In 2012 he took Bradford West from Labour in a by-election on a majority of more than 10,000 — something Galloway dubbed the “Bradford Spring.”
He then lost the seat in the 2015 general election and went on to stand unsuccessfully in Manchester Gorton in 2017 and Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire in 2021.
Getting re-elected in the same seats has proved trickier for Galloway, while bids for the Scottish Parliament and London mayoralty have been unsuccessful too. But Galloway has seized his chance in Rochdale.
What’s he promised to do as a Rochdale’s MP?
Galloway’s campaign leaflet says a vote for him is a “vote for Gaza.” He’s promised to fight for both the Palestinian cause and Rochdale, although his opponents have accused him of distracting from local issues.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News on the Rochdale trail, Galloway said his first move in the House of Commons would be to “ask the prime minister to meet me urgently to hear from the frontline, what millions of British people think about what’s happening in Gaza.”
“But my second question will be on the A&E and the maternity services which are now non-existent in Rochdale,” he added.
There could be more trouble to come for Labour.
Galloway has promised to run a “full slate of candidates” at Rochdale’s local council elections this May — while Britain’s general election expected this year could see him battle for the seat all over again.
