In this election year is the world’s cradle of democracy under threat?

What does the result of the Rochdale by-election mean for our country and the world?

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024

Threats and the scandal of mass postal voting – its impact on our government and society

On Thursday (29 Feb 2024) the voters of Rochdale delivered their verdict at the ballot box and by postal vote. A by-election took place in this constituency following the death of Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd. The winner was George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain.

However, amongst death threats, racist abuse, and mass postal voting some serious questions are being asked about the state of democracy in its cradle in the United Kingdom.

These questions impact countries around the world, who are all suffering from similar problems, including the United States and countries as far away as Australia. Facts4EU asks if the newly-independent United Kingdom should pick up the banner and lead the way with some serious reforms.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The results of the Rochdale by-election, Thurs 29 Feb 2024

Workers Party : George Galloway : 12,335 ( 39.7% )
Independent : David Tully : 6,638 ( 21.3% )
Conservative : Paul Ellison : 3,731 ( 12.0% )
Labour (but disavowed) : Azhar Ali : 2,402 ( 7.7% )
Liberal Democrats : Iain Donaldson : 2,164 ( 7.0% )
Reform UK : Simon Danczuk : 1,968 ( 6.3% )
Independent : William Howarth : 523 ( 1.7% )
Independent : Mark Coleman : 455 ( 1.5% )
Green[b] : Guy Otten : 436 ( 1.4% )
Independent : Michael Howarth : 246 ( 0.8% )
Monster Raving Loony : Ravin Rodent Subortna : 209 ( 0.7% )
Majority : 5,697 ( 18.4% )
Physical Turnout : 17,647
Postal votes : 13,460
Total No. of Votes Cast : 31,107

[Source: Electoral Commission | Rochdale Borough Council.]

This was not a normal by-election

The Labour candidate for Rochdale would normally have been expected to win this this seat comfortably. The reason this did not happen is because Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, disavowed his candidate, Azhar Ali, after his anti-Semitic remarks which came to light during the campaign.

This allowed the maverick George Galloway, a far-left, anti-Israel extremist who has previously held forth on Putin’s ‘Russia Today’ TV channel with his own programme, a clear run.

The total number of votes cast was only 31,107, so there are no lessons for the country at large. Mr Galloway’s own vote (12,335) would not have been enough for him to get elected in an average constituency.

Mr Galloway is Leader of the 'Workers Party of Britain'. It is thought that his anti-Israel views will have helped him to attract a large part of the very significant Muslim vote in Rochdale. In his party's manifesto is the following : "we make no apology for our support for Palestine and the people of Gaza during the current brutal onslaught which has been enabled by Labour and Tories alike." The party's extreme views also include withdrawing the United Kingdom from NATO.

The scandal of postal voting

Rochdale Borough Council reports that of the total number of votes (31,107), 43.3% (13,460) of these were postal votes. There were more postal votes than votes for George Galloway.

This represents an astonishing 27.3% increase in postal voting since the 2019 general election.

Reform UK leader Richard Tice made a very strong statement :

“Now the polls have closed, people across the UK need to know the truth about this election campaign - and the implications for our democracy.
“To suggest that a parliamentary election in this country has not been truly free and fair is a very serious allegation indeed.
“Unfortunately however, the behaviour of certain candidates and their supporters in this contest fell very far short of this our traditional democratic standards. What we have witnessed and experienced in Rochdale is deeply disturbing.
“In recent weeks, Reform UK’s candidate and campaign team has:

been subjected to death threats
suffered vile racist abuse
been refused entry to hustings in a public building
had to be relocated for their own safety
suffered daily intimidation and slurs

“In one incident, Reform UK business supporters were threatened with a firebomb attack if they distributed our leaflets. Menacing behaviour was a feature of the entire campaign, including outside polling stations on the day of the election itself. In this ugliest of contests, we are also concerned by the sudden increase in the size of the postal vote.
“The results of the Rochdale by-election should act as a stark wake up call to those in power – and the entire electorate. This is Britain. We are supposed to be a beacon of democracy. This shameful contest has been more characteristic of a failed state.
“Unless something dramatic changes, our fear is that it will be repeated in dozens of constituencies across the UK at the general election. By Christmas, we face the prospect of numerous extremist anti-Semitic lawmakers in the House of Commons.”

These are serious allegations. It remains to be seen whether the Government will take action ahead of the general election.

Observations

We are reaching a tipping point in British politics. Many of us felt this was coming during the dark days of Theresa May’s premiership when the democratic decision of the British people to leave the European Union was under threat from anti-democratic MPs.

Now we have a by-election where a candidate was subject to death threats and was not even allowed by local officials to attend hustings where the public could question him.

It is clear to us that the Government must legislate immediately to uphold democracy. In particular we believe that postal votes should only be allowed from military personnel serving overseas and from those who have a serious medical condition with proof from their doctor.

As to the winner of this by-election we can only remind readers of Mr Galloway's cringe-making appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. Those of a nervous disposition should look away now.

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[ Sources: Rochdale Borough Council | Electoral Commission | Richard Tice ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sat 02 Mar 2024

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Reader Comments 8

1. Captain Thunderbolt , Saturday, March 02, 2024, 05:37:

Indeed, it's also been a strange federal by-election being held in the seat of Dunkley today.
Advance Australia has been very vocal in the lead up in opposition to the ALP government of Anthony Albanese they are grass roots platform who were in vote no to the "voice to Parliament.". as we saw with the intimidation tactics by the yes supporters

2. Sparky , Saturday, March 02, 2024, 07:42:

High ethnicity in Rochdale and what’s happening in Gaza has clearly played in favour of George Galloway. Come a GE and a higher turnout later this year a more realistic result will emerge.
.
Richard Tice is taking a page out of the Trump playbook, the result was stolen, he should provide the evidence, Trump never could. Maybe the very poor result for Reform has something to do with putting up a local candidate previously kicked out of the Labour Party for sending inappropriate messages to a 17 year old, actions that at the time Simon Danczuk apologised for and a sensitive subject in Rochdale. Recently SD has been saying he was kicked out for opposing Corbyn, a weak attempt to brush over his past, I thought RIchard Tice was about reform, not more of the same old political dishonesty.

3. LuxuryBalloon , Saturday, March 02, 2024, 07:45:

George Galloway’s views are not dissimilar to Baroness Claire Fox who is regularly quoted by Facrs4EU as a prominent Brexiteer. Galloway campaigned with Farage and Kate Hoey for the Leave campaign leading up to the 2016 referendum.. The EU can’t stand Galloway. I had expected Facts4EuU to adopt the bible quote “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” when it comes to George Galloway.

4. Simon. , Saturday, March 02, 2024, 08:18:

The Reform Party should learn a very valuable lesson from their result in the Rochdale by-election.
The voting public Do Not want to vote for candidates who have skeletons in the cupboard!!
As Reform promise to sweep away so many of the things that the voting public hate, they need to start with themselves and put forward candidates who are "Whiter Than White" and have nothing in their past to alienate Reform voters.

5. Ashley Great Britain , Saturday, March 02, 2024, 09:50:

2 sparky.
-
Many believe the US vote was rigged against trump. Now you can see some proof with how they are still going for him with erroneous court appearances.
Rochdale has all the hallmarks of the same undemocratic corruption.
You either believe this or you don't, like Brexit or hate it, like Bojo or not, like marmite or not.
It's the yes no, left right of things.
Strange though how it is.
How leave and remain have a clear and unwavering divide for support for this and that.
It's very polarised.

6. Sparky , Saturday, March 02, 2024, 10:29:

5 AGB. Trump is just playing for time in the hope of becoming President and then he will wipe any possible convictions away. That stinks of corrupt politics in itself.
.
Don't see any hallmarks in Rochdale. Rochdale is a safe Labour seat, with what's happened for Labour in Rochdale, those voters had few options other than GG, they would be unlikely to vote to the right who's vote dropped from 39.2% to 18.3%. There was a significant increase in the proportion of postal votes but only 39% actually voted compared to 60% in the 2019 GE. If the same number voted by post in both elections but those that could be bothered to tune out to vote on a wet day in February then the proportion of postal votes would be higher. However the accusations should be investigated.
.
The USA is more polarised than the UK but since Brexit the level of polarisation in the UK is worrying and has been going on for too long, it's becoming entrenched.

7. Sparky , Saturday, March 02, 2024, 10:51:

5 AGB. Another concern is trust in politicians, lower now than it was in 2009 following the expenses scandal. Comments like those of Richard Tice about postal votes because of his suspicions but no evidence don’t help.

8. David , Sunday, March 03, 2024, 13:38:

France banned postal voting or mail-in voting in 1975 after widespread fraud was discovered.
It is too easy to cheat with postal votes and of course husbands can coerce their wives to
vote for a party the husband favours.
Those who are physically disabled and unable to go to a polling station can always arrange for someone to
take them to the polling station.
As for those British citizens on holiday during an election, hard luck.
Those living and working abroad and therefore no longer actively taking any part in UK society, they
should not be allowed to vote.
It used to be the case that UK citizens who had been living abroad for more than 15 years lost the right to vote.
That has now been abolished and UK citizens living abroad for more than 15 years now have the right to a
postal vote.
I think this is wrong. Why should someone have the right to vote when they will not suffer the consequences
of who they vote for as they continue to live abroad?

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