28 February 2024 , 19:27
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All eyes are on Rochdale which is holding one of the most contentious, controversial and chaotic by-elections in history. Triggered by the death of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd last month, the race for Rochdale has seen candidates disowned, ditched and drop out.
The Labour candidate Azhar Ali is now running as an independent after the party withdrew support over his alleged anti-semitic remarks online, the Greens dropped out over their own historic social media posts and the Conservative candidate was on holiday until a week ago.
Now there are 11 candidates in total - many of them independent - including my former Bradford West MP George Galloway, famously known for his pro-Palestine stance (and pretending to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother ). And then there’s former Labour MP Simon Danczuk - suspended from the party in 2015 over allegations he shared sexually-explicit texts with a 17-year-old - is standing for the Reform UK party.
So what do the people of Rochdale really think about all this shambles?
Olatunde Akerele said the suspended candidate is 'Labour through and through' (Steve Allen)
Muhammed Aziz said he plans to vote Tory (Steve Allen)It’s no wonder that near the beautiful Victorian Gothic style town hall, well-wrapped residents either scuttle away mumbling that they have zero interest in politics or they launch a diatribe against the shambles it has become calling it an ‘utter pantomime’.
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Once one of the richest towns in the country thanks to the wool trade split between those voting for local issues like the cost of living crisis and global, namely the war on Gaza. Rochdale has a sizeable Muslim community.
Bangladeshi pensioner, Sayed Hussain, 72, who is out for his daily stroll, says it is about 30% Pakistani Muslim. “George Galloway cares about Muslims and he makes us feel listened to,” he says. “There is a lot of support here for him.”
But not everyone is convinced. Retired teacher Jennifer Shooter, 79, almost explodes when I ask her about the by-election. She is vehemently opposed to Galloway.
“No, we certainly don’t want George Galloway,” she says. “He doesn’t care about the people of Rochdale, he just wants to be a member of Parliament.”
George Ramsbottom said the controversy will 'blow over' (Steve Allen)
Julie Hogan said she would never vote Conservative (Steve Allen)She is putting her faith in an independent candidate David Tully because he is local.
“I know his family,” he says. “We need someone who cares about what’s going on here.”
For Julie Hogan, 63, the cost of living crisis is her number one concern.
“I can’t afford to put the heating on that’s why I’m out in town,” she reveals. “I can’t stay in when it is so cold. “The cost of living is absolutely horrendous.
“When you do put the heating on you are looking at a bill of £300 a month. I can’t afford that.
“[So] I would never vote Conservative, they just don’t care about us and they are ones who have caused this crisis.”
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But many voters are still undecided. One resident was very despondent: “After 14 years of Tory rule [in UK] everything has got so much worse in Rochdale. We have had a load of broken promises from the Conservative government from HS2 which would have brought investment.”
Mohammed Aziz, 44, was distributing short-dated food to the needy in the town centre. His solidarity with Gaza was visible in the balloons in the colours of the Palestine flag but he was going against the grain by voting Tory.
“Galloway is jumping on the Gaza bandwagon but there is a lot that needs improving in Rochdale,” he says. “We lost the market and there is no library here. We need someone who can bring in the money to the area.”
Laila Rashid, pictured with Marrium Noreen, voiced her support for George Galloway (Steve Allen)
Jennifer Shooter says she'll vote for an independent (Steve Allen)But Laila Rashid, 45, said Galloway had piqued her interest in politics. “He is the only one who cares about Muslims and the Palestinians and he has always supported them,” she says. “It is absolutely horrific how much the people of Gaza are suffering and it feels like the international community just doesn’t care.”
The sentiment was repeated among other Asian voters who spoke of their horror at Sir Keir Starmer refusing to call a ceasefire sooner.
Softly spoken mobile phone shop manager Khalid Hussain said: “There is a total backlash against Labour after Keir Starmer said Israel had the right to stop food, water, fuel and electricity in Gaza,” he says. “That was a big mistake. We don’t feel angry, we feel heart-broken.”
Azhar Ali will still appear as Labour on today’s ballot paper, despite now running as independent. And some in the town, wanted to vote Labour regardless of the furore.
George Ramsbottom, 81, said he would vote Labour as he has done his whole life, adding: “The controversy will blow over, this is a Labour town.”
Olatunde Akerele, 58, said: “Even though Labour have withdrawn support for its candidate I know Ali to be a Labour man through and through who cares about the working people and our working class town.”
On my way out of Rochdale I see Simon Danczuk atop a blue bus campaigning for the Reform Party. He clearly thinks he has only one rival.
“Let’s stand together to make sure George Galloway doesn’t get in. Let’s send him to back wherever he comes from,” he bellows. Well, immigration is one of his manifesto promises.