[Abernathy]

Anybody hazard a guess as to why Galloway has taken to wearing a fucking silly hat all the time, even indoors ? I think he's only started wearing it in the last 5 years or so.

My theory : He is basically a strutting embodiment of vanity, and like most men who do the hat thing, is worried about male pattern baldness and thinks that if he just jams a titfer on his bonce that'll keep it covered up and he won't have to worry about it any more. At least Donald Trump pays to have a Persian cat stapled to his pate.

In short : he IS The Twat in the Hat.

[Arrowhead]

I seem to remember Vince Cable doing a similar sort of thing for a while, too? Unless I'm imagining things.

I think you're right, it's basically some sort of vanity thing going on. Galloway probably thinks it makes him look like some sort of charismatic outlaw type, whereas in reality he just looks like a twat.

[Youngian]

They’re characters.

Yes Cable did have a hat wearing period, helps identify people when they’re drowning.

[mattomac]

I think this could be more serious than it looks. He doesn't have to do any work. He can travel around campaigning against Labour full time.

What stopped him doing that anyhow.

Some atrocious media out there today.

[The Weeping Angel]

Just when my opinion of Galloway couldn't sink any lower.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

So the voters of Rochdale expect that on Monday morning Garglewax will form a government, unilaterally recognise Hamas as the government of Palestine and force the UN Security council into condemning Israel.
Tuesday they imagine he will personally lead an international force into Israel to effect regime change.

Then he will eradicate poverty, and establish world peace under the benign rule of Vlad the Impaler.


They must be even more fucking naive than I gave them credit for.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Not to mention bringing back Primark to Rochdale and finding a buyer for Rochdale AFC.

But theydon't have to believe he can do anything to like what he says. No different to anybody else really. The issue is that I'm sure lots of them don't know the half of what he's said about China's treatment of Muslims, or Assad/Putin killing actual Palestinians. A Labour candidate of the quality of Kim Leadbetter could have got a hearing and trounced him.

[satnav]

There is something very ironic about a bloke who has never done a honest days work in his life leading the Workers party.

The Rochdale result was always likely to be a bit freakish when Labour disowned its own candidate and the Reform Party fielded a bloke who has previously been an MP in Rochdale.

When he won in Bradford in a by-election he in 2012 he was then well beaten at the next election.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Labour lost mainly by not having a candidate, one might think. They dropped theirs on principle because of anti-Semitism, or at least something close to it. The bloke who won is an unrepentant anti-Semite, transphobe and supporter of genocide in China, Russia, Syria. But yeah, it's Starmer's fault that Galloway won.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ah, Mr Proudfoot again.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Mr Proudfoot has a go at balance here. Shame the balance doesn't include Arabs killed by Syria, Russia, Iraq, Iran really. Plenty of people have brought up this stuff to Proudfoot, but he's ignoring it. Maybe he should consider the obvious explanation why Galloway is running against trans people- that he's horrible.

[Abernathy]

Garglewax was asked on C4 News about concerns that he has a record of coming in to a constituency at a by-election, getting elected, then buggering off. He did it in Bethnal Green & Bow, and in Bradford. Can the constituents of Rochdale be sure that he will be with them for the long term?

The Twat in the Hat’s reply, smirking : “ I know I don’t look it, but I ‘ll be 70 by the time of the General election, and 75 by the time that parliamentary term is over. I can assure the people of Rochdale that I’ll serve for 5 years, and then I’m out of here.”

Arrogant, slimy little shite that he is. It ain’t going to be 5 years before you’re out of there, Georgie boy. More like 5 months - if you’re very lucky. You cunt.

[Rosvanian]

We're all here because we're interested in this stuff but based on my own life experience of work, watching football, drinking in pubs etc. , I 'm not sure the general public actual gives that much of a shit about Gaza. Yeah, everyone watches the news and thinks "isn't that terrible" but they say that about every war or natural disaster. For it to be dominating parliament is extraordinary. So when Galloway says he's won for Gaza, I suspect most people paying any attention react with an "eh?".

[Tubby Isaacs]

Not sure about this point. BNP wins in council by-elections certainly got condemnation, as well as reflection on what parties could do better.

Where Sam is right, I think, is that if Galloway is a threat to democracy, where does that leave Sunak? Did the Tories even try in the by-election? I've got more than a suspicion that they wanted Galloway to win to cause trouble for Labour. Sam goes further and says that the Tories, if they believe that, ought to drop out and let Paul Waugh, as it presumably will be, a clear run v Galloway.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

We're all here because we're interested in this stuff but based on my own life experience of work, watching football, drinking in pubs etc. , I 'm not sure the general public actual gives that much of a shit about Gaza. Yeah, everyone watches the news and thinks "isn't that terrible" but they say that about every war or natural disaster. For it to be dominating parliament is extraordinary. So when Galloway says he's won for Gaza, I suspect most people paying any attention react with an "eh?".

I think there's some truth in this, though the disgust at what has been going on is real enough. I don't think the GBP are that inured to suffering.

And I know one must never blame the electorate, but what the fuck were the people of Rochdale thinking?

[Bones McCoy]

[The Weeping Angel]

Labour lost mainly by not having a candidate, one might think. They dropped theirs on principle because of anti-Semitism, or at least something close to it. The bloke who won is an unrepentant anti-Semite, transphobe and supporter of genocide in China, Russia, Syria. But yeah, it's Starmer's fault that Galloway won.

I find this odd considering Labour called for a ceasefire literally last week.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Ah - but did he mean it? Was it the wrong sort of ceasefire? Were his fingers crossed?

You can't trust Keith.

[Abernathy]

And I know one must never blame the electorate, but what the fuck were the people of Rochdale thinking?

Also on C4 news tonight, a couple of those annoying little vox pops from our reporter on the ground in Rochdale. A muslim guy who voted for Galloway, interviewed in his shop, was asked whether Gaza was really the most important issue for him in the by-election : “Oh, yes, definitely the most important issue.” And did he think Galloway could deliver all the things he promised to for the town of Rochdale ? “Oh, yes. One hundred percent, yes, one hundred percent.” So, so gullible.

[Tubby Isaacs]

In fairness, there was plenty of that in Heywood and Middleton next door, which voted for Bozo's Tories in 2019.