For his reaction to the by election. Well, to be frank, i� m pleased that this whole sorry saga has come to an end now. It has been a very difficult and messy process. I� m very pleased that we took rapid and robust action in terms of our candidate and the number one priority for us now in rochdale will be to select a strong candidate who will take the seat for labour and we will take the seat for labour and we will have a labour mp at the General Election that we can be proud of. That� s Stephen Kinnock of labour. Well, let� s head to the rochdale by Election Centre and our Political Correspondent is there. I mentioned an independent candidate looks to be doing well and he� s with you. Yes. I� m with david tully, a name you� ve probably never come across in politics before. David, tell me your story, first and foremost. Why did you first decide to stand in this by election . You first decide to stand in this bitelection . You first decide to stand in this b election . ~ ,. , ~. , byelection . Well, ust a week to the da i byelection . Well, ust a week to the day i thought byelection . Well, just a week to the day i thought id byelection . Well, just a week to the day i thought id just byelection . Well, just a week to the day i thought id just stand i byelection . Well, just a week to the day i thought id just stand in| the day i thought i� d just stand in the day i thought i� d just stand in the by election and give rochdale a voice and i think i� ve been the frontman of that. So, yes, i� m very proud of what we� ve achieved over the last four weeks. And, you know, meself and the community of rochdale. Yeah. It� s meself and the community of rochdale. Yeah. Meself and the community of rochdale. Yeah. H ,. ,. , rochdale. Yeah. Its been a bizarre burelection rochdale. Yeah. Its been a bizarre byElection Campaign. Rochdale. Yeah. Its been a bizarre byElection Campaign. We rochdale. Yeah. Its been a bizarre byElection Campaign. We see rochdale. Yeah. Its been a bizarre byElection Campaign. We see in i rochdale. Yeah. Its been a bizarre i byElection Campaign. We see in the by Election Campaign. We see in the background, the Monster Raving Loony Party trying to get involved. Yes. Its also been. Party trying to get involved. Yes. Its also been, according party trying to get involved. Yes. Its also been, according to party trying to get involved. 133 its also been, according to some of it� s also been, according to some of the other people i� ve spoken to tonight, quite a toxic campaign. What� s your experience of that been like . Whats your experience of that been like . ~. , � ,. , like . Well, thats what i feel i brou. Ht like . Well, thats what i feel i brought a like . Well, thats what i feel i brought a bit like . Well, thats what i feel i brought a bit of like . Well, thats what i feel i brought a bit of a like . Well, thats what i feel i brought a bit of a breath like . Well, thats what i feel i brought a bit of a breath of i like . Well, thats what i feel i i brought a bit of a breath of fresh air to it really. I wanted to be a voice for rochdale. I� ve had a Good Campaign with Great Campaign with great support from the community. I haven� t felt the toxic part of the campaign because i didn� t get involved in the at the momentics. That� s not my forte. Involved in the at the momentics. Thats not my forte. Involved in the at the momentics. Thats not my forte. Have you seen an hint thats not my forte. Have you seen anything like thats not my forte. Have you seen anything like that thats not my forte. Have you seen anything like that happening . Thats not my forte. Have you seen anything like that happening . Not| thats not my forte. Have you seen i anything like that happening . Not me ersonall , anything like that happening . Not me personally. No anything like that happening . Not me personally, no. Ive anything like that happening . Not me personally, no. Ive lived anything like that happening . Not me personally, no. Ive lived in anything like that happening . Not me personally, no. Ive lived in this personally, no. I� ve lived in this town all my life and i� ve got good relationships in the community and i feel like people in the Community Have supported me so it� s been really good, you know, the campaign that i� ve done, so, like i said, i� m very humble and lthlthlthlth proud of the people of rochdale that� s brought a bit of good light to our town for a change, instead of the bad light we we� ve all seemed to have over the last few years. Yes. We� re going to get a declaration on the stage behind you probably in the next 20 minutes or so i� m told, and we� re hearing thaw might have come second. Is that what you� re thinking too . Second. Is that what youre thinking too . ~ ,. � second. Is that what youre thinking too . ~ ,. , �. , too . Well, yeah, im led to believe so. Well too . Well, yeah, im led to believe so well see too . Well, yeah, im led to believe so. Well see how too . Well, yeah, im led to believe so. Well see how that too . Well, yeah, im led to believe so. Well see how that pans too . Well, yeah, im led to believe so. Well see how that pans out. Too . Well, yeah, im led to believe so. Well see how that pans out in l so. We� ll see how that pans out in the next 20 minutes. If that� s so, to be involved with something that i didn� t really anticipate myself getting involved in four weeks ago and to be here now in that position, like i say, i� m very proud of the people of rochdale for supporting me. I can only thank them if that� s the case. You know, ifeel very humble that we� ve put a bit of good light on our town and hopefully this is a Better Change for the people of rochdale and its community. And i� m proud i� ve started that to be honest. If, proud ive started that to be honest. � proud ive started that to be honest. , �. ,. , honest. If, as were hearing, George Galloway has honest. If, as were hearing, George Galloway has won honest. If, as were hearing, George Galloway has won and honest. If, as were hearing, George Galloway has won and youve honest. If, as were hearing, George Galloway has won and youve compo | galloway has won and you� ve compo tensionally second, what message does that send to the Mainstream Parties . Does that send to the Mainstream Arties . ~. Parties . Well, i think the Mainstream Parties . Well, i think the Mainstream Parties parties . Well, i think the Mainstream Parties have| parties . Well, i think the Mainstream Parties have been parties . Well, i think the Mainstream Parties have been tried and tested and that� s what i wanted to stand up for and to voice, be a voice of the people and air my concerns because i feel that it� s just the same old routine and i wanted to be a breath of fresh air and put my points across, basically what our town feels and what the, you know, on a bigger stage, what our town feels and what the, you know, on a biggerstage, our nation feels. And i wanted to be the front man of that for our town, rochdale. And ifeel front man of that for our town, rochdale. And i feel we� ve front man of that for our town, rochdale. And ifeel we� ve achieved that in four weeks, yeah. D0 rochdale. And i feel weve achieved that in four weeks, yeah. That in four weeks, yeah. Do you think ou that in four weeks, yeah. Do you think you can that in four weeks, yeah. Do you think you can inspire that in four weeks, yeah. Do you think you can inspire other that in four weeks, yeah. Do you think you can inspire other parts| that in four weeks, yeah. Do you i think you can inspire other parts of the country to do similar . I think you can inspire other parts of the country to do similar . The country to do similar . I hope so. I the country to do similar . I hope so i hope the country to do similar . I hope so i hope people the country to do similar . I hope so. I hope people from the country to do similar . I hope so. I hope people from each the country to do similar . I hope | so. I hope people from each town stand up and make themselves accountable and hopefully the communities back them like rochdale� s done today with me. Like i say, ifeel very rochdale� s done today with me. Like i say, i feel very humble and i feel, you know, we can hopefully achieve something if people stand up for what they believe in and local people back them instead ofjust maybe not voting, because there won� t be any change. So hopefully, we can maybe have a little snowball from rochdale and a bigger light from rochdale and a bigger light from us, rather than a dark one that� s been clouded over us. Thank you very much. David tully, really one of the stories of this by election. Butjust to my right, lots of cameras trained towards the entrance of the building, as we await the potential arrival of George Galloway, who we are expecting to have won this by election. As i say, the declaration expected in the next 15 to 20 minutes and as i was sort of saying earlier on, his team very, very confident. They have been throughout the night and earlier, i spoke to the former labour mp Chris Williamson, who is now a member of George Galloway� s workers for Britain Party. George galloways workers for Britain PartyGeorge Galloways workers for britain pa. ~ � , Britain Party. Were very confident that its a comfortable Britain Party. Were very confident that its a comfortable win Britain Party. Were very confident that its a comfortable win for that it� s a comfortable win for george. And this will send shock waves, i think, george. And this will send shock waves, ithink, through george. And this will send shock waves, i think, through the corridors of power in westminster. But more important than that, i think it will give confidence to insurgent campaigns all over the country who are looking for a genuine alternative to the mainstream Political Parties. Because our democracy has been stolen from us in this country. Both labour and the Conservative Party are on the same page economically and on the same page on International Policy as well. They� re both signed up to the war machine and they� re both signed up to neo liberal economics. So people have no choice. We� re effectively being run by a one party state and people are desperate, it seems to me, for an alternative. The Workers Party, George Galloway, provides that alternative. And we think his strong victory this evening will be a real boost to those insurgent campaigns all over the country. And the mainstream Political Parties better watch out when the General Election comes. Better watch out when the General Election comes. What message does this send to election comes. What message does this send to the election comes. What message does this send to the labour election comes. What message does this send to the labour party this send to the labour party particularly as regards its position on the middle east . Particularly as regards its position on the middle east . Well, theyve comletel on the middle east . Well, theyve completely lost on the middle east . Well, theyve completely lost touch on the middle east . Well, theyve completely lost touch with on the middle east . Well, theyvei completely lost touch with reality. The fact that is the labour party is facilitating genocide that� s taking place before our very eyes. It� s absolutely outrageous that labour party of all Political Parties, which has always had a strong peace contingent within it, is now actually supporting genocide. Maybe if we can avoid actually supporting genocide. Maybe if we can avoid that actually supporting genocide. Maybe if we can avoid that language actually supporting genocide. Maybe if we can avoid that language if if we can avoid that language if that� s ok for now. If we can avoid that language if thats ok for now. If we can avoid that language if thats ok for now. Well, i know, but it may offend. Thats ok for now. Well, i know, but it may offend, but thats ok for now. Well, i know, but it may offend, but even thats ok for now. Well, i know, but it may offend, but even the it may offend, but even the International Court ofjustice have acknowledged that there is a plausible genocide going on. fik. Plausible genocide going on. Ok. When ou plausible genocide going on. Ok. When you see plausible genocide going on. Ok. When you see the Israelis Massacring people who are starving, queueing up forfood, and the labour people who are starving, queueing up for food, and the labour party is not standing out against that, it� s absolutely outrageous. What not standing out against that, its absolutely outrageous. Not standing out against that, its absolutely outrageous. What do you sa to absolutely outrageous. What do you say to people absolutely outrageous. What do you say to people who absolutely outrageous. What do you say to people who say absolutely outrageous. What do you say to people who say that absolutely outrageous. What do you say to people who say that george | say to people who say that George Galloway comes to places like this where he� s never been before and Drums Up Division . Where hes never been before and Drums Up Division . Where hes never been before and Drums Up Division . Well, thats not true at all Drums Up Division . Well, thats not true at all. George Drums Up Division . Well, thats not true at all. George is Drums Up Division . Well, thats not true at all. George is very Drums Up Division . Well, thats not true at all. George is very strong i true at all. George is very strong on local issues. The fact is that people in rochdale have been badly let down in local issues. The accident and Emergency Service is no longer operational here. There� s a massive housing crisis. There� s huge levels of poverty. It used to be the fifth biggest economy and it� s now the sixth biggest economy. There is no need for anyone to be living in the poverty or deprivation that millions of people across the country and thousands of people in rochdale are currently experiencing. So george, i think, is offering hope to those people. But also thousands of people in rochdale and millions all over the country are also concerned about International Policy as well, and the fact is that our government, and the main opposition party, is actually supporting massacres of innocent palestinian people. People are absolutely outraged by this and they want to see people speaking out against it and George Galloway and the Workers Party is doing just that. Some and George Galloway and the Workers Party is doing just that. Party is doing ust that. Some of the party is doing just that. Some of the other parties party is doing just that. Some of the other parties think party is doing just that. Some of the other parties think the i party is doing just that. Some of i the other parties think the campaign here has been pretty toxic, to be honest. And they lay the blame for that at George Galloway� s door. I that at George Galloways door. I mean they would do, wouldnt they . Mean they would do, wouldn� t they . We have fought, George Galloway has fought, the Workers Party has fought, the Workers Party has fought, an incredibly positive campaign. We� re speaking out for peace. We� re speaking against war. We� re calling for a ceasefire in gaza. We� re speaking for an Economic Policy that actually supports ordinary Working Class people in this country, gives people hope. Let� s address the housing crisis. Let� s address the housing crisis. Let� s address the collapse in our public services. Let� s deal with the destruction of our infrastructure. You know all these things are possible. Itjust takes political will to bring about a good society and one of the none of the Political Parties are offering that. What are the Political Parties offering .