Residents of Rochdale took to the polls today in what's been dubbed the most toxic by-election in decades. Tens of thousands are expected to vote in a chaotic contest dominated by Gaza.
Front-Runners and Controversies
The maverick Workers Party of Britain Leader, George Galloway, emerged as a front-runner in the race, basing the vast majority of his campaign around Palestine. Another former Labour MP vying for the seat, Simon Danczuk, also crept up the polls with a campaign focused on a patriotic platform of "Rochdale not Gaza."
Controversies and Antisemitism Claims
Over the years, Mr. Galloway has been criticized by politicians across the Commons as "antisemitic" and "sexist." Meanwhile, Labour's man Azhar Ali faced backlash and went underground after having the whip removed over antisemitic comments.
Final Thoughts and Security Concerns
The by-election result is expected at around 3 am on Friday, with the Tories and Lib Dems not running major campaign operations. As campaigning rhetoric turned increasingly nasty, security concerns rose, with a 23-year-old man arrested for allegedly sending a death threat to Mr. Danczuk, who had to hire security guards for the last two days of campaigning.
Today, Reform chief Richard Tice urged voters to support Danczuk, stating, "Lets stop the dreadful divisive Galloway."
