George Galloway vows his party will take Angela Rayner's seat

George Galloway has declared his intention to unseat Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner in Ashton-under-Lyne, predicting his Workers Party of Britain could overturn her lead in the next election.

Fresh from his by-election victory, Galloway took his parliamentary oath and quickly focused on regional and international issues, especially Gaza.

In dialogue with the press, Galloway emphasized his goal to disrupt Labour's chances under Keir Starmer, referencing Rayner's constituency where he believes he has significant support. His win in Rochdale was a statement for Gaza, he said, where he hopes to have his say during the week's Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs).

Galloway rebuffed a BBC question regarding Hamas' governance of Gaza, criticizing the notion of external entities dictating Gaza's leadership. He voiced his historical support for Arafat over Hamas but argued against foreign interference.

On Israel, while acknowledging its existence, he challenged the inherent right of any state to exist and reaffirmed his support for a Palestinian state according to the Oslo Agreement.

His comments drew connections between the Holocaust and current events, a link that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance warns against as potentially antisemitic.

Upon his arrival at Westminster, Galloway expressed affection for the Parliament building but not its denizens, a sentiment echoed by Conservative Minister Bim Afolami.

Galloway was formally sworn in as an MP, with the support of Peter Bottomley and Neale Hanvey, after his significant by-election win attributed to Labour withdrawing support for their original candidate amid allegations of antisemitism.

Having previously served as an MP with Labour, an independent, and for the Respect Party until 2015, Galloway's return to the Commons follows a tumultuous byelection and a long history of Middle Eastern activism.

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer attributed Galloway's win to Labour's withdrawal and apologized for the necessary exit from the race, despite considering it the correct decision.

After his win, the Campaign Against Antisemitism expressed concern over Galloway's track record with the Jewish community, referring to his past call for Bradford to be an "Israel-free zone." Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also expressed worry over the contentious nature of the campaign.