A Galling Victory

lthough the war in Gaza is being fought thousands of miles away from London’s Houses of Parliament, political events in the UK laid bare the direct effects that the conflict is having on British politics.

In what has been called a “seismic political upset,” a by-election in Rochdale, North Manchester — triggered by the death of Labour incumbent Sir Tony Lloyd — saw veteran political disruptor, Israel hater, and radical left-wing firebrand George Galloway voted back in after a 12-year break, overturning Labour’s lead and handing the party the biggest drop in support at a by-election for 70 years.

Galloway’s political résumé is the story of a controversial and divisive figure who, over four decades, has been elected to Parliament seven times to represent voters in four cities — and bouncing between three different political parties in the process. With the Rochdale by-election victory, he again bucked political norms, precipitating an extraordinary electoral event in which his miniscule Workers Party of Britain trounced the big two, Conservatives and Labour — their combined share of the vote plummeting by over 60 percentage points.

But while campaigning candidates normally focus on local issues to gain support, Galloway ran his campaign almost exclusively on a pro-Palestinian platform. For decades a vigorous promoter of the Palestinian cause, Galloway found a willing audience in Rochdale, home to a substantial Muslim population.