Labour apologises to voters following Rochdale by-election result

The Labour mayor of Greater Manchester said that it was right for Sir Keir Starmer to apologise for voters for not having a representative after Labour suspended Azhar Ali for suggesting Israel was complicit in the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists.

“We will now work with him and his team to make sure there is some reflection on what happened and some honesty so we can all come together and work together to regain the trust of the people,” he said during the Convention of the North in Leeds yesterday.

George Galloway, who has raced repeated accusations of antisemitism over his some 40-year political career, won almost 40 per cent of the vote in Rochdale in a contest surrounded by controversy.

The former Labour MP was suspended by the Labour Party in 2003 but returned to Parliament in 2005 after running in Bethnal Green and Bow for his “Respect” party until 2010, before winning the 2012 Bradford West by-election.

Labour had been expected to win the by-election triggered by the death of Labour MP Tony Lloyd, but its campaign was thrown into disarray by a leaked recording of Mr Ali’s inflammatory remarks about Israel, seeing Mr Galloway become the firm favourite for the seat.

Mr Ali remained listed as the Labour candidate as the party’s decision came too late for ballot papers to be changed.

Sir Keir restated Labour’s apology on Friday, telling broadcasters: “Galloway only won because Labour didn’t stand a candidate.

“I regret that we had to withdraw candidate and apologise to voters in Rochdale.

“But I took that decision. It was the right decision. And when I say I changed the Labour Party, I mean it.

“Obviously we will put a first-class candidate, a unifier, before the voters in Rochdale at the general election.”

Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator, told Sky News: “George Galloway is someone who stokes up division and fear. This isn’t how we would have wanted this by-election to play out.”

She also suggested Labour would not change its position on the Middle East war, calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” with some caveats.

Left-wing pressure group Momentum said Sir Keir’s “failure to stand with Gaza in its hour of need left the door open for George Galloway”.

“To avoid any more damaging repeats, Starmer should end the factional abuse of Labour’s selection processes and stand up for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Labour has let the people of Rochdale down because it didn’t give them a good enough choice at the election held yesterday.

“It’s right that the leader of the party has apologised to the people of Rochdale but we will now work with him and his team to make sure there is some reflection on what has happened, some honesty, so that we can all come together and work together to regain the trust of the people of Rochdale.”