by some & regular on #RussiaToday channel, will doubtless continue to get completely outsized media coverage as an 'exciting figure' that generates views. Many politicians and commentators are already using this upset to 'prove' the UK electorate support some version of their personal views.
Starmer is loathsome for many things, but now he's given pro-Putin charlatan, friend of Farage and British unionist Galloway a way back into the political mainstream...
I'm assuming that the UK establishment doesn't like the fact that George Galloway won the #Rochdale by election! They have dragged out the cat video again to try and discredit him! 😂
Don't get me wrong I'm no fan of his, but I'm guessing his win is going to increase pressure on the #Labour and #Tories to actually say something about the atrocities in #Gaza
One thing to note in the Rochdale by-election result was it appeared that Galloway was using data to target people based on protected characteristics. This would be a breach of the data protection act. It appears to me like they had custom filters for this setup on the EARS electoral software. With growing sectarianism in British politics using data to target people like this will only increase divisions. #election#data#rochdale
Good that #Starmer &co. got a bloody nose in #Rochdale. Good that #Gaza was a key issue.
Not so good that it was at the hands of egotistical and socially conservative George Galloway, the friend of Primark, apparently.
One interesting this about the #Rochdale by-election is that David Anthony Tully came second (with double the vote of any of the mainstream parties)... running as an independent, Tully's (4 week) campaign seems to have been about asserting a locally-defined #politics.
The Q. is how big an element in the next election will be these sort(s) of independents - if Rochdale is anything to go by, non-mainstream/ non-party locals may have an unusually good chance of gaining significant votes?
'Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza... You have paid & you will pay a high price for the role you have played . . . covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine'!
The Q.is: is this a localised shift, or a sign that #KeirStarmer's stance on this & a range of other issues close to the hearts of 'traditional' Labour voters may lead then to sit on their hands or vote for others in the #election
"We know they are lying. They know they are lying. They know that we know that they are lying. We know that they know that we know they are lying. And still they continue to lie." – Alexander Solzhenitsyn #Rochdale#Israel
Depressing media pile-on taking place on both Nick Ferrari's #LBC and BBC's #R4Today as we listen.
Why is the conspiracy theory that Netanyahu 'turned a blind eye' to intelligence of Hamas October 7th attack an "anti-Semitic” conspiracy theory"?
If evidence were found confirming the theory, who would be the greater anti-semite - an Israeli leader who failed to defend Jewish people for strategic advantage or someone who questioned his motivation?
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his government borders on fascist; it would be irresponsible not to question the reasons for his demonstrated failure to prevent or react expeditiously to the October 7 atrocity committed by Hamas.
History suggests the response that it is "unthinkable" is untrue, and might be advanced to shield the guilty parties.
The #Rochdale kerfuffle is ridiculous. Ali was merely repeating what mainstream media have already covered. Here's a sample available to anyone with a web browser.
"Answering the question “who would be the least suitable candidate for a by-election in Rochdale for any party” in one, back from the political dead zone has come Simon Danczuk, who has lurched sufficiently to the right since Labour decided they could get along fine without him to support the Tories’ policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda", writes Zelo Street. #Rochdale#politics https://zelo-street.blogspot.com/2024/02/spanker-danczuk-is-back.html