Dear Millers — welcome to our Thursday edition. When Sir Tony Lloyd died last month, his seat in Rochdale looked like a relatively easy hold for Labour. Now, with the party’s candidate disowned for spreading a conspiracy theory about Israel and George Galloway picking up support over the war in Gaza, the by-election has entered uncharted territory.
Under the glare of the national media, three former Labour members are on the ballot, but Labour has effectively suspended its campaign. And speaking from his campaign HQ in a Suzuki garage, Galloway is feeling confident. Members of his team are even claiming that Labour’s now-expelled candidate Azhar Ali has left the country. We sent Jack to Rochdale to find out what on earth is going on.
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Your Mill briefing
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A gleeful George Galloway watches Labour implode in Rochdale
By Jack Dulhanty
George Galloway, the dark horse candidate in this month’s by-election in Rochdale, is sitting in the boardroom of a Suzuki garage comparing himself to Churchill. If he wins this race, he will equal Churchill’s record of having represented constituencies in four different cities — in Galloway’s case, Glasgow, London, Bradford for now, possibly, Greater Manchester.
“I’m quite proud about that,” he tells me. “I’m not sure that record will ever be matched.”
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