Surprisingly, it was not about gaza but his apparent Climate Change denial and here is the stark message for the labour leader. I think keir starmer has woken up this morning to his Worst Nightmare and that is, as nigel farage warned about sectarian politics in the united kingdom. Is it sectarian politics is here to stay. People thought the result in 2012, in bradford west , was a complete one off. It wasnt. It was , was a complete one off. It wasnt. It was a warning shot. This is voting along religious lines allied to some extreme hard left characters like the Chris Williamsons. No this is real. Also, this morning, real. Also, this morning , the also, this morning, the governments flagship rwanda policy could end up costing more than £600 million to deport 300 refugees, according to a spending watchdog. Beautiful spending watchdog. Beautiful garden owns eternal flower vase. Garden owns eternal flower vase. You know the way so take me there. There. Wont you make me dizzy. 7 wont you make me dizzy . Wont you make me dizzy . Olly alexander releases his eurovision 2024 entry dizzy with the music video out later this morning. And a very happy Saint David S day to everyone celebrating in wales. Good morning. Its a cold day out there for many areas and theres some snow due for some. Find out all the details with me a little later on. Good morning. Im pip tomson. Good morning. Im pip tomson. Good morning. Im pip tomson. Good morning, im Michael Portillo and happy saint davids day to you everywhere. And this is breakfast on gb news. A very good morning to you. And a massive good morning to Michael Portillo here on breakfast for the very first time. Indeed it is. Indeed it is. And what a day to be on. Well well, i think this is a by election thats going to be remembered in decades to come. I mean, i go back a long way in politics. I remember by elections from 1962, orpington , elections from 1962, orpington, this one is up right up there. This one is up right up there. In 20 years time, people will be on programmes like this and theyll about the theyll be talking about the rochdale because rochdale by election, because what here, george what has happened here, George Galloway to point galloway is quite right to point this out, is that both major parties have been massacred. Were to situation where were used to a situation where the governing has the governing party has massacred, case, the massacred, but in this case, the conservatives and the labour party have been massacred. Liberal democrats too, by the way, and theyve been massacred by galloway, a very by George Galloway, a very articulate, a very charismatic , articulate, a very charismatic, articulate, a very charismatic, a very Effective Campaign trainer, representing, in this case not only the cause of gaza and many muslim voters, but also, of course , remember he is also, of course, remember he is also, of course, remember he is a man with a far left history who even in recent times was supporting Jeremy Corbyn and such a dramatic night. Does it ever make you not antalgic for the political arena again, or does it actually give you the Heebie Jeebies . Because we still talk about the portillo moment, dont we . Yes. But on the other hand, im an unusual person im quite an unusual person because i two by elections , because i won two by elections, um, in london, i won one when my party was in government, the other one, we were in opposition and actually to win two by elections in london is pretty unusual, particularly if youre the governing party. I mean, weve seen the conservatives lose one by election after the other. So although my general election figures are not too good, by election statistics good, my by election statistics are phenomenal. Fact 100 fantastic. Fantastic. Well if you are just waking up this morning, lets bring you bang up to date because George Galloway of the Workers Party of britain has won one of the most divisive and controversial by election contests in recent history. Contests in recent history. Turnout at the by election was 39. 7, which was higher than expected. This was galloways message to labour leader sir keir starmer. Keir starmer this is for gaza. You have paid and you will pay a high price for the role that you have played in enabling encourage ing and covering. For encourage ing and covering. For the catastrophe presently going on in occupied palestine , in the on in occupied palestine, in the gaza strip. Gaza strip. Well, joining us now is our Political Editor, Christopher Hope. Political editor, Christopher Hope. Christopher, a very long, hope. Christopher, a very long, exciting night for you. In the exciting night for you. In the words of George Galloway, has the labour leader, sir keir starmer, this morning woken up to his Worst Nightmare . Well to his Worst Nightmare . Well morning pip, and morning, michael. I mean, it is a complete disaster for the labour party. They of course had their candidate on the ballot paper, didnt they . As our ally. But the party itself had disowned him over remarks he recorded in making about gaza back in october, which emerged after the nominations had closed for this by election. Labour, of course, coming in fourth behind the tory party, the governing tory party in third and independent david tully , a lifetime, uh season tully, a lifetime, uh season Ticket Holder of rochdale f. C. Concerned about local hospital issues. He came second in issues. He came second in galloway, of course , first with galloway, of course, first with a near 6000 majority. Yes, it would be difficult for him because i think the whole the gaza um, uh, control kc the issue with israel and hamas in gazais issue with israel and hamas in gaza is not going away any time soon. And as soon as that comes up in the house of commons, youre going to hear George Galloway trying to make make the case of why labour must call for an immediate ceasefire in gaza , an immediate ceasefire in gaza, and more besides, that complete. The labour vote collapsed , such the labour vote collapsed, such as it was by 43. Um, its a disaster for the main parties. As Michael Portillo says eloquently, this seat, of course, held by sir tony lloyd until his death earlier this year , since since 2010. So 14 year, since since 2010. So 14 years a labour seat and now its a Workers Party of britain. And hes not stopped here. Hes saying to us hes going to stand in 59 seats across the country at the upcoming general election i um, Christopher Michael here. Excuse me. Just wondering whether given the scale of this disaster, do you think that what happened with the labour candidate was absolutely crucial to the result . What do you have a feeling . I must confess that i do , that galloway would have do, that galloway would have stormed through the middle of this by election anyway. This by election anyway. I think that is if you look at look at the scale of votes going towards the independence, that looks quite likely. But we that looks quite likely. But we will never know that. But certainly the fact that ali was disowned, theres been no unusually theres no visit coming from any party coming here from any party leader to welcome the new candidate or the new mp for rochdale. I should say. Um, no, i think you could well be right. I think you could well be right. I think you could well be right. I think his force of personality , he targeted the muslim , the way he targeted the muslim vote for for the votes vote here for the for the votes on gaza he gaza his first, on gaza, he made gaza his first, first lines as an mp for rochdale was this is for gaza. Rochdale was this is for gaza. Im not saying this is for rochdale or rochdale issues. He saw this as an issue. The saw this as an issue. The International Debate about gaza imprinted on this, on this lancashire town , i should say lancashire town, i should say also, by the way , um, the reform also, by the way, um, the reform party Simon Danczuk, the former mp for rochdale, labour mp for rochdale, now the candidate for reform, had a disastrous night, coming sixth with the fewer than 2000 votes and some thought he may have done a lot better than that because of his history here. The way he exposed the late lib dem rochdale mp cyril smith with the issues he had with sexual abuse. He he we thought some thought he would do better. But no, i think George Galloway has swept all before him and now we look forward to next week when he is introduced as an mp in parliament and what comes next is anyones guess. Comes next is anyones guess. Absolutely. Political editor absolutely. Political editor Christopher Hope , thanks very Christopher Hope, thanks very much. That was a really interesting question. You just asked , michael. Yes, i would asked, michael. Yes, i would expect nothing less but fascinating that he might have romped home anyway. Well, and galloway is a really charismatic campaigner. Ive already said that. I thought the labour candidate , thought the labour candidate, who was disowned , ali was was who was disowned, ali was was not particularly charismatic. It looked as though he got himself into difficulty because he was trying to compete with galloway. He was trying to say things that would capture the radicalism of the left and the radicalism possibly of the of the muslim voter and he tipped himself over the edge. I mean, in a way it was typical that he was so clumsy as to do that. Whereas galloway has, you know, just sailed the way through. I just think i mean, was being said think i mean, it was being said before the by election that many voters realise that the voters wouldnt realise that the labour been labour candidate had been disowned therefore disowned and therefore the labour might do quite labour candidate might do quite well. Well, a lot of people will be their words today be eating their words today because very clear is because what is very clear is that very aware that the voters were very aware of galloway as a campaigner and, and, um, i mean, thats both very bad news this morning for laboun very bad news this morning for labour. But its also good news in the sense that there is only one galloway so it cant be repeated in every seat in the country as well. He hes been saying that and he hes been saying that this is going to start a movement. So this is going to start a movement. So is it what we need to tease out . I think during the course of this programme is not so much whether its going to cause a movement as to whether its going to cause a panic, is it going to cause a panic, is it going to cause a panic in the labour party because he has been galloway has been saying, millions of votes ride on this. And not just the muslim and theyre not just the muslim votes. Are other people votes. There are other people who by labours votes. There are other people who on by labours votes. There are other people who on gaza. By labours votes. There are other people who on gaza. And labours it stance on gaza. And he called it the so called party. In the so called labour party. In other appalled other words, theyre appalled also by stance. You know, its not left wing now not left wing enough. Now i think what a lot of labour mps and will be a and labour candidates will be a bit worried about whats going to happen to them. Own to happen to them. My own analysis would be that in england this vote, that they england, this vote, that they might losing nowhere else might be losing has nowhere else to but in scotland it does. To go. But in scotland it does. In scotland vote to in scotland that vote can go to the Scottish National party, which why weeks rumpus which is why last weeks rumpus in the house of commons was so significant the scottish significant because the Scottish National trying National Party was trying to show more show itself as being more radical, more in favour of a ceasefire than the labour party. And obviously the Scottish National party think that matters seats. And matters for gaining seats. And obviously labour Party Obviously the labour party thought so too, because it fought tooth and nail to change labour procedure. Labour party procedure. Okay, well well dig into that little more very that a little bit more very shortly. Want to bring shortly. What i want to bring you all first though, is an exclusive interview that George Galloway to us over galloway has given to us over night very shortly after his win. Take a listen to this. I think the revival of the civic spirit in the town is vital , and unity is important vital, and unity is important for that. Uh, but it wasnt me for that. Uh, but it wasnt me that dragged rochdales name in the dirt. It was labour, uh, first in covering up the grooming scandal and secondly, in imploding with the anti semitic comments made by the labour candidate. We were trending for two full days that week and it wasnt in a good way. And it wasnt about me. So divisive is not really a charge. I think that can be laid against me. Ive just won a thumping majority in a in a by election you have its a, its a keir starmer is calling for a ceasefire now. Beau biden is hopeful it will happen. Are you hopeful it will happen. Are you and would you lay off him in that instance . It doesnt seem like theres any prospect of you laying off keir starmer or any prospect of them actually, genuinely seeking an end to the war in gaza. Ive been saying that anyone who believes keir starmer is trying to end the war in gaza, ive got a bridge in london. I could sell them going cheap. It could sell them going cheap. It is a totally unbelievable pretence. If he really did, he would have backed the snp motion in parliament or at least not tried to wreck it, which is what he did. And he tried to wreck it because what he is asking for is a different thing to what the snp were asking for. And what the snp were asking for was a genuine ceasefire. Genuine ceasefire. And just finally, it sounds like youve got big plans for this new party of yours. Do you hope to replicate this in seats across the country and in other constituencies come the election . Yes, especially in this region. I dont know what will happen elsewhere in the country, but i have now received deputations from bolton , uh, deputations from bolton, uh, from oldham , from blackburn, from oldham, from blackburn, from oldham, from blackburn, from bury, uh, and from tameside in greater manchester. And thats just the deputations ive received. Weve got 59 parliamentary candidates ready to go and well stand in therefore three score labour seats. Uh, and either defeat them ourselves or cause their defeat and there will be independence , not Workers Party, independence, not Workers Party, but independence that were ready to support. Who will stand up and down the country. And i know of many already in the field who will now be energised by the result here tonight. I think keir starmer has woken up this morning to his Worst Nightmare. Well that was george nightmare. Well that was George Galloway speaking a very short time ago. To our Political CorrespondentKatherine Forster. Lets talk about and analyse all this more now with special adviser, former special adviser Charlie Rowley and former labour mp Denis Macshane. Good morning to you both. Lets recap first of all then to George Galloways warning there, dennis, this is Keir Starmers worst night mare. Or is it actually just a little dream george is 70 this year. Hes founded i think, four parties. Hes been briefly mp. Uh after he left labour in mainstream politics. Uh, in by elections. Hes a marvellous speaken elections. Hes a marvellous speaker. Ive known him for 40 years. Uh, he compelled powerful speaker. But years. Uh, he compelled powerful speaker. But all his parties crash and burn, and he gets his metaphors wrong. You dont wake up to a nightmare. You have a nightmare by falling asleep. Uh nightmare by falling asleep. Uh uh. So again, its early in the morning for him. As i say, he always wears this funny hat. Dennis. Dennis dennis. Dennis, this is this is always smooth talk, and youve clearly rehearsed this rehearsed your line this morning. I havent, ive morning. No, i havent, ive just got out of bed. Lets have some you, please. All right. Very. All right. Very. What is going to happen in the labour party . What is going to to those people to happen to those people fighting in scotland, for fighting seats in scotland, for example, be pretty example, who will be pretty unnerved . Its not unnerved . By the way, its not coincidental that galloway is a scot who be pretty unnerved scot who will be pretty unnerved by fact that the labour by the fact that here the labour party been trounced and the party has been trounced and the conservatives and the liberal democrats, course. This democrats, of course. But this is this is bad news for those people hoping to win seats in scotland and in england. It scotland and in england. Two it looks of seats could looks like a lot of seats could go, a lot votes could go go, a lot of votes could go begging on scotland. Begging on on scotland. I mean, thats been a problem for the labour party now for a number of years. It was certainly looking better because of the implosion of the snp that hasnt gone away. The scandal, the allegations, the incompetence of the current leader in scotland, stephen flynn, in parliament. Its a very