You have to congratulate George Galloway. He may be an opportunist but he has had to bear the losses that inevitably accompany opportunism as well as the joys of victory. Bradford West is an even more spectacular victory than Bethnal Green in 2005 by 823 votes over Oona King, when British troops (not to mention Iraqi civilians) were still dying in Iraq. “One of the most most extraordinary by election results ever,” according to Paul Waugh. George is a formidable campaigner and champion of the causes he believes in, an impressive orator – a skill learned in factory car parks in Dundee – and a charismatic and often engaging personality. Continue reading
Tagged with George Galloway
Bradford West: Respect redux?
Anything other than a win for Imran Hussain in tomorrow’s Bradford West by-election would be astonishing. After all, the seat has consistently returned Labour MPs since 1974, and with the party currently well ahead in the national opinion polls, there is no real reason to expect any other outcome.
Much of the interest – for outside observers, anyway – will come from watching the performance of former MP George Galloway, who has effectively relaunched his Respect party especially for the occasion. Continue reading
